Theater the island
The theater "die insel" is a theater in Karlsruhe . From 1950 to 1999 it was a German private theater under the direction of the artistic director Werner Wedekind. At the end of 1999 the theater was closed due to the difficult financial situation of the city of Karlsruhe.
The building now serves as an outdoor theater for the Baden State Theater under the name INSEL .
history
Venues
The theater, the island was founded in 1950 by Werner Wedekind and Erich Schudde. After a literary and musical evening in the Conradin-Kreutzer -Haus, the official opening took place in the Munz-Saal, with the world premiere of “ God's Utopia ” by Stefan Andres . From 1953 to 1957, the theater in the Badischer Kunstverein building was the new venue. In 1958 another move took place in the Conradin-Kreutzer -Haus in the southern part of the city with the gradual expansion to the theater "die insel". In 1991 the new theater building in the south-west of Karlsruhe was opened. The multi-day opening in Karlstraße took place with the premieres of “ Faust I ” (by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , director: Werner Wedekind) alternating with “ Before retirement ” (by Thomas Bernhard , director: Istvan Bödy).
The game plan
In the 50-year existence as a private theater, many premieres followed a. a. by Gabriel Marcel , European premieres a. a. by Tennessee Williams and German language premieres. The focus was on well-known classical theater pieces as well as many works by modern dramatists. There were over 350 pieces by around 250 authors. With the productions, “die insel” was invited to innumerable guest performances all over Germany. Modern theater plays by authors such as Eugène Ionesco , Friedrich Dürrenmatt , Max Frisch and Franz Kafka were also part of the program, as were well-known world premieres such as the “German Passion” (Kurt Becsy), “The World is Tau” (Jean Boulmer), “The Night of metamorphoses ”(Francois Gachot),“ intermediate station ”(Ray Howard) or“ honorary citizen against his will ”(Georg Richter). But also prominent German premieres such as “The American Dream” by Edward Albee and “The Last of My Real Gold Watches” by Tennessee Williams were part of the program.
Theater for the youth
Right from the start, “die insel” turned to the young audience. The theater cooperated with schools and was involved in youth work with a high proportion of the Karlsruhe children and youth theater. Open rehearsals and discussions gave the young audience better access to contemporary theater.
Cabaret in Studio 84
The studio stage of the "insel" theater had made a name for itself primarily through the cabaret program. Various artists and cabaret artists from all over Germany used the second stage of the house as a permanent venue and for guest performances.
gallery
The permanently installed gallery in the foyer of the theater has offered changing exhibitions by regional artists since 1962.
The Baden Drama School
After the end of the state theater academy in Karlsruhe, which was destroyed during the Second World War, the "Theater die insel" set up a new training facility for actors. Founded in the summer of 1962 as the Baden Drama School, it was artistically and organizationally closely linked to the theater and officially recognized as a vocational school. The drama school was closed with the theater in 1999.
The Gengenbach Festival
In 1980 Werner Wedekind founded the Gengenbach Festival in Gengenbach near Offenburg . They became a firm mainstay of the theater “die insel” and, in the style of the state stage, made a contribution to the “theater in the region” and to strengthening the cultural offerings in rural areas. The festival was soon used by numerous German theaters and musicians as summer open-air plays. The success of this annual festival meant that “die insel” was able to establish a branch with fixed monthly schedules in Gengenbach all year round.
Directorship
The theater “die insel” was directed from 1950 to 1999 by Werner Wedekind. After his death in January 1999 the theater was directed by Thomas Wedekind and Michael Wedekind.
Personalities
A selection of well-known actors and directors who worked at the "insel-Theater" during the 50 years of private theater.
- Gert Fröbe (as a guest with numerous appearances as part of his recitation tour with works by Christian Morgenstern and others)
- Lilian Harvey (as guest)
- Otto Sander (as guest)
- Esther Schweins (1991 participation in the Faust I production by Werner Wedekind)
- Elke Sommer (as guest)
- Claus Eberth (as a member of the ensemble)
- Claudia Wedekind
- Hermann Wedekind
- Michael Wedekind
u. a.
The INSEL of the Baden State Theater
Today's INSEL is a venue for the Baden State Theater for the “Young State Theater” section. In addition to theater performances, concerts as part of the “Nachtklänge” take place here, a series of concerts by the Badische Staatskapelle by modern and contemporary composers.
literature
- Theater "die insel": 10 years of "die insel" - An edition to celebrate its tenth anniversary , Karlsruhe 1960
- Gudrun Bayer: The "Insel-Chronik" - Theater "die insel" - Archive , Karlsruhe 1963
- Theater "die insel": 20 years of "die insel" - An edition to celebrate its twentieth anniversary , Karlsruhe 1970
- Werner Wedekind and Prof. Rudolf Immig: 25 years of "DIE INSEL" - Documentation II, an edition to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary , Karlsruhe 1975
- Baden's latest news: “Between hardship and success, loyal to the theater” . Karlsruhe October 29, 1994
- Werner Wedekind: Podium with tradition and future - a documentation . Theater “die insel” archive. Karlsruhe November 9, 1995
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Program of the Gengenbach Festival 1991, page 21; Newspaper review for the performance of Faust in Karlsruhe, Badische Latest Nachrichten from April 15, 1991