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The Berlin Theatertreffen

Many of the productions at this year’s Berlin Theatertreffen relate to topical politics – and many of them are by young dramatists.

05.05.2015
© Arno Declair - Das Berliner Theatertreffen

Whoever is invited to take part can say they’ve made it. The Berlin Theatertreffen (Theatre Meeting) is regarded as the summit of German-language drama. Night after night for months, a jury watches new productions in many different theatres and finally selects the ten most impressive ones. This time the experts reviewed 379 productions in 54 locations. The result is a compilation that is strikingly political and is not short on strong opinions. Many of the plays are highly topical. Another interesting aspect is that most of the authors are not famous veterans, but newcomers: “The 52nd Theatertreffen is a festival of premières and debutants,” says director Yvonne Büdenhölzer. “In their interpretations and creations the invited theatre-makers use very heterogeneous styles and address major socio-political issues, such as war, refugees and the associated traumas.”

For example, Common Ground by Yael Ronen is produced by the Berlin-based Maxim Gorki Theater. It takes us back to the childhood days of the actors during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. Wolfram Lotz’s play The Ridiculous Darkness, staged by the Burgtheater in Vienna, is about Somali pirates and German soldiers in Afghanistan. Classic plays are nevertheless also represented – for example a version of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot produced by the Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen and Deutsches Theater Berlin.

International forum and Fassbinder

The Theatertreffen not only highlights the productions chosen by the jury, it also provides a platform for more ideas. The “Stückemarkt” (play market) shows works by European authors who are yet to be discovered. Indeed, the Festival’s search for material is by no means restricted to German-language theatre. Young theatre-makers from all over the world were able to apply for a two-week scholarship programme, the International Forum, which aims to try out new ideas and build networks.

In addition to the actual festival itself, the Theatertreffen also focuses on special themes. The exhibition “Fassbinder – NOW” in Berlin’s Martin Gropius Building highlights the seminal work of director, actor and author Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who would have been 70 years old in May 2015.

52nd Berlin Theatertreffen from 1 to 17 May 2015

www.berlinerfestspiele.de/theatertreffen

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