Die Jungfrau von Orleans (The Maid of Orleans)

France in the year 1429: The country has been torn apart by military conflicts for nearly a century. England’s royal family and the ancestral French ruling dynasty of the Valois are fighting over the legitimate rule of the country. With the support of the Duke of Burgundy, the Valois’ French rival, the invaders have managed to capture Paris. Crown prince Charles is weak and appears unable to prevail in this game of power and influence.

A young woman grows up amid this conflicted situation: Johanna. To protect them from the turmoil of war, her father wants his daughters to be married off – but Johanna is unwilling. She knows that she was destined for greater things – the Virgin Mary herself told her so in a vision. It is her fate to lead the French nation to unity and to help the crown prince be crowned king.

At first, Johanna is useful to the despondent and discouraged military leaders. She becomes the chief propagandist for the weak pretender to the crown and terrifies the invading army on the battlefield.

But she is uncompromisingly convinced of her mission and: She is a gambler, frenzied and ready to bet ever increasing stakes on a single card.

Her former allies become worried by her fanaticism. Johanna, who only recently was an inspiration to the masses, is to be adapted to commonplace images of femininity through marriage, and to be integrated into the established social system.

But only Johanna herself can derail Johanna. An encounter on the battlefield reminds her that she is a human being with longings and the capability to desire. Unsettled in her image of herself, she becomes an easy target for hostilities from friend and foe alike, culminating in accusations of devil worship. She must flee and ends up in English captivity. The worst seems unavoidable – but only Johanna can give new heart to Johanna...

As in many of his plays, Friedrich Schiller – a historian himself – used real events for “Die Jungfrau von Orleans (The Maid of Orleans)”. The life story of Jeanne d’Arc, who lived from 1412 to 1431 and contributed to crucial turning points in the Hundred Years’ War, is an established element of French national mythology and has seen numerous artistic adaptations.

Nuran David Calis works as a director, author and filmmaker. Apart from his stagings of classical theatre plays, he often creates re-writings, such as “Frühlings Erwachen! (LIVE FAST – DIE YOUNG)” or “Nathan”. Furthermore, he is an expert in documentary theatre formats with a political focus. Amongst other such projects, he directed “Die Lücke – Ein Stück Keupstraße” at Schauspiel Köln, which featured witnesses of the NSU’s 2004 nail bomb attack, or “NSU 2.0” and “Leaks” at Schauspiel Frankfurt.
From the 2025/26 season, Nuran David Calis will be Head of Drama at Salzburger Landestheater. “Die Jungfrau von Orleans” is his sixth production at Schauspiel Leipzig.