Interview with the actresses, Veronika Maruhn and Victoria Hinzmann, ahead of their performance at IS Ruhr Unplugged “Villa Carnevale”!

Giada, Yusu: What inspired you two to be actors, and has Karneval played a role in that decision?
Veronika: When I was a child I’d like to sing, dance and tell stories. So arts in generally played and still plays a very big role in my life. So it turned out naturally that I’m still working as a singer, actress and writer.
Karneval didn’t play an important role but when I was young I was a « Funkemariechen » and danced during Karneval.
Victoria: I started acting when I was three to four years old in kindergarten and always knew it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I’m sure the idea of wearing a costume and makeup to embody a character was one of the main reasons for this dream. Carnival itself wasn’t an occasion back then because I had no idea about it.

Giada, Yusu: What are your favorite parts about the Karneval celebrations?
Victoria: My favorite Carnival events are the street parades and the parties with people from many different cultures.
Veronika: I like that the people are outside, having fun, everybody interacts with others.

Giada, Yusu: What have been your most memorable experiences as actors?
Veronika: The most memorable experience I remembered took place in Austria. I sang for the first time barock arias. After the concert an old lady came to me, she took my hand, kissed it, kneeled down and said: You sing like an angel. This moment touched me very much.
Victoria: This is a difficult question, because as humans, we have most of our memories having to do with stressful situations. I remember, for example, how once, during the first act, the stage lights suddenly went out, except for a small spark in one corner of the stage. Well, for the rest of the play we, the actors, had to huddle in that corner so that we could be seen by the audience. It was quite frightening, but also exciting.

Giada, Yusu: What do you think makes Karneval special compared to other celebrations?
Victoria: Well, since Carnival is all about dressing up, that’s obviously the most important and fun part of it. The costumes make the difference.
Veronika: The costumes are very special and by the way Karneval is the most humorous celebration.

Giada, Yusu: Do you have any favorite memories from a Karneval celebration or any favorite costumes?
Veronika: For four years I have been the art director of an ensemble of 17 Women. I worked with them several month on a Karneval show that took place at Weiber-Fastnacht. These shows with the women are my favourite memories. Everybody could be what she wanted to be.
Victoria: My most unforgettable memory was from 2 years ago when I dressed up as The Tramp. Most kids thought I was portraying the most evil dictator of the 20th century because of the mustache and because they didn’t know Charly Chaplin. Then I saw the need for education that conveys cultural assets from all times. So that day I saw a Charly Chaplin film with the children and told them who he was.