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Theater

Although the most popular plays performed are classics, German theaters and audiences are exceptionally receptive to modern productions as well. Roughly 300 international and German-language premieres are staged each year. In the tradition of author Friedrich Schiller, German theater still regards itself as a "moral institution." Plays should be both political and socio-critical, mirroring the times and problems of the society out of which they have grown. This idea was further developed by Expressionist directors Erwin Piscator and Max Reinhard, and especially by Berthold Brecht's theoretical analysis of what he called "epic theater.” Directors and authors question traditionalist views on performance and experiment as to the possibilities of presentation. They give topical subjects a theatrical form and force audiences to reflect on today's reality. German postmodern theater is mostly referred to as "post-dramatic" because it refuses to conform to traditional modes: Rather than following a linear structure, modern plays are patchwork compositions. They use metaphorical language, depersonalized figuration and deconstructivism to illustrate and comment upon the fragmentized modern reality in which we live. This new style has provoked strong public debate on the legitimacy of the theater in the modern media society and new perceptions of reality. German theater critics sometimes speak of an “artistic crisis” in modern theater.

Yet the German theater scene is heralded as one of the most progressive in the world. In the 1970s and 1980s, the so-called "Jungen Wilden" (Young Wilds), including directors Peter Zadek or Peter Stein, led this innovative movement. Today it is people like Falk Richter, Thomas Ostermeier and Frank Castorf who play a key role. The number of young playwrights has grown steadily in recent years. Dea Loher, René Pollisch and Moritz Rinke are just a few of the German dramaturgs who often work in direct cooperation with theaters. Especially among young theatergoers, the approaches of a new generation of directors and authors are eagerly accepted. This has led to a shift in typical audience composition: Loyal season ticket holders have given way to a young, choosy and more unpredictable public.

Leading theaters with a strong commitment to contemporary plays are: the Hamburger Schauspielhaus, Schaubühne Berlin, Volksbühne Berlin and the Kammerspiele in Munich.

Links

General Information:

Epic Theater