Acting Legend

Birgit Zamulo: “Should I Wait for Death?”

Birgit Zamulo has captivated audiences on stages across Germany and Austria, became a fan favorite at the Landestheater Linz, and continues to live out her great passion for theater to this day.(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

Birgit Zamulo has performed on numerous stages in Austria and Germany. She has led an eventful life—filled with major roles, great loves, and eight marriages. In “Harold and Maude,” the 81-year-old actress now portrays a woman with a zest for life who meets a young man. The play opens July 23 at Kultur.Park.Traun.

Macabre, touching, and full of zest for life: In the play “Harold and Maude”—which opens July 23 at Kultur.Park.Traun—a young man with a death wish meets an elderly woman who celebrates life in all its facets. From this unusual encounter, a tender love story unfolds, filled with humor, depth, and heart.

The elderly lady is a role tailor-made for Birgit Zamulo. She has led an eventful life—with major roles, great loves, and eight marriages. Known from the Landestheater Linz, she remains a local audience favorite to this day—and at 81, she’s still performing on stage. After a role in “My Fair Lady” at the Pramtaler Sommeroperette, she is now playing Maude in Traun. She tells the “Krone” what moves her.

“Krone”: What does it mean to you to still be on stage?
Birgit Zamulo:It does me so much good. Theater has always been my life. It reawakens my zest for life. After this, I’ll be performing for another year at the Kellertheater. You shouldn’t underestimate that. Comedy is very important; laughter is medicine for people. Performing one or two shows throughout the year does me good. Why should I lie on the couch and wait for death? It’s coming anyway.

What makes the character of Maude so special?
She’s turning 80, she’s fit, and she loves life—just like me. Maude is always full of joie de vivre. She’s completely different from young Harold, who’s constantly thinking about death. She teaches him how to live. The way I see it: he helps her die, and she helps him live.

Harold and Maude: Birgit Zamulo, who continues to captivate audiences with her stage presence, and the young Landestheater actor Vinzent Gebesmair(Bild: Dennis Schlegel)

Not exactly light fare for a summer theater play.
Summer theater themes aren’t always just about laughter, joy, and cheerfulness. That’s actually part of the play, too. It’s a black comedy—very British, in other words. It’s funny, and the woman is like an older Pippi Longstocking: fearless, a bit of a troublemaker, someone who pushes all boundaries. I really like that. I myself have many fears and hope to learn from Maude how to cast them aside. They only hold you back and serve no purpose.

Tell us: What’s your biggest fear?
I have many fears: of failing, of being abandoned, or that my dog might be unwell. I have a hundred thousand fears. After all, you do get attached to the good life. Anything that makes you feel insecure is scary.

The play is also about love. You’ve been through a lot yourself—you’ve been married eight times.
Yes, that seems completely abstract to me even today. But I’ve always thrown myself into love with heart and soul. I wanted it all: the childhood dream of a prince who comes along and with whom you live happily ever after. But when that dream was shattered, I never realized that you have to keep working on a relationship afterward. I never managed to do that. That’s why I’m alone today. But I accept that. It’s all right.

Why does the dream of a prince linger so tenaciously?
I grew up in an era when people said a woman needed a man by her side to be anyone at all. I always sought validation through men. Later, I realized that you can only find love within yourself. You shouldn’t expect validation from others; you have to look for it within yourself. But that’s a long process.

Are you satisfied with your life?
Yes, very much so. And above all, I’m grateful.

Why should I watch the play “Harold and Maude”?
It’s a gem. It shows what love can do: that love allows people to live more intensely, that it helps overcome all difficulties and leave one’s own problems behind. It conveys that you should be brave, that you can cross boundaries, and that you’ll see the world through new eyes. That’s exactly what makes this play so special.

Info: “Harold and Maude,” a dazzling black comedy by Collin Higgins, premiering July 23 at Kultur.Park.Traun, directed by Heidelinde Leutgöb.