Geschaetzte Leserschaft,

Wir wissen schon, die Abonnenten dieses Newsletters sind zu 99% im deutschen Sprachraum wohnhaft, aber einerseits sind wir wegen des ungewoehnlichen Auftritts mit einigem Stolz und Mitteilungsbeduerfnis erfuellt, andererseits mag ja der eine oder die andere unter Ihnen auch einen reichen Onkel oder eine distinguierte Tante in New York
haben und denen einen Tipp geben. maschek spielt also in New York, im oesterreichischen Kulturforum ACF. Untenstehend der sehr charmante Ankuendigungstext aus dem ACF-Magazin (www.acfny.org) samt allen Details.

besten Gruss,
maschek.

PS: Bei “Dorfers Donnerstalk” am kommenden Donnerstag auf ORF 1 werden wir auch mit von der Partie sein, allerdings haben wir unseren Part schon vorab aufgezeichnet. Und ein paar kleine Termine wird es im Sommer auch noch geben, die finden Sie wie immer auf unserer Homepage. Die - falls Sie schon laenger nicht dort waren - sehr schoen neu ausgemalt wurde.

MASCHEK: THE OTHER SIDE
By Kerstin Schuetz-Mueller

Maschek isn’t a name, it’s a Viennese term for “otherness,” the
“Maschekseite” being the “Maschek-side,” and thus the “other side.”
There is no fitting term to describe who maschek are, so for lack of
an alternative, “Austrian comedy trio” will have to suffice. What
began in 1999 as a hobby for Peter Hörmanseder, Ulrich Salamun, and
Robert Stachel has since evolved into an Austrian cult classic that
has even spilled over the borders into Germany and Switzerland. Thanks
to the Internet, and especially the advent of YouTube, maschekian
comedy has become ubiquitous.

Years ago, the trio started to buy up old photographic slide
collections and super-8 films at flea markets and then made up stories
based on this found material. They took it a step further and began to
perform bitingly satirical live voiceovers for video material they
found in the archives of Austria’s national broadcaster ORF. In 2006,
maschek were embraced by that same institution and given a slot on the
TV show Dorfer’s Donnerstalk. This is what finally made them a
household name.

The “other side” that maschek inhabit is like a bizarre parallel
universe, one in which they remake the rules and rewrite history. A
debate between candidates for the last Austrian presidential campaign
is dubbed as a televised coin toss to determine the winner of the
election. A children’s television puppet show becomes a reality show
about a trash-talking dysfunctional family of bears, and Barack Obama
ends up delivering his speech in Germany - in German.

In their performances, maschek display total irreverence in taking on
politicians, celebrities, television personalities, etc. Their
observations are canny and very much to the point, putting their
finger on controversial aspects and sore spots of (Austrian) politics
and society. What’s more, Hörmanseder, Salamun, and Stachel are
sophisticated performers who can switch between characters,
inflections, and accents in a split second without losing their timing.

Now, for the first time, maschek will be bringing their unique and
exhilarating brand of comedy to the United States, with two
performances at the ACFNY this May.

www.maschek.org
www.youtube.com/profile?user=maschek

WEDNESDAY MAY 27, 7:30 PM
MASCHEK.REDET.DRÜBER (German version)
A GREAT TELEVISION SWINDLE

THURSDAY MAY 28, 7:30 PM
MASCHEK.TALKS.IT.OVER (English version)
A GREAT TELEVISION SWINDLE

Austrian Cultural Forum
11 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022

Phone: (212) 319 5300
Fax: (212) 644 8660
E-mail: desk@acfny.org

Admission to all ACF exhibitions, concerts, and other events is free.
Due to limited seating capacity in the auditorium, tickets or
reservations might be required for events (except the exhibitions).
Please check the reservation line at (212) 319 5300 ext. 222 for
further information.