Michael Sommer (Author)

Portrait Michael Sommer

Michael Sommer (* 1976 in Kassel ) is a German author , director , dramaturge and literary scholar . He gained greater fame through his web video series Sommers Weltliteratur to go , which won the Grimme Online Award in 2018 .

Live and act

After graduating from high school, Sommer studied literature at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg and at the University of Oxford . He then worked as a director , author and for many years leading drama adviser at the Ulm Theater.

In autumn 2013, as the dramaturge for a production of the play Dantons Tod , Sommer was faced with the task of summarizing the play in a short and entertaining way. This resulted in a semi-improvised performance, which was recorded on video and published on the video portal YouTube . This video received several thousand views in a year and a half, which is why Sommer decided to continue this format as a video series.

In addition to his artistic activities, Sommer has been teaching at a specialist academy for social education since 2016.

Staging - selection

Phone Home (World Premiere 2016 in London, Munich and Athens)
Refugium (Michael Sommer, Theater Ulm , 2014)
Federseelen (Michael Sommer, Federseemuseum , 2009)
The Cutman (Nicholas Pierpan, Theater Ulm , 2009)
Fischerglück and Birkenpech (Michael Sommer, Federseemuseum , 2009)
Hansel and Gretel (Susanne Lütje and Corinna Schildt, Theater Ulm , 2005)
4.48 Psychosis ( Sarah Kane , Theater Ulm , 2005)

Works (selection

Sophie! ( Libretto , UA State Academy for Young Musicians in Baden-Württemberg , 2018)

Phone Home (with Eri Kyrgia, Yannis Kalavrianos, Nora Schüssler, Zodwa Nyoni, Tom Mansfield, UA 2016 in London, Munich and Athens)

And freedom at night (Libretto, UA State Academy for young people making music in Baden-Württemberg , 2016)

Instructions for use for parents and other psychos (with Basti Bund and Simon Reimold, WP 2015, Pasinger Fabrik )

Fear You (Not) (Premiere 2015, Theater Ulm )

Refugium (WP 2014, Theater Ulm )

Antigone / Sophie (premiere 2013, Theater Ulm / Concentration Camp Memorial Oberer Kuhberg , Ulm)

nutters ( WP 2010, Roxy Ulm)

The Snow Queen (Premiere 2009, Theater Ulm )

Federseelen (WP 2009, Federseemuseum Bad Buchau )

Fischerglück and Birkenpech (WP 2007, Federseemuseum Bad Buchau )

Web links

Individual evidence

↑ Grimme Online Awards for outstanding online offers. June 22, 2018, accessed February 21, 2020 .
↑ Michael Sommer - Summer's World Literature. Retrieved January 9, 2020 (German).
↑ Reclam presents »Summer's world literature to go« | Reclam Publishing House. Retrieved January 9, 2020 .
^ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Youtube hit from Munich: Goethe's Faust in nine minutes. Retrieved February 21, 2020 .
↑ michaelsommer: productions. In: Sommers Artworks. January 13, 2015, accessed on January 9, 2020 (German).

personal data
SURNAME	Summer, Michael
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German author, director, dramaturge and literary scholar
DATE OF BIRTH	1976
PLACE OF BIRTH	kassel

[1] Grimme Online Awards for outstanding online offers. June 22, 2018, accessed February 21, 2020 .

[2] Michael Sommer - Summer's World Literature. Retrieved January 9, 2020 (German).

[3] Reclam presents »Summer's world literature to go« | Reclam Publishing House. Retrieved January 9, 2020 .

[4] Süddeutsche Zeitung: Youtube hit from Munich: Goethe's Faust in nine minutes. Retrieved February 21, 2020 .

[5] sommer: productions. In: Sommers Artworks. January 13, 2015, accessed on January 9, 2020 (German).