Schauspielhaus Neubrandenburg
The Schauspielhaus Neubrandenburg is the oldest surviving theater building in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and one of the main stages of the Theater und Orchester GmbH Neubrandenburg / Neustrelitz . The half-timbered house is located on Pfaffenstrasse in Neubrandenburg .
The history
Duke Adolf Friedrich IV. , The regent of the Mecklenburg-Strelitz part of the country , chose Neubrandenburg as his summer residence in 1775. For the theater company of Peter Florenz Ilgener, which has been a regular guest here since that year, and the ducal court theater founded a little later, various buildings in the city, including the town hall , initially served as a venue. Between 1780 and 1794, when different dates are given in the literature, the Duke had the “Comedy House” built on Pfaffenstrasse as a permanent venue. His successor Karl II dissolved the court theater due to tight budgets.
In the following decades the building was used by various traveling theaters and theaters, from 1822 also by the re-established Strelitzer Hoftheater. In 1825 renovations were carried out under the direction of Friedrich Wilhelm Buttel . In the course of the revolution of 1848/49 several popular assemblies were held in the theater. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 the building served as a hospital . Under Grand Duke Friedrich Wilhelm (II.) The building was given to the doctor Dr. Ludwig Mercker (1840–1920) sold. He had the facade and interior redesigned in order to set up an "institute for exercise cures". In the course of these renovations, the theater was also given a bay window.
During the Second World War , a hospital was set up again in the house. After 1945, apartments and a vulcanizing and motorcycle workshop were housed in the building and a parish had its meeting room here. Even so, the house was in decline. The original interior was completely lost.
After the fall of the Wall , the building was converted back into a theater. During the renovation, it was given its original appearance. The bay window, which had become dilapidated and had shaped the cityscape for decades, was removed again. The curtain rose for the first time at the ceremonial reopening in April 1994.
Today's theater
The 180-seat theater (with box seats for up to 200) is equipped with modern stage technology , including a turntable and orchestra pit. The artist Klemens Kühn made a contemporary ceiling painting on the historic barrel vault for the hall. A structural specialty is the parquet, which consists of many individual platforms, which gives the stage designers the opportunity to design the rows of seats variably and, if necessary, to include the auditorium in the stage design or, for example, to place a small orchestra. In some productions, the audience took their seats directly on the stage and the auditorium served as a stage. In this way, the audience constantly opens up new, interesting perspectives on the theater building and on the plays.
There is a café in the foyer area of the Schauspielhaus, which is open both for performances and on days when there are no events. Readings and small concerts are also occasionally held here. The building ensemble also includes a neighboring, multi-storey half-timbered house - known as the Greve House because of the printing works of the family of the same name that have been working there for decades - in which the visitor service and part of the administration can be found. A vacant lot between the two buildings was closed by a modern, glass connecting building, which today forms the entrance area to the theater.
There is also a rehearsal stage in the immediate vicinity of the theater. The building, the former (grand) ducal stables , was expanded in 2004 and now also houses theater workshops, a small collection and the music archive of the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic.
Since 2006 the Schauspielhaus Neubrandenburg has been part of the European cultural heritage recognized by the EU and is part of the Germany Route on the Europastraße Historical Theaters , which was launched by PERSPECTIV, the "Society of European Historical Theaters ".
The game plan
Initially played by the Neubrandenburg Chamber Theater , the playhouse is now - together with the Neustrelitz State Theater - the main venue of Theater und Orchester GmbH Neubrandenburg / Neustrelitz . The program mainly features plays of all eras and genres, including classical stage works by Schiller , Molière and Shakespeare , but also plays by modern authors such as George Tabori , Yasmina Reza or Christoph Hein , as well as a variety of comedies and comedies, the series “Little Comedy in the Schauspielhaus”, which has been running with great success since 2007, testifies to their popularity with the public. In addition, the theater has established itself as a venue for contemporary plays for children and young people.
In addition, one or two musical theater productions (operas, operettas, musicals and choir programs) with a small orchestra or band are premiered per season, scenic recitals, chamber concerts , soirées and readings complete the program. The “fairy tale chamber” on the rehearsal stage, where puppet shows and fairy tales are presented for children and adults every Saturday afternoon, has also been very popular for many years.
At the end of each season (late May to early June) the “Neubrandenburg Amateur Theater Days” take place in the Schauspielhaus, where amateur theater groups from the city and the surrounding area have the opportunity to present their pieces to a wide audience on a large stage. With the (K) ammerteuren , the theater also has its own amateur theater group, which develops a production per year. In addition, the Niederdeutsche Bühne Neubrandenburg premieres its one to two pieces per season in the Schauspielhaus.
Up to 200 theater performances and events take place on the stage of the Schauspielhaus each season.
further reading
- Matthias Wolf: Theater in Neubrandenburg. 2 volumes. Series of publications by the Regionalmuseum Neubrandenburg , No. 31 (1999) and 32 (2000).
- Gudrun Mohr: Wonderful greats. Out and about by lake and river yesterday and today. Steffen, Friedland / Mecklenburg 2005, ISBN 3-937669-48-5 , pp. 124-125.
- Volker Schmidt: Neubrandenburg. A historical guide. Hinstorff, Rostock 1997, ISBN 3-356-00726-2 , pp. 90-91.
Web links
- Literature about the Schauspielhaus Neubrandenburg in the state bibliography MV
- Homepage of the Theater und Orchester GmbH Neubrandenburg / Neustrelitz. Accessed on July 28, 2011 (fixtures, ticket prices, contact information, etc.).
Coordinates: 53 ° 33 '18 " N , 13 ° 15' 47.8" E