News

21. November 2023

Israel/Palästina: Programmankündigung und Erklärung der Intendanz

Wir sind verzweifelt und traurig über die Ereignisse der letzten Wochen in Israel und Gaza, die so vielen Menschen dermassen viel Leid bringen. Den brutalen und durch nichts zu relativierenden Terrorangriff der Hamas am 7. Oktober halten wir für zutiefst menschenfeindlich. Ebenso erschüttert uns die Gewalteskalation, das entsetzliche Leid der Zivilbevölkerung und die humanitäre Katastrophe in Gaza. Unser Mitgefühl und unsere Gedanken gelten allen Opfern und ihren Familien, sowie allen Menschen in der Region und anderswo, die sich für friedliche, humanitäre, solidarische Lösungen einsetzen.

Dass die momentane Situation zu antisemitischen Angriffen und Bedrohungen auch hier in der Schweiz führt, ist für uns nicht hinnehmbar. Ebenso verurteilen wir, dass der Konflikt missbraucht wird, um anti-muslimische und rassistische Narrative zu verbreiten.

Als Theatermacher*innen sind wir verbunden mit Geschichte und mit dem Vergehen der Zeit, wir sehen die Dinge in Bewegung und versuchen, einfache Antworten zu vermeiden. Im Theater geht es darum, den Blick zu schärfen für die Position des anderen, Schattierungen zuzulassen, Widersprüche auszuhalten, Diskursräume zu öffnen. Das Schauspielhaus Zürich möchte ein Ort des Dialogs und des Diskurses bleiben – auch und gerade in Bezug auf die jüngsten Ereignisse. Dies ist anspruchsvoll und nicht immer leicht. Für ein menschliches und solidarisches Zusammenleben indes ist es unabdingbar. In der klassischen Tragödie wie im gesellschaftlichen Miteinander finden sich die Wahrheiten im Dialog.

Wir möchten im Dialog bleiben, Dialog ermöglichen, Dialog aushalten. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem NCBI (National Coalition Building Institute) planen wir Workshops unter dem Titel «Respect-Trialog: Gemeinsam Juden- und Muslimfeindlichkeit überwinden». Am 15. Dezember organisieren wir in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Magazin Republik ein Podium. Mit dem «Institut Praktiken und Theorien der Künste» der Hochschule der Künste Bern sind wir in Austausch und Planung zu einer Veranstaltung über «Theater und Krieg» für Februar.

Bereits seit Anfang 2022 arbeiten wir mit der NGO Artists at Risk (AR) zusammen, die sich für Künstler*innen in Kriegs- und Krisengebieten einsetzt. Zusammen mit ihnen haben wir zuletzt die Gesprächsreihe «Conversations with Artists at Risk (AR)» initiiert. Auch die Inszenierung Antigone in Butscha, inszeniert vom ukrainischen Regisseur Stas Zhyrkov, stellt die Frage nach der Rolle der Kunst in einer gewaltvollen Zeit und knüpft an die Geschichte des Pfauens als Exil-Theater an. Zum Thema Exil-Theater werden ab Januar im Pfauen Spezialführungen mit anschliessendem Austausch angeboten. Dieser Aspekt der Geschichte des Schauspielhauses in den 1930er und 40er Jahren ist für uns eine weitere Verpflichtung, uns entschieden gegen Antisemitismus, Rassismus, Muslimfeindlichkeit und generell gegen jede Form von Diskriminierung zu stellen.

Wir sind uns bewusst, dass all dies nur kleine Beiträge sein können angesichts einer hochkomplexen Situation und unermesslichem menschlichen Leid. Woran wir im Moment arbeiten können, ist, uns nicht auseinanderdividieren zu lassen - und uns um Empathie zu bemühen. Trotz unterschiedlicher Standpunkte möchten wir im Gespräch und im Kontakt bleiben – trotz und gerade angesichts der schier unerträglichen Situation in Israel und Gaza.

Co-Intendanten Benjamin von Blomberg & Nicolas Stemann

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25. June 2024
That's all folks! Thank you and goodbye Zürich!

Dear audience

The last time we addressed you, we were still able to announce the "soon it will be over" and thus the final festival. Now the festival is over and the last days are approaching: 5 days to go and the 5 years of our co-directorship with you at the Schauspielhaus Zürich will be over.

"The show is over" is the suiting title of the beautiful and spatially impressive video installation by Wu Tsang, Tosh Basco & Moved by the Motion (inspired by the poem come on, get it by Fred Moten and the Report from Occupied Territory by James Baldwin), which will be installed and shown again at the Pfauen in the next few days - the show is over.

"This is our stage!" claim the young actors at the largest theater youth club meeting in Switzerland, which will take place in Zurich again after many years from 26 to 29 June 2024.

This was important to us: the very last word should belong to the future. At the end of "Spiilplätz" and on the last day of the last season, on Saturday, June 30, 2024, the basses will be booming. And it will be where the younger generation has made its voice heard in recent years: on the Pfauen stage!

All those who believe that this will be the end of the story can breathe a sigh of relief. The doors and stages can no longer be closed, the future has long since arrived. And it will remain. Even if it is called Schauspielhaus Zürich again and the lettering on the Pfauen will soon be dismantled - there is no going back. The Schauspielhaus Zürich will always remain the Zchauspielhaus Sürich. And thus a place that is open to people who do not accept rigid boundaries, dogmatic attributions, bans on experimentation, or the refusal to stand up for a different kind of togetherness and a different kind of municipal theater. People who know exactly: an S can also be a Z, a Z can also be an S (and so much more). And who have long been living this as a matter of course.

So what remains? So much! In the institution itself, which has changed and been set in motion in recent years (today there is a compass, a mandatory sustainability report in the annual report, regulations to protect integrity, an external ombudsman's office and much more). Then there was the experience of a broad, open understanding of theater, in which there was room for a wide range of aesthetics and representations both on and off stage. This artistic freedom has resulted in a whole series of remarkable performances that have been widely recognized in the city, nationally and internationally. Some of them will continue to be seen beyond our time - in Zurich, for example (Nicolas Stemann's "Biedermann und Brandstifter", "Tambourines" by Trajal Harrell/Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble and Leonie Böhm's "Blutstück"), but also in Berlin (Christopher Rüping's "Einfach das Ende der Welt" and "Gier") and on tour worldwide (e.g. "The Köln Concert" and "Gier"). e.g. "The Köln Concert" and "The Romeo" by Trajal Harrell/Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble or "Moby Dick" and "Carmen" by Wu Tsang/moved by the motion).

Finally, the experience that a municipal theater can still be the talk of the town and is capable of sparking passionate debates (which may have gone over the heads of some decision-makers).

And of course your and our memories will remain. The final publication "Theater is Dead - Long live Theater. Zchauspielhaus Sürich 2019-24", which we recently published and which is now available online, could certainly provide further inspiration.

We are glad that we have been able to say goodbye to many of you in recent weeks and that you have also met the artists who have shaped the last 5 years. Your applause after the performances during the final festival was overwhelming. We won't forget that. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you once again for this and much more. And of course wa want to say: Tschau Zürich and goodbye, dear audience!

All the best to you!

Yours, Benjamin von Blomberg and Nicolas Stemann
Artistic Directors Schaupielhaus Zurich
2019-2024

 

24. June 2024
Final publication - Limited edition, now available!

Theater Is Dead. Long Live Theater. Schauspielhaus Zürich 2019 - 2024 - Limited Edition, now on sale! Available to order until June 27th via webshop and afterwards via Theater der Zeit.

Exuberantly sensual, internationally celebrated, open to diversity and beyond disciplinary boundaries, at the same time hostile, embellished and contested. Packaged as an alphabetical glossary, this final publication evokes the hopes and promises associated with the artistic co-directorship of Benjamin von Blomberg and Nicolas Stemann at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, represents the diverse signatures of the artists involved and calls for public debates on the reorientation of the Schauspielhaus.

So what remains of this attempt to rethink the municipal theater for the 21st century? Theater Is Dead. Long Live Theater. Schauspielhaus Zürich 2019 - 2024 does not provide any definitive answers, but rather brings together material that could be relevant for future attempts at renewal. The result is an artistic text and illustrated book that celebrates an expanded concept of theater and illustrates and contextualizes the works created in Zurich between theater, dance, film and the performative arts.

Theater Is Dead. Long Live Theater. Schauspielhaus Zürich 2019 – 2024
Price: CHF 30.- (Linen-bound hardcover)
Limited edtion!

 

21. June 2024
The Show’s Over by Moved by the Motion
Last shows: 23-27 June 2024

After Bullestress will be the last repertory performance of the season and the artistic directorship of Nicolas Stemann and Benjamin von Blomberg, The Show’s Over comes back to the Pfauen stage at the right moment to herald the end of the season and the co-directorship. The video installation by Wu Tsang, Tosh Basco and Moved by the Motion will be shown for the very last time at the Pfauen from June 23 to 27, 2024. Admission is free.

Based on Fred Moten’s poem come on, get it and James Baldwin’s Report from Occupied Territory, Wu Tsang and Moved by the Motion created a film with the Schauspielhaus ensemble in the year 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. Wu Tsang's films unite documentary and narrative techniques with fantastical excursions into the imaginary, exploring hidden histories, marginalised narratives and the act of performance itself. In early March, she and Moved by the Motion made a film with the ensemble. Based on the poem come on, get it by Fred Moten and the Report from Occupied Territory by James Baldwin, the camera moves continuously between individual choreographies and movements and actions of the group, ranging from improvised music to ascents and descents on a Penrose triangle – a triangle that connects and separates the performers depending on their perspective. With Fred Moten's Poem, the film explores motifs of indivisibility, fluidity and watery land and mud, and investigates subterranean currents of resistance and the politics of (in)visibility.

 

17. June 2024
Publication:Nahaufnahme
Christopher Rüping

Christopher Rüping has been shaping German-language theater for more than ten years and is – according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung – one of the "most exciting theater directors of his generation". From 2019 to 2024, he was in-house director at Schauspielhaus Zürich, where he staged nine productions: Miranda Julys Der erste fiese Typ, Früchte des Zorns, Dekalog, Einfach das Ende der Welt, Der Ring des Nibelungen, Border, Das neue Leben – Where do we go from here, Gier und Die Möwe. A book about him and his artistic work has now been published by Alexander Verlag in June 2024. In conversations with the editors Vasco Boenisch and Malte Ubenauf and the Katinka Deecke, Head of Dramaturgy at Schauspielhaus Zürich, Christopher Rüping provides insights into his working methods, artistic ideals and personal experiences. In addition, 35 companions paint a kaleidoscopic picture of their collective collaboration. In encounters with Andrea Breth, Tim Etchells, Susanne Kennedy, Henrike Kohpeiß, Toshiki Okada and Peaches, Christopher Rüping reflects on his work through the eyes of others. Previously unpublished designs of stage sets, costumes and compositions as well as text versions document the artistic creative process, supplemented by production photos and a detailed list of works. Nahaufnahme Christopher Rüping: Now available at Orell Füssli or via Alexander Verlag!

 

10. June 2024
Blutstück goes
Autor:innentheatertage 2024

Blutstück by Leonie Böhm and Kim de l'Horizon has been selected for the 27th Autor:innentheatertage, which will take place from June 4 to 15, 2024 at Deutsches Theater in Berlin. On June 11 we celebrate the German premiere! The ten selected guest performances are at the heart of the festival for contemporary drama, which is a trade fair for publishers and specialist audiences. The Day of New Dramatics marks the end of the festival. Previously, Blutstück was also invited to the Wiener Festwochen from May 18-20 and was shown three times at the Volkstheater Wien. Blutstück will also continue to tour in the 24/25 season.

 

05. June 2024
Sonne Extended mit Elfriede Jelinek,
Nicolas Stemann & Ensemble

Zum äquinoktalen Donnerstag des Abschlussfestivals schaltet sich zu Beginn mit James Bridle ein Weltstar der digitaltechnologischen Zukunft in den Pfauen. Er wird die Notwendigkeit von Disruption, den Mut zur Ehrlichkeit und die Dunkelheit des neuen Zeitalters denkend umkreisen, dies auch im Gespräch mit Bice Curiger. Im Anschluss verlängert Co-Intendant Nicolas Stemanns letzte Vorstellung von Sonne, los jetzt! der Nobelpreisträgerin Elfriede Jelinek Bridles kosmisch-digitale Reflexionen auf die Pfauenbühne. Für diese letzte Aufführung auf Erden verlängern wir die Sonne zudem bis tief in die Nacht: Sonne Extended - Das Ende. Gemeinsam reisen wir in die Dunkelheit zu sphärischen Klängen, mit alten Bekannten und neuen Texten.
Elfriede Jelilnek hat zum Ende der Intendanz eine Rede geschrieben, die am Donnerstag, 6. Juni, anlässlich der Dernière ihres Stücks Sonne, los jetzt! eingespielt wird. Zusammen mit dem Ensemble und den Musikern von Sonne, los jetzt! sowie Tabita Johannes, Perle Palombe, Max Reichert und Lukas Vögler laden wir zur apokalyptischen Jam Session und Lesung von neuen Jelinek-Texten in den Pfauen. 

Auszug aus der Rede von Elfriede Jelinek zum Ende der Intendanz von Nicolas Stemann und Benjamin von Blomberg, Juni 2024.

 

03. June 2024
Theater is Dead. Long Live Theater. Abschlusspublikation Zchauspielhaus Sürich 2019 – 2024

Am 14. Juni 2024 erscheint das Buch Theater Is Dead. Long Live Theater. Zchauspielhaus Sürich 2019 – 2024 im Verlag «Theater der Zeit». Als alphabetisches Glossar verpackt, evoziert diese Abschlusspublikation die Hoffnungen und Versprechen, die mit der Intendanz von Benjamin von Blomberg und Nicolas Stemann am Schauspielhaus Zürich verbunden waren, repräsentiert die vielfältigen Handschriften der beteiligten Künstler*innen und ruft öffentliche Debatten um die Neuausrichtung des Schauspielhauses auf.

Was bleibt von diesem Versuch, das Stadttheater für das 21. Jahrhundert neu zu denken? Theater Is Dead. Long Live Theater. Zchauspielhaus Sürich 2019 – 2024 gibt darauf keine finalen Antworten, sondern versammelt Material, das für zukünftige Erneuerungsversuche relevant sein könnte. Dabei entsteht ein künstlerischer Text- und Bildband, der einen erweiterten Theaterbegriff feiert und die in Zürich entstandenen Arbeiten zwischen Theater, Tanz, Film und den performativen Künsten abbildet und kontextualisiert.

Schon vor Erscheinungsdatum der Publikation am 14. Juni 2024 gewährt Ihnen das Redaktionsteam im Rahmen des Abschlussfestivals einen exklusiven Blick ins Buch. Und berichtet von konzeptuellen und gestalterischen Fragen, die für die Entstehung der Publikation wichtig waren. Dabei können sie mit diesen Expert*innen für die jüngste Vergangenheit des Hauses auch über seine Zukunft sprechen: Was bleibt, von den letzten fünf Jahren? Welche Konfliktlinien, welche Setzungen, welche Texte sind auch für die Zukunft relevant? Wer wollte das Theater beerdigen? Und wieso ist es immer noch lebendig?

Di, 4. Juni 2024
18.30-19.30 Uhr
Pfauen-Foyer (Festivalzentrum)

Sa, 8. Juni 2024
17.00-18.00 Uhr
Schiffbau-Foyer (Festivalzentrum)

Eintritt frei.

Wenn Sie die Abschlusspublikation vorbestellen möchten, können Sie das unter diesem Link bereits tun: Theater is Dead. Long Live Theater. Abschlusspublikation vom Schauspielhaus Zürich 2019 – 2024 jetzt vorbestellen!

 

31. May 2024
Museum für Gestaltung:
Laurenz Brunner x Schauspielhaus Zürich

Since 2019, Laurenz Brunner, Art Director of Schauspielhaus Zürich (2019-024), has been designing the visual identity of Schauspielhaus Zürich together with his studio. In five years, he has created over 75 production posters and campaigns that negotiate the themes covered in an ambiguous way. Brunner raises demands for diversity, inclusion and fluid identities through creative moments of irritation and coincidence. In doing so, he creates symbolic openings in order to make contradictions visible and to withstand them. In the individual expression of the designs, he creates a polyphony in which the neon yellow serves as an unmistakable, unifying element. Laurenz Brunner uses formal layering, mirroring, breaks and mergers to question the conventions of the poster tradition and builds a bridge to the present with pop-cultural references. His poster series for the 22/23 season was voted one of the "100 Besten Plakate" in the German-speaking world.

Parallel to the closing festival of the Schauspielhaus Zürich, the Museum für Gestaltung is showing selected works as part of the exhibition Laurenz Brunner x Schauspielhaus Zürich until the end of June 2024, supplemented by a selection of digital and printed copies of the work to browse through.

 

06. May 2024
Happy End: Closing festival
3-9 June 2024

Dear audience!

From June 3 to 9, we cordially invite you to the closing festival. It has been an eventful time and we want to celebrate it in the form of a week-long closing festival - with you, the ensemble, our in-house directors and all the staff of this great theater. Similar to our inaugural festival five years ago, each member of the group of in-house directors with whom we have worked over the past five years will present an important work that they have created at Schauspielhaus Zürich. There will also be concerts, happenings, keynotes, rituals, talks, vernissages, aperitifs, picnics, family time, a pizza party, a Happy End brunch, a costume and prop auction - and finally the big party on June 8, 2024, which we want to call the "House of Wokeness" party, taking up a polemic against us.

With the Happy End Festival Pass, you can book tickets for all events this week free of charge. Information about the festival pass, the festival centers at Pfauen and Schiffbau and the entire program can be found here. We look forward to seeing you!

Cordially,
Benjamin von Blomberg & Nicolas Stemann
Schauspielhaus Zurich

 

02. March 2024
Biennale Danza 2024: Silberner Löwe für Trajal Harrell

Schauspielhaus Hausregisseur Trajal Harrell wird an der diesjährigen Biennale Danza mit dem Silbernen Löwen ausgezeichnet. Verliehen wird der Preis am 21. Juli im Rahmen der 18. Festivalausgabe der Biennale Danza. Das internationale Festival für den zeitgenössischen Tanz findet vom 18. Juli bis am 3. August 2024 in Venedig statt. «Trajal Harrell is a true original, one of the most original and sought-after dancers and choreographers in recent years who advances an expanded dance which metabolises Vogue dance, postmodern, butoh, research and pop culture.», schreibt Wayne McGregor, Direktor Biennale Danza. Trajal Harrell kehrt diesen Sommer mit zwei Arbeiten zur 18. Biennale Danza zurück: mit der Schauspielhaus Produktion Tambourines und Sister or He Buried the Body.
Im März kehrt er ausserdem mit der weitgereisten und vielbeachteten Inszenierung The Köln Concert für drei Vorstellungen zurück in den Pfauen: 4., 18. & 19. März, am 21. April zudem ein letztes Mal mit The Romeo. Save the dates.

01. March 2024
Blutstück an den Wiener Festwochen

Blutstück, the latest production by Leonie Böhm based on the award-winning novel Blutbuch by Kim de l'Horizon, will be presented at the Volkstheater from 18 to 20 May 2024 as part of the Wiener Festwochen. "With Blutstück , Leonie Böhm and Kim de l'Horizon are not simply adapting the bestseller Blutbuch – they are creating a completely new theatrical narrative," says Milo Rau, Artistic Director of the Wiener Festwochen. Today, Friday, he presented the programme of his first festival edition in Vienna together with the Executive Director Artemis Vakianis, the artists Florentina Holzinger, Bushra El-Turk and Caroline Guiela Nguyen and the members of the Council of the Free Republic of Vienna. In spring 2024, the Wiener Festwochen will declare itself a Free Republic of Vienna, a Republic of the Arts: "five-and-a-half weeks of multivocal, passionate, combative, crazy theatrum mundi!"

Schauspielhaus Related Artist Christiane Jatahy, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, is also participating. At the Wiener Festwochen, she is bringing Hamlet back as a woman. The Wiener Festwochen is one of the most important cultural events in Europe. The arts and culture festival will take place in 2024 from 17 May to 23 June.

28. February 2024
Holland Festival presents The Romeo and Carmen

Schauspielhaus in-house directors Trajal Harrell and Wu Tsang return to the Holland Festival with The Romeo by Trajal Harrell / Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble and Carmen, staged by Moved by the Motion. Two years ago they presented their productions Deathbed and Moby Dick; or, The Whale in Amsterdam as part of the 2022 anniversary edition.
The Romeo premiered at the Pfauen on 1 April 2023 and was also presented to an international audience for the first time last summer at the 77th Festival d’Avignon in the main auditorium of the Palais des Papes. On 21 April, the "great dance theatre" will return to the Pfauen for a final performance.

Carmen will premiere in the Schiffbau-Halle on 4 May 2024. Originally written by Prosper Mérimée and transformed by Georges Bizet into one of the most iconic operas of all time, the story of Carmen has been adapted in numerous ways, inspiring popular culture and entering the collective memory as a contradictory character. In collaboration with writers Sophia Al-Maria and Fred Moten, Moved by the Motion unearths the multi-layered legacy of Carmen and develops the canonical material. Bizet's original score is interwoven with musical interventions by composers Andrew Yee and Asma Maroof to create a hybrid opera-theatre piece. Carmen, co-produced with the Hartwig Art Foundation, will be performed at the Royal Theatre Carré on 23 June. In Amsterdam, the role of Carmen will be sung by Katia Ledoux.

Schauspielhaus Related Artist Christiane Jatahy is this year's Associated Artist. In addition, she will present her latest work Hamlet, a co-production with the Holland Festival, which will also be shown at the Wiener Festwochen. The Schauspielhaus Zürich co-production Depois do silêncio will also be performed in Amsterdam.

Two years ago, Schauspielhaus co-artistic director Nicolas Stemann co-curated the 75th edition of the Holland Festival with singer Angélique Kidjo as associate artist. This year's 77th edition of the Holland Festival will take place from 6 to 29 June 2024 and will feature over 40 productions by around 380 artists at 21 different venues in Amsterdam.

 

27. February 2024
In memoriam René Pollesch

Der Theaterregisseur und Autor René Pollesch ist gestern Montag im Alter von 61 Jahren unerwartet gestorben. Gerade vor zwei Wochen hat er an der Berliner Volksbühne mit ja nichts ist ok Premiere gefeiert. Seit rund zwei Jahren hat er die Volksbühne als Intendant geleitet. Am Schauspielhaus Zürich hat er zwischen 2009 und 2019 neun Theaterabende inszeniert, unter anderem Macht es für euch! (2012), Herein! Herein! Ich atme euch ein! (2014), Love/No Love (2015) und Hello, Mister MacGuffin! & Ich weiss nicht, was ein Ort ist, ich kenne nur seinen Preis (Manzini-Studien) (2018). Auch kommende Spielzeit hätte Pollesch eine Arbeit am Pfauen inszenieren sollen.

«Die Nachricht von René Polleschs Tod hat mich umgehauen. Nicht, weil wir uns sonderlich nahe waren – aber weil Pollesch und sein Werk eine der wenigen und grossen Kontinuitäten waren im Theater der letzten 25 Jahre. So sicher, wie es Frühling wird oder Weihnachten immer wieder kommt, gab es immer wieder, zeitweise ja alle paar Wochen, ein neues Pollesch-Stück. Es war gut zu wissen, dass das so war, auch wenn man gar nicht alles gucken konnte. Und wie auch Jahreszeiten oder Feiertage einander immer irgendwie ähnlich sind und sich doch im Laufe der Zeit massiv verändern, waren seine Stücke – vertraut und doch immer wieder völlig neu. Kaum ein Theater-Regisseur hat auf eine so konsequente Art an dem einen Werk gearbeitet – keine Ausreisser in Richtung Kinderstück, Oper, Film (oder gar Inszenierungen von Stücken anderer Autoren) – nur dieser eine grosse Text, der immer und immer weiter wächst, an dem er sein ganzes Theater-Leben lang mit seinen vielen engen Mitstreiter*innen gearbeitet hat, der alle Genres zu erfüllen vermochte - und der für uns alle Massstäbe gesetzt hat. Dass das grosse Pollesch-Stück, das für Theater-Leute auch ein bisschen das Leben war, ein Ende haben könnte, war genauso wenig vorstellbar, wie das Ende der Zeit, das ja auch irgendwann mal kommen wird. Aber doch noch nicht jetzt… » Co-Intendant Nicolas Stemann zum Tod von René Pollesch.

01. February 2024
Schauspielhaus dances!

ebruary at the Schauspielhaus Zürich is all about dance! Tambourines by Trajal Harrell premieres on 7 February 2024 in the Schiffbau. The production features the Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble dancing alongside Hester Prynne, the heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter. After an acclaimed preview at the Festival d’Automne in Paris, the Dance Ensemble begins its farewell to the Schauspielhaus with Tambourines .

The Swiss Dance Days will also take place in Zurich from 28 February to 3 March 2024. Two pieces will be performed at the Schiffbau: Pierre Piton's Open/Closedin the Box and Monkey off My Back or the Cat’s Meow by Trajal Harrell and the Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble in the Halle. From 218 productions, the Swiss Dance Days jury selected 15 inspiring productions that showcase the quality and diversity of the local dance scene. "What a great spectacle!" wrote Lilo Weber in the NZZ about the production Monkey off My Back or the Cat's Meow, which will be performed for the final time at the Schiffbau in Zurich on 3 March.

Harrell's widely travelled and acclaimed production The Köln Concert will also be revived at the Pfauen on 4 March. The New York Times named the production one of the best dance performances of 2023. Let's dance, advance booking for all productions has already started.

 

01. February 2024
In memoriam Leonard Zubler,
Schauspielhaus Fotograf 1967 – 2010

Wir gedenken Leonard Zubler, der über 40 Jahre (1967 – 2010) als Schauspielhaus-Fotograf tätig war. Seine Aufnahmen haben das Schauspielhaus über Jahre geprägt. Leonard Zubler fügte sich während des Fotografierens unbemerkt ins Probengeschehen ein, um das jeweils Charakteristische in den Szenen einzufangen. Seine Fotografien umfassen Porträts von Weltstars, Theaterautor*innen, Regisseur*innen, Schauspieler*innen und Musiker*innen. Zubler verstarb am 30. Januar 2024 85-jährig, in Zürich. Seine Fotografien bleiben in Erinnerung, nicht nur am Schauspielhaus Zürich.

31. January 2024
In memoriam Achim Benning, Intendant des Schauspielhaus Zürich 1989–1992

Der ehemalige Schauspielhaus Intendant, Achim Benning, ist am 30. Januar im 90. Lebensjahr gestorben. Von 1989–1992 war er Intendant am Schauspielhaus Zürich und brachte viele wichtige Inszenierungen auf die Bühne des Pfauen, darunter mehrere Uraufführungen, wie etwa Der letzte Gast (1990) und Der Gesandte (1991) von Thomas Hürlimann. Zuvor leitete er von 1976 bis 1986 das Wiener Burgtheater. Wir gedenken Achim Benning als liebevollen und begeisterungsfähigen Theatermacher, der für sich in und für Zürich für ein grossartiges Schauspielensemble eingesetzt hat.

Co-Intendant Nicolas Stemann erinnert sich an seinen ehemaligen Lehrer: «Achim Benning war mein erster Regie-Lehrer, 1994 am Max-Reinhardt-Seminar in Wien. Zu einer Zeit, als ich noch nicht genau wusste, was das eigentlich ist: Regie führen, geschweige denn, ob ich das wirklich machen möchte, bestärkte er mich in der zarten Ahnung, dass das etwas für mich sein könnte. Selber eher traditionell in seinem Theater-Begriff, war er neugierig und offen für unsere Ideen und Impulse. Er begriff sich als Geburtshelfer und als jemand, der uns angehenden Regisseuren eine handwerkliche Basis zu vermitteln hatte - dies sei die Voraussetzung für alles, was wir an Experimenten und künstlerischen Ausdrucksformen angehen wollten. Hierfür, ebenso wie für die liebevolle und begeisterungsfähige Art, mit der er meine ersten theatralischen Gehversuche begleitete, war ich ihm immer sehr dankbar. Er bleibt ein wichtiger Begleiter auf meinem Weg als Regisseur.»

26. January 2024
Riesenhaft in Mittelerde™
invited to the Theatertreffen 2024!

 

Riesenhaft in Mittelerde™, the walk-in production by Theater HORA, Das Helmi Puppentheater and Schauspielhaus Zürich, based on The Lord of the Rings™ by J.R.R. Tolkien, has been invited to the Theatertreffen 2024. At today's press conference, the Theatertreffen's jury of critics announced its selection of 10 remarkable productions for the Theatertreffen 2024. Congratulations to everyone involved in the production and to all the nominees!

From 21 January 2023 to 17 January 2024, the jury members visited 690 productions in 82 cities in analogue or digital form. 1,105 votes were received and a total of 43 productions were discussed for nomination for the Theatertreffen 2024. The Theatertreffen programme will be published on 5 April. Riesenhaft in Mittelerde™ can be seen five more and final times in Zurich from 3 to 10 February 2024. Tickets are still available for two shows. Don't miss out!

Statement of the Theatertreffen jury: "A 1250-page novel on stage, but how! The directing quartet Nicolas Stemann, Stephan Stock, Florian Loycke and Der Cora Frost build a lovingly decorated, walk-in fantasy world in the Schiffbau-Halle of the Schauspielhaus Zürich, which the audience can first explore and in which Frodo's adventures in Middle-earth then take place, with lots of hype, music, foam, films and gags. As a spectacle, as great fun, as an examination of a monster film that has thousands of fans, despite its racist and misogynistic tones. All of this is incorporated, but on the sidelines. Everyone plays on an equal footing and meets each other as equals: the actors from the Schauspielhaus, the HORA players, the puppets from Das Helmi and Der Cora Frost. And co-artistic director Nicolas Stemann accompanies everyone on the piano. It has class, it has self-confidence, it celebrates the theatre and its wealth of means, methods, faces and approaches. Even its inaccessibility, which is shown but not exhibited. An immersive spectacle in which both Tolkien experts and high culture nerds get their money's worth and all defeat evil together."

23. January 2024
Geschäftsbericht 22/23: Trotz internationaler Anerkennung, Rückgang der Theaterbesuche führt zu Defizit

At the General Assembly on 23 January 2024, Schauspielhaus Zürich AG published its annual report for the 2022/23 season. In its fourth season under the directorship of Nicolas Stemann and Benjamin von Blomberg, Schauspielhaus Zürich has enjoyed numerous successes on stage, international invitations, awards, and lively work with young people. Nevertheless, the decline in audience numbers and sponsorship income as well as rising energy costs led to a loss of CHF 1.39 million. In order to minimise the impending loss, cost-cutting measures were taken in the first half of the season, including a hiring freeze. Artistic projects were also cancelled and non-essential investments postponed.

12. January 2024
nachtkritik-Theatertreffen:
Nominations 2024

With two nominations, the Schauspielhaus Zürich participates in the virtual Nachtkritik meeting: Die Möwe by Christopher Rüping (now at the Pfauen!) & Riesenhaft in Mittelerde by Nicolas Stemann, Florian Loycke, Der Cora Frost with Theater Hora (from 3 February, the smash hit is back at the Schiffbau-Halle, for only 5 more shows!)

Nachtkritik correspondents and editors were invited to nominate the most important theatre productions of the past year. The public now has the chance to vote for their favourites in a number of categories, whether it be an outstanding production, talented artists or an impressive theatre. Dear audience, you can vote here until 17 January!

22. December 2023
Holiday programme 23/24

Wir laden Sie herzlich ein, die Festtage mit uns im Pfauen zu verbringen. Am 26. Dezember spielen wir das Familienstück Schneewittchen Beauty Queen zum allerletzten Mal, nicht verpassen! Und auch unsere neuesten Inszenierungen Liebes Arschloch und Die Möwe stehen zwischen Weihnachten und Neujahr auf dem Festtagsprogramm.

Vor Jahresende erwartet Sie zudem ein poetisches Feuerwerk und ein ganz besonderer Karaokeabend im Pfauen. Poet*innen aus dem ganzen deutschsprachigen Raum lassen mit einem poetischen Feuerwerk 2023 Revue passieren. Und das Sinfonieorchester Tifico hat Popsongs eingeübt, um Sie auf der Bühne des Pfauen zu begleiten. Getragen auf der musikalischen Wolke eines Sinfonieorchesters können Sänger*innen mit oder ohne Melodiesicherheit vom Publikum aus die Bühne erobern und sich zum Jahreswechsel nochmals richtig austoben. Das Erfolgsformat von Matthias von Hartz, Künstlerischer Leiter des Zürcher Theater Spektakels, findet zum ersten Mal im Schauspielhaus auf der Pfauenbühne statt.

Silvester feiern wir mit dem Ensemble von Die Möwe. Und hoffentlich auch mit Ihnen, liebes Publikum! Und auch als erster Theaterabend im 2024 spielen wir Die Möwe. Vom 5. bis 7. Januar ist Milo Rau mit seiner Inszenierung Familie für drei Vorstellungen zu Gast in der Schiffbau-Halle. Wir wünschen Ihnen schöne Festtage und alle Gute fürs neue Jahr. Wir freuen uns auf 2024 mit Ihnen!

18. December 2023
Mezzo-soprano Katia Ledoux
sings Carmen

French mezzo-soprano Katia Ledoux sings the lead role in the most iconic opera of all time at the Schauspielhaus Zürich: Carmen. The production by Moved by the Motion and Wu Tsang fulfils a lifelong dream for the multi-award-winning opera singer. "Carmen is the reason why I became an opera singer. I fell in love with her when I was three years old, and since then my greatest wish has been to embody this legendary character on stage."

After Wu Tsang had heard Katia Ledoux sing, she knew: «That’s my Carmen!» With flowing movements between language and dance, image and song, Moved by the Motion embarks on a search for love, loss and liberation in the canonical work and finds a Carmen who cannot be pinned down in one role, who remains stateless and ungovernable. "Wu and I talked for hours about our vision of the opera and the character of Carmen. I was absolutely thrilled at how much of my passion for this story I could recognise in Wu's vision," says Ledoux.

Carmen will celebrate its premiere on 4 May 2024 in the Schiffbau-Halle. The Collegium Novum Zürich will perform under the direction of Zoi Tsokanou and Johnathan Palmer Lakeland. Carmen will be performed alternately by Katia Ledoux and Asude Karayavuz. Katia Ledoux will sing Carmen on 4, 8, 12 and 15 May, and Asude Karayavuz on the other nights. The role of Don José will be sung by Ryan Capozzo. Tickets go on sale today!

13. December 2023
Podium Israel/Palästina:
Perspektiven auf den Krieg

Gemeinsam mit dem digitalen Magazin Republik lädt das Schauspiel­haus Zürich am Freitag, 15. Dezember, zu einer Podiums­diskussion über den Konflikt im Nahen Osten ein. Dr. Sarah El Bulbeisi, wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am deutschen Orient-Insitut Beirut, Dr. Dana Landau, Politologin und Friedensforscherin bei der schweizerischen Friedensstiftung swisspeace, Yves Kugelmann, Chefredaktor des jüdischen Wochenmagazins TACHLES und die Autorin Asal Dardan sprechen über die durch den Krieg ausgelösten Debatten und Dynamiken, über Antisemitismus und (antimuslimischen) Rassismus in der Schweiz. Können die europäischen Demokratien, kann die Schweiz, können wir überhaupt einen Beitrag leisten zu einer Einhegung der Gewalt und zur Schaffung von neuen Perspektiven? Diesen Freitag diskutieren wir diese und weitere Fragen in der Schiffbau-Box, die Moderation übernimmt Daniel Binswanger, Co-Chefredaktor der Republik.

* Statment der Intdendanz zu Israel/Palästina
* Conversations with artists at risk

12. December 2023
The New York Times kürt
The Köln Concert

The Köln Concert von Trajal Harrell wurde von der New York Times auf die Liste der herausragendsten Tanz-Ereignisse des Jahres aufgenommen (Best Dance Performances of 2023). Anfang November feierte Harrell mit dem Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble die US-Premiere von The Köln Concert am BAM in New York. Seit der Premiere am 12. September 2020 im Pfauen wurde die Inszenierung schon an über 20 verschiedenen Festivals und Häusern gezeigt. Auch mit The Romeo und Monkey off My Back or the Cat's Meow tourte das Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble dieses Jahr bereits durch einige Städte Europas (Schauspielhaus On Tour).

Aktuell widmet auch das multidisziplinäre Festival d’Automne in Paris Trajal Harrell ein Portrait: neun seiner Arbeiten werden bis Ende des Jahres in Paris präsentiert, darunter drei die er in den letzten Jahren gemeinsam mit dem Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble entwickelt hat. The Köln Concert wird am 20. & 21. Dezember in Paris zu sehen sein.

Im Februar 2024 steht auch das Schauspielhaus Zürich ganz im Zeichen des Tanzes! Tambourines, die neuste Inszenierung von Trajal Harrell und dem Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble feiert am 7. Februar Premiere und zudem sind die Swiss Dance Days bei uns im Schiffbau zu Gast, sie haben für die diesjährige Ausgabe unter anderem auch Harrells Monkey off My Back or the Cat’s Meow ausgewählt.

The Romeo und The Köln Concert werden in der zweiten Spielzeithälfte auch wieder in Zürich zu sehen sein.

07. December 2023
Wiederaufnahme von Publikumshit
«Riesenhaft in Mittelerde»

Tanzendes, singendes Publikum, restlos ausverkaufte Vorstellungen, überschwängliches Lob in den Medien: Acht Monate nach der Dernière von Riesenhaft in Mittelerde™ nach Der Herr der Ringe™ von J.R.R. Tolkien kommt die begehbare Inszenierung von Theater HORA, Das Helmi Puppentheater und dem Schauspielhaus Zürich unter der Regie von Co-Intendant Nicolas Stemann, Stephan Stock, Florian Loycke & Der Cora Frost zurück in die Schiffbau-Halle. Für sechs letzte Vorstellungen, vom 3. bis 16. Februar 2024.

Nachdem bei den letzten ausverkauften Vorstellungen im Sommer Dutzende Zuschauer*innen keine Karten mehr erhalten haben, bieten wir nun noch ein allerletztes Mal die Möglichkeit, die enthusiastisch gefeierte und viel gelobte Inszenierung Riesenhaft in Mittelerde™ anzuschauen, zu begehen, darin einzutauchen. An sechs Abenden kommt das «installative Gesamtkunstwerk» (SRF) mit Jahrmarktcharme, Wirtshaus, sprechenden Bäumen und viel Musik zurück in die Schiffbau-Halle.

«Für mich ist diese Arbeit ein kleines Wunder, das alle Genres hinter sich lässt», sagt Regisseur und Co-Intendant Nicolas Stemann. Der Vorverkauf für das «Theater, das süchtig macht» (Süddeutsche Zeitung) ist ab sofort eröffnet. Ein ideales (Weihnachts-)Geschenk für Menschen jeden Alters.

06. December 2023
Pınar Karabulut und Rafael Sanchez übernehmen ab Spielzeit
2025/2026 die Co-Intendanz des Schauspielhaus Zürich

Mit der Wahl von Pınar Karabulut und Rafael Sanchez übernimmt eine neue Generation von Theatermacher*innen die Leitung eines der renommiertesten Theater im deutschsprachigen Raum, wie der Verwaltungsrat der Schauspielhaus Zürich AG heute bekannt gab. Die beiden Regisseur*innen überzeugten Findungskommission und Verwaltungsrat durch ihre fundierten künstlerischen Arbeiten, die ein breites Publikum ansprechen und bereits mehrfach mit Preisen ausgezeichnet wurden. Beide inszenieren mit grossem Erfolg sowohl klassische Stücke als auch neue Texte. «Durch ihre verschiedenen Erfahrungshintergründe und Regieästhetiken bringen Rafael Sanchez und Pınar Karabulut ein weites Spektrum an künstlerischer Vielfäligkeit und Anschlussfähigkeiten an unterschiedliche gesellschaftliche Diskurse mit. Das Zürcher Publikum kann sich auf ein Theater mit grossen Erzählungen und grosser Literatur sowie mit performativer, spartenübergreifender Kunst freuen», so Beate Eckhardt, Co-Präsidentin des Verwaltungsrats. (Klicken zum Weiterlesen...)

30. November 2023
Dokumentarfilm über Zwangsarbeiterinnen mit Wilhelm Tell-Darstellerin Irma Frei

In der Inszenierung Wilhelm Tell von Milo Rau erzählt Irma Frei auf der Pfauenbühne von ihrem Leben als Zwangsarbeiterin im Marienheim, einer Spinnerei des Waffenfabrikants Emil Bührle.

«SRF DOK» hat Irma Frei dabei begleitet - wie auch zwei weitere ehemalige Zwangsarbeiterinnen des Marienheims, Elfie Grendene und Carmen Scheiwiller. Mindestens 300 junge Frauen verfrachtete die Fürsorge in den 1940er- bis 1960er-Jahren nach Dietfurt in die Spinnerei von Emil Bührle. Den Lohn für ihre Arbeit haben sie nie erhalten. Gelebt haben die Zwangsarbeiterinnen im fabrikeigenen Marienheim. Nun fordern sie Gerechtigkeit.

«DOK» begleitet die drei Frauen auf ihrem Weg zu Anerkennung und Gerechtigkeit. Zu sehen ist der Dokumentarfilm heute Donnerstag, 30. November 2023 um 20.05 Uhr auf SRF 1. 

27. November 2023
Kulturelle Auszeichnungen
der Stadt Zürich 2023

Das Schauspielhaus Zürich gratuliert Brandy Butler, Fatima Moumouni, Alina Amuri und Daniel Hellmann «Soja the Cow» zu ihren kulturellen Auszeichnungen der Stadt Zürich 2023. Gleich vier Künstler*innen, die auf unterschiedliche Weise mit dem Schauspielhaus verbunden sind, wurden am vergangenen Freitag in Zürich geehrt: Fatima Moumouni, Co-Autorin von Bullestress und Ich chan es Zündhölzli azünde und Daniel Hellmann «Soja the Cow», der im September zur Lecture Performance Dos Kelbl in die Pfauen-Kammer lud, erhielten von der Stadt Zürich eine Auszeichnung in der Sparte «Tanz und Theater», Musikerin Alina Amuri, ein Werkjahr in der Sparte «Jazz, Rock, Pop» und Brandy Butler eine Auszeichnung für besondere kulturelle Verdienste. Alina Amuri begleitete die Inszenierung Bullestress als Musikerin und Kulturvermittlerin gemeinsam mit unserem Team Künstlerische Vermittlung Theater & Schule in den Zürcher Schulen und arbeitet seit kurzem auch an der Theaterkasse im Pfauen. Brandy Butler stand im Pfauen in Christopher Rüpings Inszenierung Der erste fiese Typ auf der Bühne und ist seit der Spielzeit 22/23 Kuratorin und Moderatorin der enterspaces-Reihe am Schauspielhaus. Herzlichen Glückwunsch!

25. November 2023
Orange The World: Internationaler Tag gegen Gewalt an Frauen am Tag der Uraufführung von Liebes Arschloch

Die Farbe der Inszenierung Liebes Arschloch ist Orange. Und Orange ist auch die Farbe der UN Kampagne «Orange the World». Dies startete am 25. November – der  Internationale Tag gegen Gewalt an Frauen und gleichzeitig der Tag der Uraufführung von Liebes Arschloch – und dauert 16 Tage bis zum 10. Dezember, dem Tag der Menschenrechte. 

Liebes Arschloch in der Regie von Yana Ross reiht sich damit ein in eine von den Vereinten Nationen initiierte globale Anstrengung: Nicht nur die Figuren Rebecca und Oscar aus Virginie Despentes’ Roman sind auf der Bühne des Schauspielhaus Zürich Orange gekleidet, sondern die ganze Welt ist aufgerufen, Orange zu tragen. Diese bedeutungsvolle Koinzidenz, die Aufladung der ästhetischen Vision des Kostümbildners Zane Pihlström mit dem politischen Willen einer globalen Emanzipationsbewegung, wollen wir als ein ermutigendes Zeichen für die Wirksamkeit des gemeinsamen Kampfes betrachten. «Geschlechtsspezifische Gewalt ist allgegenwärtig und fest in unseren patriarchalen Strukturen verankert.» schreibt UN Women. 

Die UN-Kampagne «Orange the World», macht seit 1991 auf Gewalt aufmerksam. Während dieser 16 Tage setzen Organisationen auf der ganzen Welt verschiedene Aktivitäten und Veranstaltungen ein, um das Bewusstsein für geschlechtsspezifische Gewalt zu schärfen und Massnahmen zur Bekämpfung dieser Form von Gewalt zu fördern. Die Kampagne strebt an, die Öffentlichkeit zu sensibilisieren, Solidarität zu fördern und konkrete Schritte zur Prävention und Unterstützung von Opfern zu mobilisieren.

In der Schweiz wird diese internationale Kampagne seit 2008 durch die feministische Friedensorganisation Frieda koordiniert. Auf 16tage.ch finden Sie weitere Infos und Veranstaltungen während diesen 16 Tagen. Die Vorführungen von Liebes Arschloch sind nur einige davon.

24. November 2023
Portrait Trajal Harrell beim Festival d’Automne à Paris mit Vorpremiere von Tambourines

Seit 1972 findet das multidisziplinäre Festival d’Automne in Paris statt. In den Sparten Theater, Musik, Tanz, bildende Kunst und Kino fokussiert es die zeitgenössischen Künste und Konvergenz der verschiedenen Disziplinen. In diesem Jahr widmet das Festival Trajal Harrell, der Hausregisseur am Schauspielhaus Zürich ist, ein Portrait: neun Arbeiten des US-amerikanischen Choreographen werden bis Ende des Jahres in Paris präsentiert, darunter drei die er in den letzten Jahren gemeinsam mit dem Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble entwickelt hat.

Den Auftakt machte gestern die Vorpremiere von Trajal Harells neuester Arbeit Tambourines im Centre Pompidou. In dieser greift Harrell auf Nathaniel Hawthornes Roman Der scharlachrote Buchstabe zurück und nutzt ihn als Ansatz für eine Erkundung des kolonialen Amerikas. Begleitet vom Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble blickt er imaginierend zurück, um ein anderes Ende der Geschichte zu erfinden. Neben Tambourines werden ausserdem die Zürcher Arbeiten The Romeo (vom 7. bis 9. Dezember) und The Köln Concert (am 20. und 21. Dezember) in Paris gezeigt.

Die Premiere von Tambourines in Zürich findet am 7. Februar 2024 in der Schiffbau-Box statt.

 

11. October 2023
Swiss Dance Days 2024 mit Trajal Harrell
und Schauspielhaus Zürich
Dance Ensemble

Das Programm der Swiss Dance Days 2024 steht fest. Mit dabei sind auch Hausregisseur und Choreograf Trajal Harrell und das Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble mit Monkey off my back or the Cat’s Meow. Aus 218 Produktionen hat die Jury der Swiss Dance Days 15 inspirierende Produktionen ausgewählt, welche die Qualität und Vielfalt der hiesigen Tanzlandschaft zeigen. Aktualität und künstlerische Qualität der Stücke, Potenzial für die internationale Verbreitung, ästhetische, generationelle und regionale Vielfalt – das waren die Kriterien, anhand derer die fünfköpfige Jury der Swiss Dance Days, bestehend aus Joanna Lesnierowska, Laurence Perez, Emanuel Rosenberg, Simone Truong und Laurence Wagner die Produktionen ausgewählt hat.

«Ich bin sehr stolz, dass Monkey Off My Back or The Cat's Meow für die Swiss Dance Days ausgewählt wurde. Dass das Stück in der Schweiz ein Publikum und eine Heimat gefunden hat, bedeutet, dass es hier eine echte Verbindung gibt, und dieses Miteinander ist ein grosser Teil dessen, was meine Arbeit im Wesentlichen zu erreichen versucht» äussert sich Trajal Harrell zur Wahl. Auch das Schauspielhaus freut sich sehr. «Was für eine schöne weitere Anerkennung für das Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble und Trajal Harrell und ihre Zeit in der Schweiz, in Zürich und am Schauspielhaus. Uns macht glücklich, dass sie in den letzten viereinhalb Jahren auch international zu wichtigen Botschafter*innen geworden sind. Eine Spielzeit haben wir noch, die wir bis zum Sommer 2024 miteinander in Zürich verbringen werden und darauf freuen wir uns.», so Co-Intendant Benjamin von Blomberg

Die Swiss Dance Days finden vom 28.2. bis 3.3.2024 in Zürich statt, co-organisiert durch Reso und die Zürcher Partnerinstitutionen Tanzhaus, Gessnerallee, Fabriktheater, Theater Neumarkt, ZHdK und Schauspielhaus Zürich.

02. October 2023

For his production of Sarah Kane's play Gier [Crave] at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, in-house director Christopher Rüping has been nominated for the NESTROY Prize 2023. The ensemble also includes Wiebke Mollenhauer, who was recently named Actress of the Year 2023. Christopher Rüping, who has already won the NESTROY Prize in 2019 and 2021, is delighted to be nominated: "The first production I ever did was Gesäubert [Cleansed] by Sarah Kane. Maybe I initially became a director just to stage her plays. But then something always came up – until we did Gier [Crave]. This piece means many things to me: a re-encounter and a new beginning. But above all it is one thing for me: very, very close. I'm happy for everyone involved about the nomination for the Nestroy."

Congratulations to Christopher Rüping and the entire artistic team! "We are very happy about this beautiful recognition. Christopher Rüping, together with the outstanding ensemble, succeeds in translating Sarah Kane's unconditionality and despair into a contemporary theatrical language, but also in reflecting it in the mirror of current discourses – which makes the urgency all the more immediately tangible. This production is in many ways exemplary of what is close to our hearts at the Schauspielhaus Zürich: theatre that can be experienced first-hand, at the cutting edge and at eye level with the audience," says co-artistic director Nicolas Stemann.

The NESTROY gala and award ceremony will take place on 5 November in Vienna. ORF II will broadcast the event from 9:05 pm. The last performance of Gier for the time being can be seen at the Pfauen on 7 October 2023.

26. September 2023
Fotoshooting im Pfauen!

Sieben Fotograf*innen haben im April 2023 Mitarbeitende, Zuschauer*innen, Unterstützer*innen und Weggefährt*innen des Schauspielhaus porträtiert. Entstanden sind Bilder von Menschen, die im Haus arbeiten, die ihm als Publikum und auf andere und vielfältige Weisen verbunden sind.

Weil das Schauspielhaus natürlich noch aus viel mehr Menschen besteht, möchten wir weitere Portraits ermöglichen. Am 30. September (zwischen 14-20 Uhr) und 11. Oktober (zwischen 10-18 Uhr) gibt es zu jeder halben Stunde die Chance, im Pfauen fotografiert zu werden. Interesse? Melden Sie sich bis zum 27. September bei
mathis.neuhaus [​at​] schauspielhaus.ch mit der Angabe des Datums und einem favorisierten Termin oder Zeitfenster. Es gilt: first come, first served.

31. August 2023
Schiffbau-Fest:
15. & 16. September
23 years Schiffbau

On 15 & 16 September, we, together with Moods Jazz Club, LaSalle Restaurant and Venice Bar, invite you to the big Schiffbau-Fest in Kreis 5. We celebrate 23 years of Schiffbau and at the same time our 23/24 season opening with theatre, workshops, readings, guided tours, concerts, party, food, and a great children's entertainment programme. Among others, Alina Amuri, Miss Trópica & Delabass, Chrigi G. us Z., Dirty Slips, Freddy Sax, Lakiko, Los Dos, Marcism, Miss C-Line, Necati Öziri, NUGGETS and the Schauspielhaus Ensemble with sunset sessions, DJ workshops, acting workshop, spray-paint workshop, children's reading, children's disco, family story time, fancy dress, make-up, sound walks and backstage tours and much more in store. In addition, the Offene Bühne, organised by the new Theaterjahr, will take place again for the first time as part of the Schiffbau-Fest, Necati Öziri will open the SHZ reading series  SHZ-Lesereihe 23/24 with Vatermal and you can pay as much as you like for Der Junge aus der letzten Reihe [The Boy from the Back the Back of the Class] on Saturday, 16 September. You can find an overview of the entire programme at www.schiffbaufest.ch. Admission is free, as is most of the programme. Registration is required for workshops and guided tours. We look forward to the two-day festival with you, dear audience!

30. August 2023
New premiere date: Blutstück

Due to health reasons, we had to postpone the world premiere of Kim de L'Horizon's award-winning Blutbuch to the second half of the season. The premiere of Blutstück will therefore take place on 22 February 2024 at the Pfauen. We send our best wishes for a speedy recovery! Instead, Leonie Böhm's Johanna is coming to the Pfauen in October, our co-production with the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg, featuring "terrific actresses", as nachtkritik concluded. We can only confirm that. Two of our ensemble members, the newly named Actress of the Year 2023, Wiebke Mollenhauer, and Maja Beckmann, the Actress of the Year 2021, will be taking part. Johanna based on The Maid of Orleans by Friedrich Schiller will celebrate its premiere at the Pfauen on 20 October 2023.

24. August 2023
Wiebke Mollenhauer is Actress of The Year 2023

The magazine "Theater heute" has announced the results of its annual critics' poll. We are celebrating together with Wiebke Mollenhauer, who has been named Actress of the Year! Her role last year in Sarah Kane's "Gier", staged by Christopher Rüping, wowed the critics - with just speaking one single sentence on stage. In "Gier", Wiebke Mollenhauer lets Kane's demanding concert of voices take effect over 90 minutes and reacts only mimically. An impressive performance, whose appreciation is well-deserved. Also honored in the poll is the Deutsches Theater in Berlin as Theater of the Year with Ulrich Khuon, who has been the theatre’s director for the past 14 years. Congratulations to him and the entire Deutsches Theater!

Wiebke Mollenhauer has been part of the ensemble of Schauspielhaus Zürich since 2019 and has been a close collaborator of director Christopher Rüping for many years. At Schauspielhaus Zürich, she has appeared in his productions of "Früchte des Zorns", "Einfach das Ende der Welt", "Border" and "Der Ring des Nibelungen" among others. "Gier" will also be on show in the 23/24 season, which begins in September, with the first performance at Pfauen on September 10. Tickets are already available.

03. July 2023
Summer break 2023:
3 July – 13 August

Dear Audience

We are on summer break, from 3 July to 13 August, and will start the new season on 8 September 2023 with Der Junge aus der letzten Reihe, directed by Christiane Jatahy, on 9 September with Leben des Galieli by Bertolt Brecht, directed by Nicolas Stemann, exactly 80 years to the day after the Zurich premiere. And on 28 September 28, we celebrate the world premiere of jetzt, jetzt, jetzt, a play developmed by Lucien Haug, Suna Gürler and Yunus Ersoy with around 40 young people on the Pfauen stage!

In addition, we invite you to the two-day Schiffbau Festival, together with the Jazz Club Moods, the restaurant La Salle and the Venice Bar, with music, tours, workshops, performances, readings, meeting places, shared food and drink. On September 15 & 16 at Schiffbau, save the dates!

All information about the 23/24 season can be found at 2324.schauspielhaus.ch and in the Schauspielhaus Journal the in-house directors give insight into their upcoming premieres. The 23/24 season will be the last of our co-directors Nicolas Stemann and Benjamin von Blomberg. A good reason to visit as many productions as possible of the artistic teams now working at the Schauspielhaus! All information about our subscriptions can be found here.

Advance sales for September are open and tickets are available via webshop throughout the summer break. Our theater box office will reopen on August 23.

For urgent matters we can be reached via mitteilung[at]schauspielhaus.ch.

Enjoy your summer and see you soon! See you again from 8 September.

Cordially,

Your Schauspielhaus Zürich

08. June 2023
Audience dialogue about wishes and expectations regarding the new artistic direction

In summer 2023, the last season of the two artistic directors Nicolas Stemann and Benjamin von Blomberg will commence at the Schauspielhaus Zürich. After a transitional year led by Ulrich Khuon, a new artistic director will take over in the summer of 2025. The board of directors has appointed a search committee. The public announcement is planned for the beginning of July 2023. Beforehands the board of directors invites to an audience dialogue about wishes, ideas and expectations regarding the new artistic direction of the Schauspielhaus Zürich as of 2025.

The dialogue will take the form of an interactive workshop and will offer space for your personal impulses. The hosts are the two administrators Beate Eckhardt, chairwoman of the search committee and Rebekka Fässler, co-director of Stadt Zürich Kultur. Participation is free of charge and limited to 100 due to lack of sufficient space.

 

03. June 2023
Emotional last show of the audience hit Riesenhaft in Mittelerde

On Thursday, Riesenhaft in Mittelerde™ based on The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien celebrated its last performance. The accessible production by Theater HORA, Das Helmi Puppentheater and Schauspielhaus Zürich, directed by co-director Nicolas Stemann, Stephan Stock, Florian Loycke & Der Cora Frost, was not only a "spectacle of superlatives" (CH Media), but also an unparalleled audience success. After the premiere of Riesenhaft in Mittelerde on 22 April 2023, the press reviews were overwhelming: "An installative Gesamtkunstwerk on various levels. What fun!," wrote SRF. "Theatre that is addictive. (...) One of the greatest, most exuberant things you can experience in theatre at the moment," added the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The NZZ declared the accessible production by Theater HORA, Das Helmi Puppentheater and the Schauspielhaus Zürich a "overall artistic fantasy spectacle" and the Züritipp demanded: "Go there!"

And people did: Young and old, Tolkien fans, music enthusiasts and a conspicuously large number of children flocked to the Schiffbau Halle not to miss the theatre festival. "The rush was so great that we had to increase the capacity several times," says co-director and director Nicolas Stemann happily. Emotions ran particularly high at the final performance: thunderous applause, tears, performers and audience members in each other's arms. "What we were able to put on here together with our friends from Theater Hora, the Helmi Puppet Theatre, the musicians and thousands of audience members is something I have never experienced in theatre before," says Nicolas Stemann. They hope to stage the play again next season.

02. June 2023
Pinocchio by Moved by the Motion at the Wiener Festwochen

This year’s family play is going on tour! The audience hit Pinocchio by Wu Tsang and Moved by the Motion has been invited to the Wiener Festwochen and will be shown in Vienna from 3-5 June. With author Sophia Al Maria, Moved by the Motion trace the poetic and philosophical aspects of Carlo Collodi's novel, condensing them into a fantastic world of movement, poetry, virtual reality and music. "Collodi's Pinocchio is radically dusted off here, and what emerges is a fantastically dazzling discourse machine at the height of our times." said WOZ. "A visually and acoustically perfectly staged spectacle." according to SRF Kultur.

In the coming season 23/34, Moved by the Motion will again stage two classics at the Schauspielhaus Zürich in collaboration with Sophia Al Maria: Der Sturm (The Tempest) by William Shakespeare and Carmen based on the opera by George Bizet, inspired by the novella by Prosper Mérimée.

In the first half of the season, Moved by the Motion takes us into the near future with Der Sturm, in which sea levels reach apocalyptic heights, confronting the few remaining with their humanity. They weave Shakespeare's canonical play with elements of science fiction, satire and the magical act of theatre itself. In the spring of 2024, they take on the famous tragedy Carmen and develop the canonical material further. The story of Carmen has been adapted in numerous ways, inspiring popular culture and entering the collective memory as a contradictory figure. In a cross-genre adaptation, the themes of love, loss and liberation that Carmen embodies are reinterpreted.

The Wiener Festwochen is one of the most important cultural events in Europe. From July 2023, Schauspielhaus Related Artist Milo Rau will take over as artistic director and will be responsible for the 2024 edition as artistic director.

31. May 2023
Season preview 23/24:
All-in for the last season

The 23/34 theatre season will be exciting and special. Because it will be the last of the current artistic directorship. Because we will be showing extraordinary productions. Because all eight house directors will come together once again for a season. Because in this last round we are going all-in to offer you an unforgettable last season.

As of today, the programme for the coming season has now been announced: Kim de l'Horizon's Blutbuch (staged by Leonie Böhm as Blutstück) and Virginie Despentes’ Liebes Arschloch will celebrate their world premiere, as well as the opera Carmen, interpreted by Wu Tsang at the Schiffbau Halle. Nicolas Stemann will stage Bertolt Brecht's Leben des Galilei on 9 September 2023 at the Pfauen, exactly 80 years to the day after its premiere, and end his artistic co-directorship with Max Frisch's Biedermann und die Brandstifter. Suna Gürler and her team bring forty young people to the Pfauen with jetzt, jetzt, jetzt, Christopher Rüping takes on Anton Chekhov for the first time with Die Möwe, Alexander Giesche adapts Moise und die Welt der Vernunft by Tennessee Williams for the first time for a large stage, Trajal Harrell stages Tambourines. This means that all the house directors will once again be in Zurich for a season - and in this constellation for the last time. And there is much more!

This means that all the house directors will once again be in Zurich for a season - and in this constellation for the last time.

12. April 2023
40 junge Spieler*innen für Chor/eografie gesucht

Warst Du in den letzten Jahren als Zuschauer*in oder auch als Mitwirkende*r auf und hinter der Bühne Teil des Schauspielhaus Zürich? Und hast Lust, zusammen mit 39 anderen jungen Menschen auf der Pfauenbühne zu stehen? Dann komm zum Auswahlworkshop!

Wir – das Team um Hausregisseur*in Suna Gürler – laden dazu ein, bei einem Grossprojekt mitzuwirken: Eine Stückentwicklung, die diejenigen auf der Bühne zusammenbringt, die sich in den letzten Jahren mit dem Ort verbunden haben oder es jetzt tun wollen. Du brauchst keine Spielerfahrung auf der Bühne zu haben, solltest Dich aber bei dem Gedanken wohl fühlen, vor vielen Leuten zu stehen und Dich spielerisch aus der comfort zone heraus zu wagen. Aber keine Sorge, denn erstens bist Du nicht alleine und zweitens gehört es zum Probenprozess, dass wir gemeinsam entwickeln, was wie auf der Bühne stattfindet.

Die Proben finden immer am Samstag und Sonntag statt: im Juni und ab Mitte August bis Ende September. In den letzten zwei Wochen vor der Premiere proben wir auch unter der Woche tagsüber und am Abend. Die Premiere ist am 29. September 2023.

Bewerben können sich Interessierte zwischen 17 und 25 Jahren bis zum Donnerstag, 13. April 2023 über casting@schauspielhaus.ch. Nicht nur, aber insbesondere richtet sich dieser Aufruf an BIPoC*. Bitte schick uns ein kurzes Video (maximal 1 Minute) von Dir, in dem Du Dich kurz vorstellst, sowie ein paar schriftliche Angaben zu Deinem Beruf oder Deiner Ausbildung, Geburtsdatum, Wohnort, Telefonnummer. Füge bitte ein Foto bei. Halte auf jeden Fall die Termine frei, an denen der Auswahlworkshop stattfindet: Freitagabend, 21. April und Samstagnachmittag, 22. April. Über alles Weitere werden wir Dich im Anschluss an Deine Kontaktaufnahme informieren. 


 

*BIPoC ist eine politische Selbstbezeichnung und eine Abkürzung für Black, Indigenous und People of Colour, also Schwarze Menschen, indigene Menschen und Menschen of Colour.

05. April 2023
The Romeo at 77th Festival d’Avignon

The Romeo by Trajal Harrell / Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble has just premiered at the Pfauen and is already on tour this summer. In July 2023, The Romeo will be performed at the 77th Festival d’Avignon in the main venue at the Palais des Papes. The festival, founded in 1947, is one of the world's most important theatre events. Last year, over 130,000 spectators attended the performances. The Romeo can be seen five times in Avignon: 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23 July 2023 at the Palais des Papes. Save the dates!

"That this play of all things, which goes very far in terms of aesthetics and choreography and at the same time strives for inclusivity, will now take over the Palais des Papes, is not only an honour but also an important stage in the further development of a historiography that skates over the popes, kings and generals in order to turn to those who were not allowed to be part of the communities for millennia," says Katinka Deecke, head dramaturge at the Schauspielhaus Zurich.

At Schauspielhaus Zürich, The Romeo will be performed nine more times this season, next on 8 April at 8 p.m. and for the last time this season on 22 May 2023. "Great dance theatre that will continue to grow in density from performance to performance and will always trigger new transformation processes. Highly recommended, not only for dance fans," the Kulturblogg stated after the premiere. And the NZZ describes the Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble as the flagship of the house: “The artists around the in-house director Trajal Harrell live crossing borders, live the coexistence of different cultures and arts, just like that — without any assertion or proclamation. That's how theatre should be.

”Why the dancers of the Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble, who can currently be seen on the Pfauen stage in The Romeo, dance and what dancing means to them, can be read in the Schauspielhaus Journal.

29. March 2023
Séléction 2023: Oedipus Tyrant at the 10th Schweizer Theatertreffen

Congratulations! Oedipus Tyrann by Nicolas Stemann has been selected for the anniversary edition of the Schweizer Theatertreffen. Just recently, the two actresses Patrycia Ziólkowska and Alicia Aumüller received the prestigious theatre award Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring 2022 for their interplay in Oedipus Tyrann.

Now the award-winning piece will be presented together with the other selected plays of the Séléction at the 10th Schweizer Theatertreffen from 31 May to 4 June 2023 in Fribourg. The Séléction, the heart of the festival, includes seven politically and aesthetically outstanding productions from all language regions of Switzerland. The artistic director of the Theatertreffen, Julie Pauker, has compiled the Séléction from a shortlist of 21 productions.

This year's festival theme "Umbruch - Aufbruch" (upheaval - departure) will also be accompanied by a supporting programme with panels, workshops and artistic interventions. The Zurich singer and performer Daniel Hellmann / Soya the Cow is Artiste associé. The Schweizer Theatertreffen is one of the promotional partners of the "Swiss Awards for the Performing Arts" awarded by the Federal Office of Culture (BAK).

21. March 2023
Border and Ödipus Tyrann on the Shortlist of the 10th Schweizer Theatertreffen

The Schweizer Theatertreffen has announced the shortlist for the 10th edition. It is made up of "particularly debatable, idiosyncratic and aesthetically or politically remarkable productions from all over Switzerland". The Schauspielhaus Zürich is represented with two productions: Border, directed by Christopher Rüping and Ödipus Tyrann, the award-winning production by Nicolas Stemann.

This shortlist of 21 productions also serves as the basis for the federal jury of theatre to select the "Swiss Theatre Production" award, with which it honors a remarkable theatre production of the past year. This award is presented as part of the Schweizer Preise Darstellende Künste, an initiative of the Federal Office of Culture (FOC).

On Wednesday, 29 March, the festival will announce the Sélection, the productions that will be shown at the 10th Schweizer Theatertreffen in Fribourg from 31 May to 4 June, 2023.

20. March 2023
Award ceremony: Alicia Aumüller & Patrycia Ziólkowska receive the Gertrud Eysoldt Ring 2022 for Ödipus Tyrann

Last Saturday, 18 March 2023, the jury of the Deutsche Akademie der Darstellenden Künste awarded the Gertrud Eysoldt Ring 2022 to the actress duo Alicia Aumüller & Patrycia Ziólkowska for their touching and inspiring interplay in Ödipus Tyrann. The presentation of the renowned theatre prize took place at a ceremony together with the presentation of the Kurt Hübner Directing Prize at the Parktheater Bensheim. The laudatory speech was given by Nicolas Stemann, Schauspielhaus co-director and director of Ödipus Tyrann

The jury, consisting of Karin Henkel, André Jung and Jossi Wieler (chair) explained their decision as follows: "In their search for an award-worthy performance by an actress for this year's Gertrud Eysoldt Ring, the jury found more: namely, two outstanding actresses and a terrific interplay! (Link to the complete jury statement).

The Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring is one of the most important theatre prizes in the German-speaking world and has been awarded annually in Bensheim since 1986. With the awarding of the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring, a ring of honor endowed with 10,000 euros, the city of Bensheim honors an acting performance on a German-speaking stage. 

16. March 2023
Autor:innentheatertage 2023
with Sonne, los jetzt!

Nicolas Stemann's production Sonne, los jetzt! by Elfriede Jelinek has been selected for the 26th edition of the Autor:innentheatertage, which will take place in Berlin from 30 April to 11 May 2023. We will celebrate the Berlin premiere on 9 May. The ten selected guest performances were part of the heart of the festival at the Deutsches Theater Berlin. Three world premieres are programmed on one theatre evening: new texts by Caren Jeß, Nele Stuhler and Lukas Bärfuss open the Autor:innentheatertage. The Day of New Drama concludes the festival. The DRAMA FORUM Graz, the Dramenprozessor from Zurich, the Heidelberger Stückemarkt, the Kleist-Förderpreis Frankfurt/Oder, the course of studies for scenic writing at the UdK Berlin and other project partners are also taking part.

14. March 2023
Obituary for Michael Gempart

The Swiss actor Michael Gempart died last week at the age of almost 89. Until recently, Gempart was still on stage at the Theater Basel or the Munich Residenztheater. In one of his last roles, he played the Abbé in the Stendhal adaptation Julien – Rot und Schwarz  by Lukas Bärfuss in 2020 and the ghost in Shakespeare's Hamlet directed by Robert Borgmann at the Munich Residenztheater in 2021.

Gempart was born in Winterthur in 1934 and after an apprenticeship as a commercial clerk, he studied at the Schauspielakademie Zurich, where he was trained in dance and singing. His first engagements took him to the Schauspielhaus Zürich and the Stadttheater Bern. From 1959 to 1963 he was a member of the ensemble at the Theater Basel and from 1964 to 1974 at the Munich Residenztheater. From 1982 onwards he worked freelance, appearing on stage and often in front of the camera, for example in Markus Imhoof's film Das Boot ist voll, at Vienna's Burgtheater, the Maxim Gorki Theater, the Volskbühne Berlin and the Theater Neumarkt.

Between 1994 and 2012 he appeared in numerous plays at the Schauspielhaus Zürich. For example, in  Dantons Tod  in 1994/95 in the role of a deputy of the National Convention or as the village priest in Romeo und Julia auf dem Dorfe in 1995/96. Gempart also had a close collaboration with Christoph Schlingensief. In 2000 he appeared with Schlingensief in Hamlet at the Schauspielhaus Zürich in the role of Polonius and in 2004 in Attabambi Pornoland, and most recently Gampert premiered at the Schauspielhaus Zurich in 2011 with Merlin oder Das wüste Land  directed by Christian Stückl in the Schiffbau Hall.

Even at an advanced age, Gempart was active as an actor, in Kaspar Hauser und Söhne at the Theater Basel, in Salome at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin and as Doktor Alici at the Münchner Kammerspiele.

06. February 2023
Statement of the Co-artistic Directors
on the Non-renewal of the Contract

Dear Audience,

The board of directors has decided not to renew our contract as of mid-2024. Our artistic directorship will thus end with the coming season. A joint press release was sent out today by the board of directors and ourselves.

This development over the past few weeks came as a surprise to us. We would have wished to continue the project, contrary to what has been speculated in the press in the last few days. This project, this house, our art and the people we work with are too important to us.

We would like to emphasise the following: It is doubly wrong to say that we have thrown in the towel because of the lack of subsidy increases. It is simply not true. However, what is true is that the board of directors and we fought for this subsidy increase (the first substantial one in many years). At the same time, however, we began to plan many months ago how we could financially absorb it should it not come through. When the politicians could not support the proposal, we and the board of directors were very disappointed, but we accepted the decision and looked to the future.

This project, which is based on openness and art - the expansion of the concept of theatre on the one hand and the opening towards a more diverse and inclusive house with a more collective, participatory management style on the other - is carried by many people. Many of them experienced for the first time that the house is also theirs and for them and by them. They all invest a lot and, at the same time, they all have placed a lot of hope in the Schauspielhaus Zürich. Together with them, we are proud of what has been achieved at the Schauspielhaus in recent years, despite Covid and other adverse circumstances.

Last but not least, we are proud of you, of our audience: those of you whom we have gained, those whom we have been able to retain, and those whom we know may still join and other that will rejoin. The consistently enthusiastic and warm reactions, the audience's mixture consisting of more traditional and more progressive, young and old, which is special for a municipal theatre; all this has brought joy and hope. It is also a good sign that we have succeeded in attracting a younger and more diverse audience to the theatre. Because this is also an investment in the future of the institution. However, we are sorry that we have not been able to keep everyone and that we have irritated the more traditional classes in particular. Of course, you can't please everyone, and change is often painful. We also love the traditional in theatre, and sometimes it was simply a matter of misunderstanding. We would have liked to have had more time than this first contract period, which was overshadowed by Covid, to overcome it and to be able to adjust to the respective expectations.

Above all, however, we are proud of the exciting theatre that has been and continues to be created here at the Schauspielhaus Zürich. Many prizes have been awarded, invitations have been extended all over the world. The formative in-house artists of recent years, Leonie Böhm, Alexander Giesche, Suna Gürler, Yana Ross, Trajal Harrell, Christopher Rüping and Wu Tsang, but also Christiane Jatahy and Milo Rau as well as, of course, Nicolas Stemann, and an outstanding and unique ensemble of actors, dancers and performers have also been able to place the Schauspielhaus Zürich in a prominent international position. The artists who work here, the composition of the group is unique in the German-speaking world. The world knows about the Schauspielhaus Zürich. The world knows that a city and its citizens attach extraordinary value to it, afford it with their subsidies, and that this is something special.

We are grateful for these encounters made possible by the Schauspielhaus Zürich and a highly motivated staff.

Finally, there is no doubt for all of us that the initiated process of change in the institution with regard to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, the work on more collective structures and flatter hierarchies is necessary and right. It is important to us that the relevance of this area is recognised and that the culture of debate survives our time in Zurich. Society is changing, people are changing and institutions have to be ready to follow suit. We will continue to do our best and work to make theatre feel like it belongs and is open to many. And that art is at the centre and makes a difference.

In recent weeks, it has been said again and again that the city of Zurich does not love the arts and theatre enough. But who is that supposed to be, the "city of Zurich"? We have also experienced a different Zurich. We have seen people who burn for theatre. We experience committed citizens, critical spirits, creative minds, touching personalities. We place our hope in this Zurich.

Did we do everything right? Of course not. We may have tried too much, maybe too fast. We have risked a lot and certainly made mistakes. But we know from theatre work that there is no development if you always want to do everything right. We are constantly learning, doing things well, making mistakes, and learning again to do things better. We will also use the remaining time for this.

Right now, we are very exhausted and sad. But we will find our way out of it. Because we are not alone. We have wonderful collaborators who shape and carry this project. We have our art. And we have you, dear audience, and we are very much looking forward to spending more wonderful time with you. May the next season, our last, be a celebration together.

That is all we have to say at the moment. You will therefore not read any interviews with us. We want to concentrate on our work. And we are looking forward to rehearsals, to making theatre, to you, our audience with us in the Schauspielhaus, where the real theatre happens.

Cordially,

Your Benjamin von Blomberg und Nicolas Stemann

03. February 2023
Showcase: Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne x Schauspielhaus Zürich

The Schauspielhaus Zürich and the Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne have been connected for several years by a special friendship and a common interest in artistic creation and contemporary forms of the performing arts. The long-standing partners are finally paying each other an official visit.

The Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne will be presenting four productions from 23 until 26 February 2023: Fantasmagoria, Boudoir, Be Arielle F and dSimon. At the same time, the Schauspielhaus Zürich will be showing three productions in Lausanne: Sonne, los jetzt!, Moby Dick; Or the Whale and The Köln Concert. 

In Zurich, South African queer artist and performer Steven Cohen, French director and set designer Philippe Quesne, and French-speaking Swiss artist Simon Senn will present performances created and produced at Vidy. At the same time, Nicolas Stemann, Trajal Harrell and Wu Tsang will present their productions from the Schauspielhaus Zürich in Lausanne. 

On 25 February, starting at 9:30 p.m., DJs Santo & Mulah and VJ Aladdine3000 invite you to the showcase party at the Schiffbau foyer with music by the ZRO21 collective from Lausanne. Bienvenu.e.s au Schiffbau, chèr.e.s Lausannois.es et chèr.e.s Zürichois.es!

27. January 2023
Related artist Milo Rau becomes artistic director of the Wiener Festwochen

Schauspielhaus Zürich related artist Milo Rau becomes artistic director of the Wiener Festwochen. The art and culture festival is one of the most important European cultural events. Rau will take over the artistic direction of the festival from July 2023 and will be responsible for the 2024 edition. Over the next five years, he plans to create "a mythical, powerful, controversial theatre festival" in Vienna that appeals to everyone. Rau presents a "polyphonic, formally diverse, passionate and combative world theatre", according to the Wiener Festwochen.

Milo Rau has been director of the NTGent theatre in Belgium since 2018/19 and is now giving up the position due to the move to Vienna. Since 2019/20 he has also been linked to the Schauspielhaus Zürich as a related artist, where his works Orest in Mosul, Das Kongo Tribunal and Wilhelm Tell have been shown in recent years. Wilhelm Tell was one of the most successful productions at the Schauspielhaus in the season of 2021/22 and can be seen twice more at the Pfauen in February.

Christopher Rüping's production Der Ring des Nibelungen was invited to the Wiener Festwochen in 2022, as well as the co-production Depois do silêncio (After the Silence) by Christiane Jatahy, which premiered last summer in Vienna and is now showing from February 9 - 12 at the Schiffbau in Zurich. Der Ring des Nibelungen will be shown again at the Pfauen starting in April.

25. January 2023
Casting Call

Im September 2023 bringt die brasilianische Regisseurin Christiane Jatahy ein neues Stück am Schauspielhaus Zürich auf die Bühne. Nachdem sie in der Spielzeit 2021/22 im Pfauen das Stück Before the Sky Falls inszenierte,
wird sie nun ein neues Stück in der Box im Schiffbau inszenieren. Das Stück ist für sechs Schauspieler*innen, vier davon kommen aus dem Ensemble des Schauspielhauses und für zwei Rollen suchen wir euch. In dem Stück geht es um die Freundschaft zweier Jungen, einer ist arm und einer ist reich. Es geht um einen Lehrer, der einen Schüler dazu ermutigt Schriftsteller zu werden und es geht um das schwierige Verhältnis zwischen Realität und Fiktion.

20. January 2023

The Schauspielhaus Zürich has often been the talk of the town in recent months. A lot was written, argued, discussed and contemplated. And that's good! We want the debates about our theatre to be understood as love and curiosity for the art of theatre and the municipal theatre as a meeting place. After the audience summit at the Pfauen, we will continue the dialogue with our audience in the city and, as part of our new debate format in the Schauspielhaus Stadtgespräch, regularly invite small groups to exchange ideas in different districts. Meet ensemble players and employees of the Schauspielhaus for an after-work and theatre talk. To kick things off, we will be guests at Karl der Grosse – das Debattierhaus on 10 February 2023 at 6 p.m. and look forward to exciting discussions with you.

Register for the Stadtgespräch via kommunikation@schauspielhaus.ch by 8 February. Spontaneous visits are also welcome.

04. January 2023

On 18 January at 7 p.m.  we invite you to the audience summit at the Pfauen to meet and debate with you, dear audience. Where is the theatre going and where should it go? What do you like, what is missing? What should change? Because the theatre and specifically the Schauspielhaus Zürich have been the subject of heated debates lately. Big questions about social developments are reflected in the current debate. Our visitors also have very specific questions and suggestions for programming, service and communication. Afterwards there will be an opportunity for personal conversations over an aperitif. We look forward to seeing you!

29. December 2022
Theater Ferienkurs im Schauspielhaus
Schau und Spiel im Haus

Während der zweiten Sportferienwoche bietet das Team der Künstlerischen Vermittlung Theater & Schule das Schauspielhaus Zürich mit Schau und Spiel im Haus erstmals einen Theater-Ferienkurs für Kinder zwischen 8 und 10 Jahren an. Vom 20. bis 23. Februar 2023 erhalten die Kinder einen Blick hinter die Kulissen und tauchen gemeinsam in die Theaterwelt ein. Sie schlüpfen in verschiedene Rollen, erforschen Orte, die in der Regel für das Publikum nicht zugänglich sind, lernen Menschen mit verschiedenen Theaterberufen kennen und spielen gemeinsam auf einer Probebühne.

Anmeldungen sind bis am 3. Februar möglich. Kultur-Legi-Besitzer*innen zahlen die Hälfte der Kurskosten, Familien mit wenig Einkommen kann der Kursbeitrag reduziert bis erlassen werden. Weitere Infos zum Kurs und zur Anmeldung auf dieser Seite.

 

09. December 2022
Sonne, los jetzt!: Jelinek-World Premiere in Zurich

If you don't know Elfriede Jelinek yet or want to rediscover the Nobel Prize winner for literature, you have excellent opportunities to do so this winter. The Schauspielhaus Zürich presents three productions based on her work. Jelinek has spoken less and less publicly in recent years, but it is through language that her work reaches the public.

It has been a long time since the last world premiere of a Jelinek text at the Schauspielhaus Zürich. The play Sonne, los jetzt!, directed by Nicolas Stemann, premieres on 15 December. In November, Jelinek’s latest Book Angabe der Person was published. In addition to the harassing experience of a tax investigation at home, Jelinek looks back on her life and family and, in a seemingly never-ending stream of thoughts, takes up the discussion about capitalism, corruption and right-wing populism. The stage version by Jossi Wieler will soon be making its debut in Berlin. In addition, the documentary «Elfriede Jelinek – Die Sprache von der Leine lassen» approaches the life and work of the Austrian writer with film and sound excerpts that have been published for the first time.

Elfriede Jelinek is known for her sarcastic and provocative depiction of social and political grievances. Hardly any other author fires more potent salvos of words at the political global situation. Her text Sonne, los jetzt! lets the sun judge people disparagingly and takes up the discussion about the acute climate catastrophe. Stemann appreciates the topicality of the new piece, which many seem to be aware of, but which everyone is shying away from: "We cannot and do not want to imagine that consumer-oriented prosperity will come to an end, although we know that it is very destructive."

With the premiere of Sonne, los jetzt!, Jelinek and Stemann continue their longstanding artistic collaboration. The Schauspielhaus co-artistic director has already staged ten plays and world premieres by the Austrian Nobel Prize winner. Now, for the first time, Stemann is also presenting himself to the Zurich audience as an energetic condensor of Jelinek's eloquence.

08. December 2022
Ukrainian Guest Performances at the Schauspielhaus


During the time before Christmas, the Kiev Left Bank Theatre will be presenting Bad Roads at the Pfauen. The play by Ukrainian author Natalia Vorozhbyt describes life in the war-torn homeland, relationships between women and men and cracks that will never heal. Tamara Trunova, in-house director of the Left Bank Theatre, presents her well-travelled and award-winning work in Ukrainian and Russian with German surtitles to Zurich audiences on 20 and 23 December. The production premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London and is composed of six scenes, each focusing on one aspect of the war in Ukraine.

Moreover, it is not only Ukrainian theatre that makes guest appearances at the Schauspielhaus: on Friday, 16 December, Katiko Purtseladze and Pavel Ignatiev from Kiev will perform for the second time at the Pfauen-Kammer: Alive. Here and now: Jazz (and more) in ExileⅡ. The couple has been living with their two sons in a guest flat at the Schauspielhaus Zürich since the outbreak of the war. The singer and actress and the classically trained pianist incorporate not only jazz but also funk, folk and meditative elements into their music and regard it as a means of connecting the most diverse people.

The contact between the two musicians and the Schauspielhaus Zürich began through Artists at Risk, a globally networked human rights organisation that supports artists in need and for which the Schauspielhaus Zürich launched an appeal for donations in April. In order to support artists in wars and fragile contexts, Schauspielhaus visitors have since been able to make a donation of 5, 20, 50, 500 or 1000 CHF to Artists at Risk without any additional effort when buying tickets. Since March, around 70,000 Swiss francs have been raised for Artists at Risk, making the audience of the Schauspielhaus Zürich the main supporter of the NGO last season, alongside Teiger and the Andy Warhol Foundation. Theatres can also contribute to accompanying art and artists through the difficult times of persecution and war and thus help shape the image of history as it will once be written.
Furthermore, in spring, this version of Antigone by the Ukrainian director and former artistic director of the Left Bank Theatre, Stas Zhirkov, will be staged at the Pfauen with the ensemble of the Schauspielhaus Zürich.

 

07. December 2022
Yuvviki Dioh ist
Tsürcher*in des Jahres 2022

Congratulations! Our agent for diversity at Schauspielhaus Zürich, Yuvviki Dioh, was awarded the title of Tsürcher*in of the Year at the first Züri Award ceremony of the city magazine Tsüri.ch on 6 December 2022. We are very happy for Yuvviki Dioh and for the fact that she, with her academic and activist knowledge gained over the years, is helping to shape the diversity-oriented organisational development of the Schauspielhaus Zürich in a sustainable and passionate way.
For over seven years, the city magazine Tsüri.ch has been reporting on the people and enterprises that shape Zurich. This award honours a person who has moved the Tsüri.ch editorial team in the past year. "We talked in an interview about how important it is to be loud and not to be quiet, especially in the fight against discrimination. You are loud, you are there and for that you get this year's Tsüri Award from us in the hope that you will continue to shape this city," explained editorial director Rahel Bains in her laudation. Continue to the article on tsüri.ch

04. December 2022
Alicia Aumüller and Patrycia Ziólkowska receive the Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring 2022

Congratulations! Patrycia Ziólkowska and Alicia Aumüller receive the renowned Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring theatre prize for their performance in Ödipus Tyrann by Sophokles, directed by Nicolas Stemann. With this year's Gertrud-Eysoldt-Ring, the jury of Karin Henkel, André Jung and Jossi Wieler honored "two outstanding actresses and one magnificent interplay!". According to the jury, “Alicia Aumüller and Patrycia Ziólkowska play all the roles in Ödipus Tyrann and we watch spellbound how casual and yet serious, how funny and yet sensitive they jump in and out of them again. It is virtuosic how they become or at least sketch out Oedipus' daughters as performers, how they are sometimes choir or choir leader, how they are Tiresias, Iokaste, Creon, messenger, servant and of course Oedipus himself. They embody these figures in simple black clothes with only a few accessories on a narrow stage in front of the iron curtain, trusting in the text, in the story, in the language. And each other!”

01. December 2022
Obituary for actress Christiane Hörbiger

The actress Christiane Hörbiger, who was a member of the ensemble at the Schauspielhaus Zürich for around 20 years, died yesterday, Wednesday, at the age of 84 in her native city of Vienna. Hörbiger, daughter of the famous couple Paula Wessely and Attila Hörbiger, was one of the most successful actresses in the German-speaking world. She won numerous awards and was also known for her work in film and television. Hörbiger made her theatre debut in 1959 at the Burgtheater. As part of guest performances, she also took part in the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Salzburger Festspiele, where she played, among other things, in Jedermann (Everyone) from 1969 to 1972, directed by Leopold Lindtberg. From 1967 to 1985 she was engaged at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, where she worked with Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Werner Düggelin and Benno Besson, among others.

In Zurich, she was best known for her roles as Eve in Kleist’s Der zerbrochene Krug (The Broken Jug) 1969, Marthe in Goethe’s Urfaust 1970, Marie in Büchner’s Woyzeck (directed by Friedrich Dürrenmatt) 1972, Kate in Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate,  (directed by Horst Balzer) 1973, Elisabeth in Schiller's Maria Stuart (directed by Harry Buckwitz) 1975, Katherine in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew (directed by Gerhard Klingenberg) 1978, Arkadina in Chekhov’s The Seagull 1980 and Alte in Ionesco’s Die Stühle (The Chairs) 1985, both directed by Werner Düggelin, and Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet (directed by Benno Besson) 1983.

28. November 2022
“Der Faust” for Paul Hankinson and Jonas Holle

The two artists Paul Hankinson und Jonas Holle were awarded the theater prize “Der Faust” in the category Sound & Media for their music in Das neue Leben – where do we go from here? The prize is awarded since 2006 by the German Stage Association in cooperation with the states, the Cultural Foundation of the States and the German Academy of Performing Arts. Das neue Leben - where do we go from here? is a production by our in-house director Christopher Rüping, which premiered last year at the Schauspielhaus Bochum and can be seen in Zurich as well this season. We are very pleased about the great response this work has received, both from professional juries and audiences: the production was already invited to last year’s Theatertreffen (the jury wrote: “A courageous, surprising, virtuosic evening of acting and music that stimulates our (post-)pandemic longing for encounter and new beginnings, addressing the heart and going straight to the heart.“) and “Der Faust” for Paul and Jonas is now the continuation of this success story. We congratulate warmly and look forward to welcoming the piece back on stage in Zurich in February!

19. October 2022
Gemeinsam gegen Hass

Vergangenen Sonntag störten  Rechtsradikale eine  Kinderveranstaltung im Tanzhaus Zürich.

„Drag Story Time“, ein Vorleseformat für Kinder (!) von drei bis zehn Jahren, wurde von Rechtsradikalen massiv gestört. Die Künstler*innen und vor allem auch die Gäste des Events wurden stark erschreckt. Das Format vermittelt Diversität, Toleranz und Inklusion und lebt von einem offenen Diskurs über Geschlechteridentitäten und Rollenvorbildern. Wir verurteilen diese Aktion aufs Schärfste und stehen Seite an Seite mit den betroffenen Künstler*innen und Organisator*innen. Wir solidarisieren uns mit dem Tanzhaus Zürich und stehen gemeinsam ein gegen Hass, Ausgrenzung und rechtsradikale Propaganda.

Wir zeigen uns besorgt über derzeitige Eskalationen in Debatten, die mit einer zunehmenden Feindseligkeit geführt werden und sprechen uns für eine Kultur aus, die mit Neugier statt Empörung, mit Zuhören satt Wut und mit Toleranz statt Frust reagiert. Und wo man versucht, aufeinander zuzugehen. Wo Kritik in Form von konstruktiven Debatten geführt werden kann und soll. Wir wollen weiterhin selbst dazu beitragen.

Diese Tat gilt es von allen klar und bedingungslos zu verurteilen.

 

12. October 2022
Statement der Intendanz

Liebes Publikum,

in den letzten Tagen wurden in Schweizer und Deutschen Medien einige Artikel veröffentlicht, die unter anderem den Abonnent*innen-Schwund sowie die generelle Ausrichtung bei uns am Haus thematisieren. Einige der Berichte sind sehr kritisch, zuspitzend und tragen kampagnenhafte Züge; andere wurden genauer recherchiert, signalisieren mehr Verständnis und stellen unsere Zahlen und auch unsere Ausrichtung in einen gesellschaftspolitisch wie auch geografisch breiteren Kontext. In der Berichterstattung wurden Vorwürfe in den Raum gestellt, die wir so nicht stehen lassen können. Wir möchten dazu Stellung nehmen. 

Hier geht's zur ganzen Stellungnahme.

24. September 2022
Schiffbau Day

Liebes Publikum,

Wollten Sie schon immer mal so richtig laut schreien lernen, im Schiffbau hinter die Kulissen blicken, sich von der Kostümabteilung einkleiden lassen oder mit den Macher*innen des Theaters ins Gespräch kommen? Am 24. September laden wir alle – gross und klein – herzlich in den Schiffbau ein. Gemeinsam mit Ihnen möchten wir den Auftakt der neuen Theatersaison feiern und auf die Spielzeit 22/23 anstossen.

Auf dem Programm stehen Führungen, Workshops von Ensemble-Mitgliedern und verschiedenen Abteilungen, Live-Musik, ein Picknick und Orte der Begegnung. Der Jazzclub Moods co-kuratiert die musikalischen Acts und lädt zur Afterparty. Und für die Abendvorstellung von Border, inszeniert von Christoher Rüping, können Sie zudem zahlen, was Sie wollen. 

Die Anzahl Plätze bei den Führungen und bei einigen Workshops ist beschränkt: Hier geht's zur Programmübersicht und zur kostenlosen Anmeldung. Wir freuen uns sehr auf Ihren Besuch am Schiffbau-Tag!

Herzlich,

Ihr Schauspielhaus Zürich

01. September 2022
Los geht’s! Unser Programm
im Eröffnungsmonat September

Liebes Publikum, 

herzlich willkommen in der neuen Spielzeit! Wir starten mit vier Premieren in die neue Theatersaison 2022/23. Trajal Harrell und das Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble laden am Eröffnungsabend, 9. September, in Das Haus von Bernarda Alba auf die Pfauenbühne ein. Im Anschluss an die Premiere feiern wir den Saisonauftakt in der Kammer des Pfauens mit DJs Asma Maroof, Josh Johnson, Silver Tears und Soraya Lutangu Bonaventure. Die Eröffnungsparty beginnt um 21.30 Uhr, der Eintritt ist frei.

Am Sonntag, 11. September folgt bereits die zweite Premiere: Ödipus Tyrann. Regisseur Nicolas Stemann inszeniert mit den beiden Schauspielerinnen Alicia Aumüller und Patrycia Ziółkowska eine düstere Farce über eine Menschheit, die schmerzhaft herausfindet, dass an ihrem Untergang niemand schuld ist als sie selbst. Auch die Offene Bühne findet während dem ersten Eröffnungswochenende am 10. September zum ersten Mal wieder statt, organisiert vom neuen Theaterjahr. 

Am darauffolgenden Wochenende eröffnet Christopher Rüping die Spielzeit im Schiffbau. In der Halle findet am 16. September die Uraufführung seiner Inszenierung Border statt, inspiriert von dem Film Gräns von Ali Abbasi. Und am Samstagabend, 17. September, feiert Reigen, uraufgeführt an den Salzburger Festspielen, endlich in Zürich Premiere. In Yana Ross' neuester Inszenierung treiben zehn international renommierte Autor*innen den Stoff von Arthur Schnitzler ins Heute: Lydia Haider, Sofi Oksanen, Leïla Slimani, Sharon Dodua Otoo, Leif Randt, Mikhail Durnenkov, Hengameh Yaghoobifarah, Kata Wéber, Jonas Hassen Khemiri und Lukas Bärfuss haben je eine der zehn Szenen neu geschrieben. 

Am 20. September ist Sharon Dodua Otoo zudem zu Gast im sphères und spricht über ihre erste Theaterarbeit und ihren Beitrag zu Reigen. Am gleichen Abend treten Trajal Harrell und das Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble mit Little Monkey, einer speziell für die Fondation Beyeler konzipierten Version von Monkey Off My Back or The Cat’s Meow, im Rahmen der Piet Mondrian Ausstellung in Basel auf.

Eben erst on Tour in New York, Amsterdam, Venedig und zuletzt in Arles spielen wir den weitgereisten Stummfilmabend Moby Dick; or, The Whale von Moved by the Motion, inszeniert von Wu Tsang im Rahmen der Spielzeiteröffnung ab dem 20. September wieder im Pfauen. Auch die preisgekrönte Medea* wird am 21. September wiederaufgenommen.

Mit unserer neuen Reihe enterspaces und der BIPOC-Zuschauer*innen-Gruppe starten wir am 22. September: enterspaces lädt zu The House of Bernarda Alba ein, mit Vor- und Nachgespräch in geschlossener Gruppe und am 28. September mit dem Talk über Diversität & Theater. enterspaces wird Stimmen und Perspektiven von BIPoC*-Kulturschaffenden, -Wissenschaftler*innen und -Aktivist*innen zum Thema «Widerstand und Wandel im Theater» in einer Vortragsreihe zu Wort kommen lassen. Zusätzlich sollen im Theater gemeinsame Räume erschaffen werden, wo Austausch, Empowerment, Support und Begegnungen gedeihen können.

Wollten Sie schon immer mal so richtig laut schreien lernen, sich von der Kostümabteilung einkleiden lassen oder mit den Macher*innen des Theaters ins Gespräch kommen? Am 24. September öffnen wir die Tore des Schiffbaus mit Führungen durch den Schiffbau, Workshops von Ensemble-Mitgliedern und verschiedenen Abteilungen, Live-Musik, einem Picknick und Orten der Begegnung. Beteiligt sind auch weitere Institutionen des Schiffbaus: Das Restaurant LaSalle kreiert gemeinsam mit der Schauspielhaus-Kantine Picknickkörbe und der Jazz-Club Moods co-kuratiert die musikalischen Acts und lädt zur Afterparty. Für die Abendvorstellung von Border können Sie zudem zahlen, was Sie möchten. Das vollständige Programm des Schiffbau-Tags publizieren wir kommende Woche auf unserer Website.

Auf bald!

Herzlich, Ihr Schauspielhaus Zürich

30. June 2022
Theatre Holidays 2022:
4 July – 14 August

Dear Audience,

By the end of the week we’ll be on summer break, from 4 July to 14 August, and will start the new season 22/23 with four premieres in September: The House of Bernarda Alba (9 September), Ödipus Tyrann (11 September), Border (16 September) and Reigen (17 September). Reigen, the latest production by Yana Ross will premiere earlier, on 28 July 2022, at the Salzburger Festspiele.

Around the four opening premieres, we are also planning further events for the start of the season. On 24 September, for example, we will open the doors of the Schiffbau for you. In the opening month, there will also be a variety of formats and new series with which we would like to welcome you to the new season. We will publish all information and details about the Schiffbau Day and the opening programme on our website by the end of August.

All information about the 22/23 season can be found at 2223.schauspielhaus.ch, and in the Schauspielhaus Journal our in-house directors give an insight into their planned premieres. Advance booking for the season opening has already started. Our box office will be open until 2 July and will then reopen again after the theatre holidays on 22 August.

For urgent matters we can be reached via mitteilung[at]schauspielhaus.ch.

Have a great summer! We will see you again on 9 September.

Cordially,
Your Schauspielhaus Zürich

28. June 2022
Experience Report Audience Survey 2022

Dear audience,

At the beginning of 2022, we invited you to take part in our visitor survey. Around 2000 of you accepted our invitation, answered and commented on our numerous questions. Thank you very much for your time and valuable feedback.

The aim of our survey was to obtain information about our visitors, their visit habits and their visit motivation. Furthermore, we wanted to know how much you like coming to our theatre, how you perceive us, and how satisfied you are with our services, our programme and our communication.

In our experience report we publish the most important findings and thus some carefully selected results. The majority of visitors who took part in the survey have been with us for several years. Only about 10% of the participants visited the Schauspielhaus for the first time in the last three years.

We are particularly pleased that 78% of you feel comfortable and welcome at the Pfauen and the Schiffbau, that 310 of the visitors surveyed who visit us very often (> 5 times) describe themselves as fans of the Schauspielhaus, and furthermore that you associate "high artistic quality" with us. Moreover, we have a wish in common: to be closer again in the future! Under the circumstances of the pandemic, you and we have suffered from a lack of "audience proximity" and we are very much looking forward to finally being able to celebrate more premieres together again in the coming season, and to once more being able to hold events and programmes that enable exchange and encounters.

Thanks to your participation, we have learned a lot about what we manage to do well and what we don't, where you would like to see improvements, and how you feel connected to us. Your opinion is important to us. Therefore, we are always happy to receive comments, praise and criticism; and to the continuous dialogue with you as well as to the many theatre moments together. 

Cordially,

Your Schauspielhaus Zürich

 

28. June 2022
Alive. Here and now: Jazz (and more) in Exile

"We arrived in Zurich with two suitcases. We don't know what the future will bring. But the most important thing is that we are here now, safe. And that we can tell our story through music." At the end of the season, on 1 July, 8 pm, Katiko Purtseladze and Pavel Ignatiev will be giving a concert at the Pfauen-Kammer.
The two Ukrainian jazz musicians have recently been living with their two sons as guests in a flat of the Schauspielhaus Zurich at the Pfauen. Contact with the Schauspielhaus Zurich came about through Artists at Risk, a globally networked human rights organization that supports artists in need. Since March, the Schauspielhaus has been involved in fundraising campaigns for Artists at Risk, and so far about 65'000 CHF were donated by Schauspielhaus visitors.
Katiko Purtseladze and Pavel Ignatiev see their music, which includes not only jazz but also funk, folk and meditative elements, as a means of connecting the most diverse people - also and especially by providing space for shared experiences.

27. June 2022
Schauspielhaus Zürich x Rework

A collaboration between the Schauspielhaus Zürich and the vintage upcycling store Rework was born at the end of this season. True to the idea of the circular economy and their motto "Reuse - Recycle - Rework", Rework has given our pink shirts from the 20/21 season a second life. They have created their own mini collection from the shirts designed by art director Laurenz Brunner, which they conceptualised, re-sewn and cropped in their integrated sewing studio in the Rework store on Europaallee: plain and with overlock seams. The shirts are available now exclusively in the Zurich stores Europaallee and Zollhaus, and from the start of season 22/23 on 9 September in small quantities also in our venues in Pfauen and Schiffbau.

15. June 2022
Casting-Aufruf:
 REIGEN

Das Schauspielhaus Zürich sucht für seine neue Produktion REIGEN von Arthur Schnitzler in der Regie von Yana Ross theaterbegeisterte Statist*innen im Alter von 18-60 Jahren. Wichtig ist viel Freude am Theaterspielen und Lust auf der Bühne zu stehen. Bei den Rollen handelt es sich um vier Kellner*innen (unterschiedlichen Alters) die ohne Text spielen. Sicherheit oder Erfahrung in Service-Szenen sind daher durchaus erwünscht! Erste Proben sind im Juni 22 auf der Probebühne im Schiffbau (Schiffbaustrasse 4, 8005 Zürich).

In der Zeit der Endproben 12.09.-16.09.22 auf der Originalbühne im Schauspielhaus Pfauen (Zeltweg 5, 8032 Zürich) sind die Statist*innen verpflichtet, an allen Proben vormittags und abends teilzunehmen.

Premiere ist im Pfauen am 17. September 2022 um 20.00 Uhr.
Für die Produktion ist ein Touring in der nächsten Spielzeit angedacht, was mögliche Gastspiele im Ausland bedeuten könnte.

Das Casting wird am kommenden Dienstag, 21.06.2022, um 17:15 Uhr im Schiffbau (Schiffbaustrasse 4, 8005 Zürich) stattfinden. Bei Interesse meldet Euch bitte mit Lebenslauf und Bildern unter casting [​at​] schauspielhaus.ch

 

27. May 2022
Casting-Aufruf:
REIGEN

Das Schauspielhaus Zürich sucht für seine neue Produktion REIGEN von Arthur Schnitzler in der Regie von Yana Ross theaterbegeisterte Kinder-Statist*innen im Alter von acht bis zwölf Jahren. Wichtig ist viel Freude am Theaterspielen und Lust auf der Bühne zu stehen.

Im Probenzeitraum ab nächst möglichen Zeitpunkt bis zum 25.06.2022 werden die Kinder-Statist*innen  auf der Probebühne im Schiffbau (Schiffbaustrasse 4, 8005 Zürich) üben. In der Zeit der Endproben auf der Originalbühne im Schauspielhaus Pfauen (Zeltweg 5). Ab Ende August 2022 sind die Statist:innen verpflichtet, an allen Proben vormittags und abends teilzunehmen.

Premiere ist am 17. September 2022 um 20.00 Uhr.

Weitere Spieldaten: Sa.17.09.2022, Mo.19.09.2022, Fr.23.09.2022, Sa.24.09.2022, Fr.30.09.2022, So.02.10.2022, Di.04.10.2022, Mi.05.10.2022, Do.13.10.2022.

Für die Produktion ist ein Touring in der nächsten Spielzeit vorgesehen, was mögliche Gastspiele im Ausland bedeuten. Das Casting wird am kommenden Dienstag, 21.06.2022, um 17:15 Uhr im Schiffbau (Schiffbaustrasse 4, 8005 Zürich) stattfinden.

Bei Interesse meldet Euch bitte mit Lebenslauf und Bildern unter 
casting [​at​] schauspielhaus.ch

 

07. April 2022
Biennale Teatro 2022 selects
Kurze Interviews mit fiesen Männern

Kurze Interviews mit fiesen Männern – 22 Arten der Einsamkeit (Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - 20 Types of Loneliness), directed by Yana Ross, has been invited to this year's Biennale Teatro. The production will be shown on 27 and 28 June in the Arsenale area of the lagoon city. The international theatre festival in the context of the Venice Biennale is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. We are very delighted about this great honour for Yana's work and congratulate the whole artistic team. The festival is a reliable platform for internationally outstanding directorial work. The play, in which David Foster Wallace explores toxic masculinity to the point of dehumanisation through brilliant linguistic art, premiered in Zurich on 11 September 2021 and will be reprised in April for five shows at the Schiffbau, 9-19 April.

01. April 2022
Call for donations: Artists at Risk

In our Zurich by the Lake, disorder, violence and suffering are far away. In light of the war in Ukraine, which reminds us that order is fragile and peace is not normal, the Schauspielhaus would like to give its audience the opportunity to donate to artists who are not lucky enough to be able to practise their profession in an orderly and safe city like Zurich, but who have to live and work in war and conflict: When you buy a theatre ticket at the Schauspielhaus, you can easily donate to the non-profit organisation Artists at Risk.
Who are Artists at Risk? Artists at Risk (www.artistsatrisk.org) is a network at the intersection of human rights and art that supports threatened artists in times of need. Since 2013, Artists at Risk has worked to facilitate the safe departure of persecuted artists from their countries of origin, procuring travel documents, providing legal assistance, arranging residencies and curating related projects.


How can you donate? Without any additional effort, you can make a donation of 5Chf or 50Chf or even 500Chf to Artists at Risk when you buy tickets at the Schauspielhaus. For further or higher donations you can use the following bank account:

Bank Account Arists at Risk: Perpetuum Mobile IBAN: FI3557230220772060 BIC: OKOYFIHH
In addition, if you would like to help Artists at Risk, you can, for example, purchase a work created especially to support Ukraine by world-renowned artists such as Thomas Demand, Julian Schnabel, Hito Steyerl, Nan Goldin or Matthew Barney: https://solidarityprints.org.

 

31. March 2022
Racial Profiling in Switzerland:
An Invitation to a Dialogue

Almost one and a half years ago, on 15 June 2020, the first panel of the Schauspielhaus series "Exit Racism" was dedicated to the practice of racial profiling. The curators of the series, actress Thelma Buabeng and dramaturge Laura Paetau, focused on a topic that still receives not enough publicity in Switzerland. Namely, to acknowledge that there is, of course, also a structurally racist practice in the Swiss police, and not only in the American, German or French police, which puts non-whites or people with specific religious clothing under surveillance and control - mainly for no other reason than this: because they are not white and therefore seem suspicious.

In addition to Brandy Butler and Jovita dos Santos Pintos, Mohamed Wa Baile was also a guest on the panel. He talked about his years of struggle for redress after being the victim of racial profiling by two police officers at Zurich main station in February 2015. The police officers had singled him out from a crowd of commuters to take his personal details: Wa Baile asked the police officers if they were looking for a Black person, but the police officers said no. Wa Baile then refused to reveal his name and identification. As a result, he was formally charged with failure to comply with police orders and found guilty.

And Mohamed Wa Baile has been fighting against this - to this day. His case, which he took all the way to Strasbourg to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), was declared an 'impact' case there at the beginning of 2022. Only a very small number of cases that are significant for the state in question or the ECtHR system as a whole are declared as such. The verdict is expected to be reached in 2023. Already in October 2021, the Zurich Administrative Court ruled that there was not enough objective evidence for the identity check by the police and that it was therefore unlawful. However, the judges remained undecided as to whether this also constituted discrimination on the grounds of skin colour. In this regard, Wa Baile, together with the alliance humanrights.ch, took the case to the Federal Supreme Court.

Mohamed Wa Baile's case is not an isolated incident in Switzerland. Numerous initiatives such as "humanrights.ch" or the "Alliance against Racial Profiling" confirm it.
Kay Kysela is a member of the ensemble at the Schauspielhaus Zürich. He too was a victim of racial profiling. At the end of September last year, he was pulled over on his bicycle, initially without any reason being provided.
Only when he repeatedly asked why and defended himself against the suspicions and attempts to intimidate him without context, the policeman replied: Kay had been cycling freehand. Kay contradicted him and the atmosphere of the conversation heated up. He wanted to distance himself from the situation and said that he would like to talk to the policeman in a more lively place - and not alone. He left. The result was a charge of obstructing an official act - and again a guilty verdict: Kay Kysela was sentenced to a conditional fine and a fine of several hundred francs; the latter, in case of culpable non-payment, was punished alternatively with a prison sentence of 3 days. In addition, there are the costs of the proceedings of a substantial amount.

We are aware that we only know Mohamed Wa Baile's and Kay Kysela's sides of the stories. By necessity, they are subjective. But it is also clear that the versions of the stories that the police officers involved have given are not objective either. But no police officer has ever been held criminally responsible in such a constellation.
In the versions of the story told by Mohamed, Kay and many others, patterns emerge. Practices that take on a life of their own are revealed, which promote discrimination, abuse and arbitrariness. Structural racism, to put it in a nutshell, is the mechanism of action that emerges. And it runs deeper than the individual behaviour of single people.

This is where the police, this is where all institutions in Switzerland - including us - have to keep an eye on. We must learn to recognise institutionalised structural racism and be prepared to change structures.
In order to stay tuned and to offer a forum to important people in this field, we invite you to another panel on racial profiling on 6 April at 8 pm in the Schiffbau-Box. Fatima Moumouni and Laurin Buser, spoken word poets and authors of the play Bullestress, which premiered in January; Tarek Naguib, a lawyer specialising in anti-discrimination law; Hannan Salamat, head of Islam at the Zurich Institute for Interreligious Dialogue; and Fabian Molina, SP national councillor. Brigitte Hürlimann, court reporter for the Republik, will host the discussion.

We also invited representatives of the Zurich City Police, namely the head of the security department, city councillor Karin Rykart, as well as the commander of the city police, to participate in the panel. Unfortunately, we were turned down on the grounds that racial profiling is indeed an important issue in the city police and that a lot has been done in recent years to minimise racially motivated checks on people; but that discussions must first be held internally and away of the public eye - always specifically and in relation to individual cases. We regret this decision all the more as the panel would have offered the Zurich City Police an ideal platform to explain to an interested public what considerations have been made and what concrete steps against racial profiling have been taken so far. In our opinion, this is a missed opportunity. Our proposal to delegate a specialist from the education sector was also not considered. We also received a negative response from the police school of the city of Zurich. Once again: the Schauspielhaus is not interested in focussing on individual cases - but in a systemic approach to the problem of racial profiling, in which different perspectives should be brought to the fore. And everyone is invited: those who are looking for an exchange because they have also experienced something similar. And those who want to learn something new, perhaps because they themselves run institutions.

Benjamin von Blomberg and Nicolas Stemann,
Co-Artistic Directors Schauspielhaus Zürich

30. March 2022
MOBY DICK; or, The Whale
ON TOUR

After its world premiere at the Schauspielhaus on the 12th of March, director Wu Tsang's silent film MOBY DICK; or, The Whale will go on tour during the coming weeks. In April, the film is shown in New York, Venice and Antwerp and in June at LUMA Arles and the Holland Festival in Amsterdam, accompanied by different orchestras. The Zurich Chamber Orchestra will be travelling to Venice and Arles.


The award-winning filmmaker and visual artist Wu Tsang has ventured into a feature-length adaptation of Herman Melville's great American novel as a silent film. Written by Sophia Al Maria and directed by Tsang, the adaptation follows the white whale above and below the surface of the water, developing a visual cosmology that resists the exploration and exploitation of the earth by imperial colonialism. Tsang's approach combines the classic story of the whaler's "floating factory" with the beginnings of the film industry in silent cinema.
The story of Moby Dick recounts the obsessive pursuit of Ahab, the captain of a whaling ship, to take revenge on a giant albino sperm whale that bit off one of his legs. The story is infused with reflections of the problems of the time – but also of our present. Tsang's surreal adaptation re-contextualises this epic, allegorical drama and explores themes of labour and desire through a postcolonial lens.


The film was shot in the summer of 2021 in the Schiffbau-Halle, with thirteen performers from the ensemble and a large number of employees from the technical departments and production workshops of the Schauspielhaus Zürich. The tour begins in mid-April in New York at The Shed. Further touring destinations are also planned for the coming season.

ON TOUR
New York, The Shed, 15., 16. + 17. April 2022, New York Philharmonic Orchestra
Venedig, Teatro Goldoni, 20. April 2022, Zürcher Kammerorchester ZKO
Antwerpen, DE SINGEL, 22. April 2022, BRYGGEN Bruges Strings
Amsterdam, Holland Festival, Muziekgebouw, 17. + 18.6.2022, BRYGGEN Bruges Strings
LUMA Arles, Juli 2022, Zürcher Kammerorchester ZKO

28. March 2022
Doppelspiel: Parallel events for children and adults

From April 2022, the Schauspielhaus Zürich launches a new format with Doppelspiel: while adults attend a theatre performance, their children discover the same play behind the scenes in a playful way. On one of the theatre's rehearsal stages, they engage with the themes and special features of the production in an age-appropriate way. In this way, through the practical workshop and the personal theatre experience, they become little experts with their own perspective on the play.

The workshops take place once a month on Sunday afternoons and are aimed at children between the ages of 7 and 12. The participation of the children is free of charge and tied to the theatre visit of the accompanying person. Pre-registration by email to doppelspiel [at] schauspielhaus.ch is required. The event begins 30 minutes before the show.

The first edition of Doppelspiel will take place on Sunday 3 April 2022 as part of the production Der Vater (The Father). Typical family? Typical father? We playfully explore gender roles and family concepts. This workshop will be held by co-artistic director, director of Der Vater and real-life father Nicolas Stemann, together with Manuela Runge, co-director of theatre pedagogy, and Rosa-Lin Meessen from Theaterjahr. You can find more information here.

10. March 2022
The Administrative Board
on
the Redevelopment of the Pfauen

The administrative board of Schauspielhaus AG deeply regrets today's decision by the municipal council in favour of only a slight redevelopment of the Pfauen’s auditorium. The council will now work out a strategy on how the art and theatre operations will have to adapt to the general conditions in the renovated premises.

The theatre professionals at the Schauspielhaus and the administrative board have repeatedly shown the municipal council and the public that foregoing a comprehensive renovation is likely to have painful interventions in the theatre's operations. The option of a light renovation chosen today by the municipal council will entail a further reduction of space that is already too scarce. The audience will also have to deal with unsatisfactory acoustic and visual conditions in the future.

The municipal council has given higher priority to the museal character of the Schauspielhaus than to its future artistic tasks, which are committed to the important tradition and history of the theatre. The municipal council has decided to give preference to the preservation of the auditorium, which has been remodelled several times in the past. This is the first curtain call. The decision of the parliament must be respected. The administrative board will now develop a strategy with the theatre professionals and those responsible for the Schauspielhaus, which will address the question of what kind of theatre can be presented to the public after the redevelopment. Of course, the goal is to continue to bring the best theatre possible to the stage, even under the worsened conditions. However, this will not only have to be based on the requirements of art, but also to a large extent on the limited functional and spatial conditions. The extent to which today's decision by the municipal council will also affect the business situation of the Schauspielhaus must be weighed up. Today, the Pfauen stage is the financial pillar of the Schauspielhaus.

25. February 2022
Album-Release The Ring Orchestra

The Ring Orchestra hat sich zusammengefunden, um die Musik für die Inszenierung Der Ring des Nibelungen am Schauspielhaus Zürich zu schaffen. Das Album mit den 18 Kompositionen des achtköpfigen Kollektivs ist frisch veröffentlicht. Mehr Informationen und Bestellung

16. February 2022
Lifting of the Corona protection measures at the Schauspielhaus

On 16 February 2022, the Federal Council lifted most of the nationwide measures against the corona pandemic, including the certificate and mask requirement for cultural institutions. As a result, we will lift the certificate requirement in our Pfauen and Schiffbau venues as of Thursday, 17 February. However, we will retain the obligation to wear masks indoors during a transitional phase in order to continue to offer our audience a certain degree of protection during this period of relaxation. This has been decided in consultation with other Zurich theatres and cultural venues, which will also maintain the mask requirement until further notice.

The following subsequent opening steps are planned: As of 6 April, we will make all auditoriums fully accessible again. Advance booking starts on 5 March. Up to and including 5 April, we will maintain reduced occupancy, which provides a distance of one seat between individual groups or pairs. However, from March we will be offering live pre-show talks as well as post-show talks again. We are very much looking forward to personal encounters and exchanges with our audience!

03. February 2022
Christopher Rüping's "Das Neue Leben" at the 59th Theatertreffen

Christopher Rüping has been invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen 2022 to present his production Das neue Leben. Where do we go from here, a production by the Schauspielhaus Bochum as part of the Bochum/Zurich exchange. We would like to congratulate our house director most on receiving award! Last year he opened the 58th edition of the Theatertreffen with Einfach das Ende der Welt. Rüping has been invited to the Theatertreffen for the fifth time.

The production, loosely based on Dante Alighieri, Meat Loaf and Britney Spears and using the translation by Thomas Vormbaum, premiered in Bochum in September 2021. "Christopher Rüping hands Dante's early work "Vita Nova", published in 1293, over to a deeply relaxed cast who examine it like something precious but robust, attempting to reveal its fundamentals. It is about true love, death and missed moments. And how they can sometimes generate art. (...). A courageous, surprising, virtuoso evening of acting and music, which grabs us by our (post)pandemic longing for encounter and a new beginning, which speaks to and touches the heart," is the jury's statement on the shortlisting. The 59th edition of the Berliner Theatertreffen will take place in Berlin from 6 May to 22 May.

01. February 2022
Audience Survey 2022

Dear audience,

Benjamin von Blomberg and Nicolas Stemann have been co-artistic directors at the Schauspielhaus Zürich for two and a half seasons. This period of time is long enough that we can already look back on it, even though the theatre operations under their direction were quite severely affected by the pandemic. Therefore, you might have spent fewer evenings at the Schauspielhaus in recent months than before. Or maybe you have only recently discovered the Schauspielhaus for yourself. Either way: Your feedback is very important to us.

We would be delighted if you took part in our online audience survey. The survey is anonymous and will take place online until 28 March 2022. Tell us what you think! And with a bit of luck, you could also win something.

Cordially,
Your Schauspielhaus Zürich

31. January 2022
Golden Lion for Christiane Jatahy

Related artist Christiane Jatahy, who most recently directed Before the Sky Falls after Macbeth at the Schauspielhaus, receives the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at this year's 50th Festival Internazionale del Teatro of the Venice Biennale. The award ceremony will take place during the festival in Venice from 24 June to 3 July.

With this award, the festival honours the Brazilian director and author as one of the most outstanding directors from overseas, whose political theatre work has had a significant influence on European theatre production in recent decades. Christiane Jatahy's work crosses the boundaries of different artistic fields: she makes films, creates installations and stages plays. The content of her works also varies between documentation and fiction, between reality and myth, such as the play Before the Sky Falls, which can be enjoyed at the Pfauen this season until 6 March.

10. December 2021

Yana Ross, since 2019 in-house director at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, will celebrate the premiere of her production Reigen (La Ronde) after Arthur Schnitzler at the Salzburger Festspiele next year. The co-production with Schauspielhaus Zürich will first be performed in Salzburg on 28 July 2022. In Zurich, the production will be presented in the coming 2022/23 season. Ten authors were invited to write new versions of the ten dialogues: Lydia Haider, Sofi Oksanen, Leïla Slimani, Sharon Dodua Otoo, Leif Randt, Mikhail Durnenkov, Hengameh Yaghoobifarah, Kata Wéber, Jonas Hassen Khemiri and Lukas Bärfuss. From the Schauspielhaus ensemble, Tabita Johannes, Michael Neuenschwander, Matthias Neukirch and Lena Schwarz will be on stage.

02. December 2021
Moved by the Motion wins Gold Art Prize

Moved by the Motion is one of five inaugural winners of the Gold Art Prize. Congratulations to the group around in-house director Wu Tsang, Schaupielhaus ensemble members Tosh Basco, Asma Maroof, Josh Johnson and other members of Moved by the Motion as Patrick Belaga and Fred Moten!

The Gold Art Prize was formed by Kelly Huang and Gold House, a California-based nonprofit organization to increase scholarship and visibility for AAPI and Asian diaspora artists.

32 artists were nominated by a group of well-regarded curators that includes Whitney Museum curator Christopher Y. Lew, Los Angeles County Museum of Art curator of contemporary art Christine Y. Kim, and Sohrab Mohebbi, who is at work on the next Carnegie International.

From this 32 nominees, a Jury around Art News Top 200 Collector Komal Sha, Withney Vizedirektor Miyoung Lee and celebrities as Padma Lakshmi, Prabal Gurung and Gemma selected the five winners.

The other winners besides Moved by the Motion are Jes Fan, Maia Ruth Lee, Candice Lin and Miljohn Ruperto.

01. December 2021
Leonie Böhm receives the Kurt Hübner Directing Award 2021

This year's Kurt Hübner Directing Prize goes to Leonie Böhm for her production of Medea* at the Schauspielhaus Zürich. Congratulations! The jury explained its choice by stating that Leonie Böhm succeeds "through her clever, courageous approaches and in radical collaboration with her players, to make her texts of the classical theatre canon an astonishingly contemporary experience". According to Rita Thiele, former chief dramaturge and deputy artistic director at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg, "Leonie Böhm encourages her players to a radical personal appropriation, also in improvisations. This makes them blossom in a way that can only be called sensational, and the ancient myth becomes extremely permeable to the present.


The Kurt Hübner Directing Prize, endowed with 5,000 EUR, has been awarded by the German Academy of Performing Arts in Bensheim since 1991. The award ceremony is expected to be held in the spring of 2022.
Those who have not experienced Medea* yet will be able to see it in February 2022, when the production returns to the Schauspielhaus. In May 2021, Medea* was invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen; and in August, Maja Beckmann was named Actress of the Year by Theater heute critics for her performance in Medea*.

21. November 2021
NESTROY-Prize 2021
for Einfach das Ende der Welt

Einfach das Ende der Welt (It’s Simply the End of the World), directed by Christopher Rüping, has received the Vienna Theatre Prize NESTROY 2021 in the category Best Performance in the German-speaking World. Congratulations!

In August 2021, Einfach das Ende der Welt was already named production of the year by the critics of Theater heute. In addition, Benjamin Lillie and Maja Beckmann were recognised as actor and actress of the year. The production was previously invited to the 58th Berliner Theatertreffen and opened the festival in May with a live stream from the Schiffbau-Halle.

Next up, Einfach das Ende der Welt goes on Tour: From 3-5 February 2022, the production will be performed at the Schauspielhaus Bochum as a guest production. In Zurich, the award-winning production is back on the schedule in spring, rerun: from May 2022. On our website you can already immerse yourself virtually in the stage design and in the Schauspielhaus Journalyou can learn out how it was created.

12. October 2021
Corona Passion Play at the WOW Performance Festival

The Corona Passion Play opens the WOW Performance Festival on 15 October. This Festival is a newly created hybrid format by ANALOG Theatre that seeks to facilitate exchange and networking through this pandemic season and beyond, and to depict the entire spectrum of the independent performing arts. Following the live stream of the Vol. 3 Edition from the Schiffbau Hall, there will be an Artist Talk  with Nicolas Stemann on Zoom.

Co-director Nicolas Stemann’s Corona Passion Play present a modern tale of humanity’s suffering in times of Covid, analogous to the stations of Jesus’ Way of the Cross. The history of the work-in-progress project is as long as the pandemic itself. And like the pandemic, the Corona Passion Play, which began in the first lockdown with songs produced at home with homemade videos, has passed through countless stages and forms.

11. October 2021
Einfach das Ende der Welt nominated for NESTROY Award 2021

Our in-house director Christopher Rüping has been nominated for the Viennese NESTROY 2021 Theatre Award in the category Best German-Language Performance with Einfach das Ende der Welt (It’s Only the End of the World). Our warmest congratulations! The NESTROY award ceremony takes place on Sunday, 21 November in Vienna and will be broadcast live on OFR 3. Co-director Nicolas Stemann will be giving the laudatory speech at the NESTROY Gala for Elfriede Jelinek, who is honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Just recently, Einfach das Ende der Welt was voted Production of the Year by the Theater heute critics. Two members of our ensemble, Benjamin Lillie and Maja Beckmann, were also awarded Actor and Actress of the Year. Both play roles in Rüping’s production. At the beginning of the year, the production was invited to this year’s Berlin Theatertreffen and opened the festival in early May with a live stream from the Schiffbau Hall. In spring 2022, we will be resuming performances of the award-winning production, which premiered on 3 December 2020. On our website you can already immerse yourself virtually in the stage set and discover a host of delightful details. In the Schauspielhaus Journal, Jonathan Mertz gives an insight into his work as set designer for the production.

30. September 2021
Schauspielhaus On Tour

Off we go! The Schauspielhaus Zürich is finally on tour again. In the third season of the Stemann/von Blomberg artistic directorship, various productions will be touring, such as The Köln Concert, directed by Trajal Harrell, Christoph Marthaler's Das Weinen (Das Wähnen), three productions by Nicolas Stemann: Der Besuch der alten Dame, Faust I, Der Streik, the award-winning productions Einfach das Ende der Welt by Christopher Rüping and Frühlings Erwachen by Suna Gürler as well as Moby Dick by Wu Tsang and Moved by the Motion.

The Schauspielhaus On Tour series starts this Saturday with the screening of The Köln Concert at the Festival Romaeuropa. At the Teatro Argentina in Rome, in-house director Trajal Harrell will perform internationally for the first time with a production by Schauspielhaus Zürich. Right after that, Trajal Harrell's production with the Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble can be seen at the Kaaitheater in Brussels, then at the beginning of November at the euro-scene dance and theatre festival in Leipzig. At the Pfauen, we will resume The Köln Concert, with which we opened 20/21 of our season, on the 24th of October.

Christoph Marthaler is also touring Europe with Das Weinen (Das Wähnen) in October, starting the guest performance tour on 6 October in Paris. In Zurich, the play can be seen again at the Pfauenbühne from 14 November.

Our guest performance events until the end of 2021:

21. September 2021
Welcome New Clubs!

40 young people met for the trial meeting of the clubs in the Schiffbau on 5 September 2021. Now the new clubs have been formed and will start their weekly rehearsals. As a new feature this season, one club will consider itself an open club. Under the direction of Suna Gürler, young people can decide from week to week whether to come, stay or leave, come back, fall in love with theatre. This window will be open until January, then the production will be rehearsed with a permanent club team.

The clubs' directing team this season includes:
Club 1 Matthias Nüesch & Nina Tshomba
Club 2 Alina Immoos & Melanie Guntern
Club 3 Suna Gürler & Guests
Club 4 Marta Piras & Julia Skof

We wish all the players and the artistic team a good start as they get to know the theatre together, discuss, improvise, let off steam, sweat and rehearse. Save the club premieres for May 2022 - we are already looking forward to them.

 

15. September 2021
Casting zu Wilhelm Tell

Milo Rau inszeniert Wilhelm Tell. Nun sucht der Regisseur für das Stück mittels Castings diesen Herbst nicht-professionelle Darsteller*innen – und folgt hierfür Tells Spuren in die Innerschweiz. Gesucht werden Bewerber*innen aller Geschlechter, Körper, Alter und Berufe; jeglicher politischer Gesinnung und mit oder ohne Pass; vom Land, aus Dörfern und Städten. Bewerben können sich Interessierte bis am 27. September über tell [​at​] schauspielhaus.ch.

Mehr Informationen

03. September 2021
Dürri am Draht

In einer Lese-Session haben fast 100 Schauspielhaus-Mitarbeitende aus unterschiedlichsten Abteilungen und auch Unterstützer*innen unseres Theaters die beiden Erzählungen «Die Mondfinsternis» und «Das Hirn» von Friedrich Dürrenmatt eingesprochen. Entstanden sind fast 5 Stunden Hörmaterial, welche nun für 15 Tage auf unserer Dürrenmatt-Hotline unter +41 44 258 72 70 Tag und Nacht unbeschränkt und kostenlos angehört werden können.

Mehr Informationen hier

02. September 2021
Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän – Swiss Theatre Production 2020

Es ist bereits die dritte Auszeichnung für Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän: Nach dem 3Sat-Preis und dem Nestroy-Preis wird Alexander Giesches Inszenierung als Schweizer Theaterproduktion 2020 prämiert. Die Eidgenössische Jury für Theater wählte das Visual Poem von Alexander Giesche und Team, nach der gleichnamigen Erzählung von Max Frisch, als herausragende Theaterproduktion 2020 im Rahmen der Verleihung der Schweizer Preise Darstellende Künste 2021 des Bundesamts für Kultur (BAK) aus einer Shortlist mit 22 Produktionen des Schweizer Theatertreffens.

«Mit diesem Preis wird eine Inszenierung gewürdigt, der es gelingt, einen so schwierigen Text wie diesen apokalyptischen Roman von Max Frisch theatralisch mit grosser Wirkung umzusetzen. In einer beispielhaften Verbindung des Wesentlichen mit dem Spektakulären behandelt «Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän» von Giesche, Pfammatter und Reichert Themen von grösster Aktualität wie etwa die angespannte Begegnung zwischen Menschheit und Natur oder die Auflösung von Erinnerung und Identität, ohne dabei in simple Modetendenzen zu verfallen. Die Inszenierung spricht auch die Schwierigkeiten an, die wir derzeit zu bewältigen haben, und erinnert uns gleichzeitig daran, wie wichtig die Hoffnung ist und wie viel Freude uns Spiel, Leichtigkeit und Schönheit bereiten können.» Demis Quadri, Mitglied Eidgenössische Jury für Theater

26. August 2021
«Einfach das Ende der Welt» named Production of the Year

Christopher Rüping's production Einfach das Ende der Welt (It’s Only the End of the World) has been named production of the year by the critics of Theater heute. Our ensemble members Benjamin Lillie and Maja Beckmann have also been awarded Actor and Actress of the Year. Both perform in Rüping's production, Beckmann received the award primarily due to her performance in Medea*, directed by Leonie Böhm. This is already the second award from Theater heute for Rüping; in 2019 he was recognised with "Dionysos Stadt" by the Münchener Kammerspiele. Sibylle Berg's "Und sicher ist mit mir die Welt verschwunden" was chosen as play of the year.

Both productions Einfach das Ende der Welt and Medea* were invited to this year's Berliner Theatertreffen. In the season 21/22 we will be reprising both these highly acclaimed productions. In addition, Christopher Rüping is staging Necati Öziri's "correction" of the Ring des Nibelungen in January 2021, where the Wagner’s concealed stories are told. In the Directors Talk with Trajal Harrell, Rüping gives first insights into his new production.

13. August 2021
Season Opening 2021/22

On the 10th of September the new theatre season begins and we are looking forward to seeing you; to share premieres and theatre experiences with you, gathered in one room, all together, at the same time. Advance booking for the season opening and the performances in September begins on Wednesday, 18 August at 11 am.

With Orpheus by Wu Tsang & Moved by the Motion and Kurze Interviews mit fiesen Männern –  22 Arten der Einsamkeit (Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - 22 Kinds of Loneliness), directed by Yana Ross, we open the 21/22 season with two themes that could not differ more from each other: the frequently adapted myth about an attempt at love against all odds and stories on toxic masculinity, written in the dawning 21st century. And yet there is something that connects these pieces: the yearning for impartiality and tenderness, for a different way of looking and being looked at, for a different perspective. Orpheus will be performed in the Schiffbau Box from 10 September and the production by Yana Ross will celebrate its premiere on Saturday, 11 September in the Schiffbau Halle.


With a new production of Der Besuch der Alten Dame (The Visit) by Nicolas Stemann, we open the new season at the Pfauen on 17 September. 65 years after the world premiere at the Pfauen, Stemann brings the Dürrenmatt classic close to the political discourses of the present: a society entangled in guilt, an unpaid bill, a ghost from the past - and the desire to make amends - what other perspective is being claimed today on justice, guilt and atonement (or revenge), on power and powerlessness, being history and becoming the future?


Our updated protective measures allow us to perform for larger audiences again and continue to guarantee safe evenings at the theatre. For the 21/22 season, a Covid certificate is required - meaning you must be vaccinated or tested, or must have recovered from an infection. Until further notice, masks are also mandatory - both these measures are also applied at the Opera House and the Tonhalle, with whom this policy has been coordinated. We are also reducing the occupancy of the performances to two-thirds of our full capacity. As a result, we can seat you and your companion directly next to each other if you wish, while maintaining a distance between you and other members of the audience.

28. June 2021
Theatre Holidays 2021:
28 June – 8 August

Dear Audience,

We are on summer break from June 28 to August 8 and are very much looking forward to opening the new season on 10 September with Orpheus in the Schiffbau Box, Kurze Interviews mit fiesen Männern – 22 Arten der Einsamkeit in the Schiffbau Hall (premiere: September 11) and with Der Besuch der alten Dame (premiere: September 17).

Advance sales for the September season opening and the sale of our subscriptions start on 18 August. All info on the new season can be found at 2122.schauspielhaus.ch.

For urgent matters, we can be reached at mitteilung [​at​] schauspielhaus.ch.

We wish you a relaxing summertime and are looking forward to seeing you soon.

Best,

Your Schauspielhaus

16. June 2021
Season Preview 21/22

Our season preview 20/21 is here! Schauspielhaus in-house directors Alexander Giesche, Suna Gürler, Trajal Harrell, Yana Ross, Christopher Rüping, Nicolas Stemann, Wu Tsang, and co-artistic director Benjamin von Blomberg will take you along into the productions of the new season in eight conversations.

We will start the new season on 10 September. We are planning 17 premieres, including a silent film accompanied by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (ZKO), two choreographies, a visual poem and three world premieres at the Pfauen and the Schiffbau and, for the first time, at the Kunsthalle Zürich. In addition, we are showing eleven productions as reruns.

28. May 2021
Open-air events at the Schauspielhaus in June

Now that we’re thankfully experiencing a drop in the number of Covid cases, we are delighted to be able to welcome 100 visitors to each performance at Pfauen and the Schiffbau from June onwards. Some of our June events will be taking place outdoors, on the square in front of the Schiffbau, in the Schiffbau Atrium and at Lake Zurich.

High on Hope: First youth club premiere

Thanks to the current easing of restrictions, young people are also allowed to perform in front of audiences again. Club 4 invites you to the premiere of High on Hope (safe space maybe guaranteed): a silent disco to be held on the Schiffbauplatz. Although dancing along won’t be permitted as the audience is required to remain seated, the performance will nonetheless create the opportunity for a collective dive into a parallel world of clubbing and utopia amid everyday street life.

Everything Has Seasons and Schauspielhaus Lake Zurich

With Everything Has Seasons, the Gartenfest in the Schiffbau and Schauspielhaus Lake Zurich, the month of June will also see plenty of performances being held outdoors. The flowering garden in the Schiffbau Atrium will be transformed into an open-air cinema for the first three weeks of June, before being turned into a venue replete with concerts, performances, workshops and readings in the last weekend of June. Open Schiffbau will be taking place in cooperation with the Riff Raff and Houdini cinemas, as well as Bad Bonn.

Ahoy & goodbye: the Corona passion play will be setting sail on the Corona passion boat from 9-13 June and performing a final concert on 24 June at Pfauen. Processions, street concerts, impromptu performances both on dry land and on water, and a concert in the Kirche Kilchberg on Sunday 13 June at 5pm. We’ll be keeping a more detailed programme updated on our website.

Not all performances will be held in the open air: safely ensconced under the roofs of Pfauen and the Schiffbau, or in your own home, several shows and presentations will be taking place from 1-27 June. We will be showing Spring Awakening, AFTERHOUR and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. On 5 June, Pfauen will be opening with Open Haus: the major festival for the Zurich University of the Arts. The programme will be continually updated on our website.

09. April 2021
Frühlings Erwachen
wins Youth Play Prize at the Heidelberg Stückemarkt

The Youth Play Prize of the 38th Heidelberger Stückemarkts goes to author Lucien Haug for Frühlings Erwachen, directed by Suna Gürler. Congratulations! The festival will take place from 30 April to 9 May 2021 and for the first time in its history in digital form. It provides insight into the "broad spectrum of aesthetics and forms of contemporary German-language spoken theatre". On 6 May 2021, Frühlings Erwachen will be streamed live from the Pfauen as part of the Heidelberg Stückemarkt. In addition to Lucien Haug, the authors Julia Fischer and Matthias Köhler for Movie Star and Annette Müller for Harder, Faster, Stronger were nominated for the Youth Play Prize. The Youth Play Prize includes an invitation to the Mühlheim Theatre Days 2022.

31. March 2021
Das Weinen (Das Wähnen) invited to the 8th Schweizer Theatertreffen

Christoph Marthaler, Related Artist of the Schauspielhaus Zürich, has been invited to the Swiss Theatertreffen 2021, which will be held from 5 to 9 May, with his production Das Weinen (Das Wähnen). A total of nine Swiss productions were selected for this year’s edition. "It is of great importance to us to provide a platform to the multi-layered Swiss theatre scene, which could only be realised under difficult conditions in 2020", write the artistic co-directors of the Swiss Theatertreffen Thierry Loup and Julie Paucker about this year's selection of plays.

30. March 2021
Faust I performs at the Fraumünster

The Schauspielhaus Zürich makes a guest appearance at the Fraumünster Church at Easter: on Saturday with scenes from Faust I at the Easter Vigil at 10 p.m., on Sunday with short Faust scenes during the three Easter Sunday services. According to Niklaus Peter, pastor at the Fraumünster, the Holy Saturday and Easter scene from Faust I fits right into the middle of the service. "It is so multi-layered, so well observed and thought through, so ravishingly put into dialogue and so convincing in Nicolas Stemann's production". The Easter Vigil on Saturday, 3 April is free of admission charge and limited to 50 people. Registration via Fraumünster. The Easter service on Sunday at 1 pm with readings from Faust I by Sebastian Rudolph will be streamed live via Altstadt-Kirchen-Live.

Nach Ostern erscheint zudem das neue Musik-Album von Nicolas Stemann mit den Songs der Corona-Passionsspiele.

08. March 2021
Schauspielhaus x Shedhalle: «We all move together»

The Schauspielhaus Zürich is once again exhibiting the video installation The Show's Over by Wu Tsang, Tosh Basco & Moved by the Motion on the Pfauenbühne from 11-14 March. The film also runs as part of the Shedhalle programme "Proto-Club: We all move together", which gives space to the longing for the physical experience of music and shared movement. Equipped with the legendary Function One Speaker System, the Shedhalle exhibits video works by artists who are located at the intersections of social movement and queer club culture. From 12-21 March, several projects from the Schauspielhaus cosmos will be on show at the Shedhalle as part of this programme, such as the video Just a Touch - Nguzungu (aka Asma Maroof & Daniel Pineda) directed by Josh Johnson, which will be shown as a world premiere at the opening on 12 March at the Shedhalle, and Into a Space of Love by Wu Tsang (2018).

03. March 2021
Partial and Gentle opening in March

Gently – just as the theme of the Tender Talks, and cautiously we venture back. In February, after a joint decision-making process in the house, we deliberately refrained from rehearsals, live performances, contacts and mobility in order to support the containment of the pandemic. Now we are looking forward to the partial and gentle phase of opening from mid-March. We are resuming the Streamy Thursday format and are temporarily transforming the Pfauen into an exhibition space.

Also in March, we will once again be reporting live every Thursday evening. On 4 March, in-house director Wu Tsang and twelve members of the ensemble will give an insight into the production Moby Dick, which will premiere at the Pfauen next season, with a first table read live on Zoom. "You can tell that something very special is in the works," writes Stefan Busz in Züritipp about Moby Dick by Wu Tsang.

On 18 March we will be streaming again live for the first time and with Medea* by Leonie Böhm one of our two productions that have been invited to this year's Theatertreffen. On 27 March we will be broadcasting TriOlogie by the string trio Elodie Théry, Meredith Kuliew and Anna Mikolasek from the still empty Pfauen as part of the Open Haus series.

In March, however, the Pfauen is already partially open again. From 11-14 March we are showing the video installation The Show's over in a loop. A film by Wu Tsang and Moved by the Motion, inspired by the poem "come on, get it" by Fred Moten and the "Report from Occupied Territory" by James Baldwin, which explores underground currents of resistance and the politics of (in)visibility. From 13 to 28 March, Lena Schwarz, both member of the ensemble and visual artist, invites you to the Pfauen: Together with the Polish painter Krzysztof Gruse (Bochum/Bydgoszcz) and the Swiss artist duo Schumacher/Clavadetscher, she is creating Traumkapelle II, an installation in the Kammer, embedded in sound tracks by Michael Neuenschwander and Christian Szyska.

We will continue the Tender Talks every second Thursday evening in March. On 11 March, drag meets discourse: Vaginal Davis and Carolin Emcke meet for the third edition of Tender Talks. During Tender Talk #4 on 25 March, Mithu Sanyal chats with Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens.

The Theatertreffen production Einfach das Ende der Welt (It’s Only the End of the World) by Christopher Rüping will hopefully also play a role again soon, when our stages reopen for theatre performances. If the situation allows, we will resume our performance schedule from 10 April. We look forward to seeing you!

23. February 2021
“School of Resistance” Livestream with Milo Rau

In the last week of February 2021, the Akademie der Künste, Berlin presents the cinematic work of Milo Rau, related artist of the Schauspielhaus Zürich, as part of the livestream debate series School of Resistance. In cooperation with Milo Rau and the IIPM (International Institute of Political Murder) we are streaming the first four days of the event on our website. From 24 to 27 February 2021, we are broadcasting the discussions live from the Akademie der Künste after the film screenings. Amongst others, Orest in Mosul (2020) and The Congo Tribunal (2017), which have also been shown at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, will be screened.

In search of strategies of resistance, Milo Rau founded together with the IIPM and the NTGent the globally networked “School of Resistance” as a livestream debate series. How can art react to states of crisis? How can it make its contribution to strategies of resistance? Activists and artists discuss art as a transformative, reality-creating practice and question aesthetic practices of resistance, prerequisites of global art production, as well as the artistic strategies of the IIPM.

09. February 2021
Einfach das Ende der Welt and Medea* invited to the Theatertreffen 2021

Two productions by the Schauspielhaus Zürich have been invited to the 58th Berliner Theatertreffen: Einfach das Ende der Welt after Jean-Luc Lagarce, directed by Christopher Rüping (premiere: 3 December 2020, Schiffbau-Halle ) and Medea* after Euripides, directed by Leonie Böhm (premiere: 19 September 2020, Schiffbau-Box). This is the fourth time Rüping has been invited to the Theatertreffen, but the first time with a production by the Schauspielhaus Zürich. We are very delighted and offer our sincere congratulations to our two in-house directors!

Between 27 January 2020 and 5 February 2021, the Theatertreffen’s jury discussed a total of 285 productions from 60 cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 531 votes were received and a total of 26 productions were recommended and discussed . Of these, the jury nominated ten "remarkable productions of an extraordinary and challenging theatre year" to invite to the Theatertreffen.

In addition to a digital festival edition in May 2021, various festival scenarios are currently in the planning stage. Details on the organisation of the 58th Theatertreffen will be communicated in March. Every year at the Theatertreffen, the Berlin Theatre Prize of the Stiftung Preussische Seehandlung, the 3sat Prize and, at the end of the festival, the Alfred Kerr Performers' Prize are awarded.

Press Release, Theatertreffen 2021: The Selection of 10

02. February 2021
Letter from Benjamin von Blomberg

Dear Audience,

Once again, a new era has begun. Here in Switzerland the measures to contain the coronavirus have been tightened, too, and working from home has once again been strongly encouraged. So, unless it is absolutely necessary to go to your workplace, everyone should stay at home if possible. And even though it would be possible for us to continue rehearsing and producing, and to continue playing shows behind closed doors and streaming them live, we have decided not to do it. As painful as it is: for you but also for us.

In particular, the live streaming of selected performances every Thursday has created the closeness that we all crave right now: to be physically separated but at least connected in a shared time of experiencing. The expectations we had for these live-streamings were high: four cameras and live editing by the directors themselves; it was essential to emphasise the liveness, and, thus, also the flawed and the raw, the aura of: all this is happening right now, in this moment, with you. And for you. We are really happy that experimenting with this form has been worthwhile and so fulfilling for everyone involved.

But now, according to most of our fellow workers, it needs to be about reducing contacts and limiting mobility. And this is what we're doing: in February, we're pausing the live streaming, we're halting most of the production ---

--- But this does not mean that we will not remain “resolvedly open”. It means that we will continue to meet you live at least every Thursday. The way in which we will contact you will be decided and organised whilst we are working from home. Connected to all the other homes that are trying to network and stay together, we will continue to remain close to you, create and explore intimacy, emphasise and practise community.

This Thursday, our 8 in-house directors will kick things off. The author Tobi Müller will be in conversation with them and help them define their positions, their thoughts about time and their art. On Thursday, 11 February, the new series of talks “Tender Talks” continues; connecting people who wouldn't necessarily have sat down together at a (virtual) table, who, nonetheless, are happy to engage with each other, allowing themselves be unsettled. Gently framed by our dramaturgy that curates this series of talks.

We look forward to seeing you. Take care of yourself.

Cordially,

Your Benjamin von Blomberg, co-artistic director

29. January 2021
Dekalog wins Zebra Award in Beijing

As part of the Beijing Fringe Festival, Dekalog by Christopher Rüping received the Zebra Award in the category Best International Play this Friday.

At the end of October 2020, three selected episodes were streamed with Chinese subtitles within the official festival programme: DEKALOG V – DU SOLLST NICHT TÖTEN with Matthias Neukirch, DEKALOG VII – DU SOLLST NICHT STEHLEN with Maja Beckmann DEKALOG VIII – THOU SHALT NOT LIE with Josh Johnson, followed by a live chat with Christopher Rüping.

Dekalog-Recap, Folgen 1–9

28. January 2021
Wu Tsang, Tosh Basco and Trajal Harrell at the E.A.T.

Our in-house directors Wu Tsang and Trajal Harrell, as well as ensemble member and artist-in-residence Tosh Basco, are participating in the E.A.T/Engadin Art Talks, which are held for the eleventh time this year. The renowned forum & festival for art, architecture, design, film, science, literature and performance is hosted in Zuoz at the end of January each year, with a new theme determining the framework of the talks.

Under the aspect of the E.A.T. theme "Longue Durée", Wu Tsang and Tosh Basco talk to Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries, about their current projects. In conversation with Kunsthalle Director Daniel Baumann, Trajal Harrell provides insight into his latest choreography "The Deathbed of Katherine Dunham", which will premiere at Kunsthalle Zürich in late spring, if the Covid-19 situation allows.

The free "Longue Durée" live stream will take place on 30 January from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The individual talks and presentations will be held in English and will also be available later.

07. January 2021
Programme Preview January 2021

After four successful live-streams in December 2020 with a total of around 2500 sold admissions and a much higher number of viewers, we are continuing to experiment with the live-stream format. In January, we will be broadcasting four selected Schauspielhaus productions live from our Pfauen and Schiffbau venues as part of "Streamy Thursday - Theater zu Haus", as well as two new "Open Haus" productions on the Pfauenbühne.

Streamy Thursday
7 January 2021 «Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän», Staging: Alexander Giesche
Following the 3sat recording of the multi-award-winning production, there will be a live post-show discussion (free of charge) at 9 p.m. about proliferating knowledge, cosmology and artistic practices. Thomas Strässle, President of the Max Frisch Foundation at ETH Zurich, and Helga Lutz, Professor of Image and Art History of Modernism at Bielefeld University, will discuss. Moderated by Joshua Wicke (dramaturge, Schauspielhaus Zurich). (No English subtitles)
14 January 2021 «Frühlings Erwachen», Staging: Suna Gürler.
21 January 2021 «Corona Passionsspiele» by und with Nicolas Stemann & ensemble, Vol. 3 (Winter-Edition). New songs!
28 January 2021 «Früchte des Zorns» by John Steinbeck, Staging: Christopher Rüping.

Open House at Home
As of January, the "Open Haus" productions will be streamed live from the Pfauen.Stand-up comedian Johannes Dullin will kick things off on Sunday, 17 January on the Pfauenbühne, followed by "Im Bett", a chamber play by the Chilean author Matias Bizet, staged by Lisa Violetta Gass on Friday, 29 January 2021. (No English subtitles)

11. December 2020
CANCELLED:
No shows with audience until 22 January 2021.

Unfortunately, we have to close the doors to our theatres again. Following the Federal Council’s decision of 11 December 2020, all performances with an audience present in the auditorium are cancelled until 22 January 2021.

New opening hours at the box office
From 18 to 27 December, we are taking a break. From 28 December, the employees of the box office can be called or e-mailed from Tuesday to Friday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The counters in Pfauen and Schiffbau will remain closed until further notice.

Streamy Thursday: Theatre at Home
On Thursdays, chosen productions will be live-streamed to your living room. The streamings are accessible on our website and require a fee. You decide how much you want to pay We offer three different price categories: 5 CHF, 15 CH and 30 CHF. Tickets for the live-streams are available on the Monday of each performance week starting at 7 p.m.

Stay connected with us
We also recommend that you sign up for our weekly newsletter (in German), so you always receive the latest information on our scheduled shows. We also keep you up to date on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and in our journal articles.

We already miss you!

Cordially,

Your Schauspielhaus Zürich

27. November 2020
Streamy Thursday:
Theatre at Home

Starting next Thursday, we will make our productions available to a larger audience through our series "Streamy Thursday - Theatre at Home" and, thus, start experimenting with the format of broadcasting live: once a week, on Thursdays, chosen productions will be live-streamed. "We want to provide as much of an intense and special theatre experience as possible. Whether that will be better than Netflix - nonsense, of course not! Some of our in-house directors don't really agree with this idea. But, for now, we’ll start gathering experience: we’ll see! I'm really excited," says Benjamin von Blomberg.

The shows are live-streamed from several cameras and the director of each production will take charge of overseeing the various camera shots. Suna Gürler will kick off with Frühlings Erwachen on 3 December 2020 at 8 p.m., and the following Thursday, Leonie Böhm will explore in front of an audience what streaming could mean for her production Leonce and Leonce. On the 17th of December, we’ll broadcast Einfach das Ende der Welt, staged by Christopher Rüping, who recently streamed his production Grapes of Wrath live from the Pfauen to the Baltic House Festival in St. Petersburg, and experimented with the broadcast format in Dekalog, his theatre production for digital space.

20. November 2020
OPEN CALL:
Open Haus, Open Night
Your Pfauen?

The Schauspielhaus continues to perform. Also for 50 people. Being aware of our privilege and our possibilities, and also of the artistic diversity of this city, we are opening the stage in the Pfauen for external productions from theatre, music, literature, dance, performance, comedy. Do you have a production to present but no venue? Have you lost the source of your income? Or are you battling homesickness for the stage?

Enter the Open Call now. What you offer: a ready production that you can show without any further in-house rehearsals or major stage effort. What we offer: a performance slot in the evening, an empty proscenium, sound, light, stagecraft. Does that sound good?

17. November 2020
New: Advance Booking Now Weekly

Due to the current challenges in creating a schedule, we are only selling tickets for the shows of one week, for 50 visitors per show. Now, advance booking starts every Thursday morning at 11 a.m. for shows two weeks later. This allows us to respond to short-term changes in the agenda. 

You can find a preliminary preview of the planned shows in our web calendar. We also recommend that you sign up for our weekly newsletter (in German) or our monthly English newsletter, so you always receive the latest information on our scheduled shows. We also keep you up to date on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and in our journal articles. We look forward to staying in touch with you and to seeing you soon at Pfauen and the Schiffbau.

10. November 2020
König der Frösche is postponed
to season 21/22

On Saturday, 14 November, our first premiere for 50 visitors was supposed to be the world premiere of Nicolas Stemann's King of Frogs. However, due to illness in the artistic direction team during the final rehearsals and in consideration of the uncertain circumstances and further developments concerning Covid-19, we have decided to postpone the production to the new 2021/22 season.

The anarchic fairytale comedy thrives on the resonance of the people in the auditorium, which is another reason for the postponement to next autumn. Everybody who has already purchased a ticket will be contacted by us within the next few days. Instead of King of the Frogs, the Pfauen hosts this November the "Assembly for a Frog", a reading for young and old with campfire music, an improvised evening with characters from King of the Frogs.

28. October 2020
Yes, we’ll continue performing
for 50 visitors

"It is marvellous to sit in the Pfauen again and let yourself be carried away by this energy," wrote journalist Daniel Binswanger the day before yesterday in the Republik. However, just one day later we were faced with a difficult decision due to the Federal Council's severe new measures in order to bring the pandemic under control: can, want, should we perform when, from Thursday 29 October 2020, only 50 people are allowed in the auditorium and the number of Covid-19 cases are rising rapidly?

Yes, we want to continue performing for you. We want to make it possible for you to go to the theatre, especially in these times. Since we expect this measure to be in place for quite some time, we will continue to perform for you - with a protection concept that is tried and tested, as long as the situation will permit us to do so. "We are convinced that our audience is grateful for moments where it can experience other realms of emotions and thoughts. And we have a protection concept that allows us to do so. Thanks to subsidies from the city of Zurich, additional Corona financial support from the federal government and the canton, and also thanks to our loyal partners, foundations and patrons, we can overcome this difficult situation and still offer you a programme. We are very grateful for this," as the artistic directors Benjamin von Blomberg and Nicolas Stemann stated.

22. October 2020
The Congo Tribunal «Kolwezi Hearings»

The Congo Tribunal is in session on Sunday at the Schauspielhaus Zürich - a world economic court of civil society initiated by Milo Rau. The debate, mainly held in English, can be witnessed online – the live broadcast will be streamed on the Facebook pages of both the Schauspielhaus and the International Institute of Political Murder.

12. October 2020
Next Chapter Corona Passion Play Vol. 2

14 weeks of lockdown, 14 Songs = 1 Passion Play: In spring, Nicolas Stemann wrote and composed the Corona Passion Play as a musical pandemic diary; on 26 June, its premiere, in collaboration with the ensemble band, was also the first performance in the Schiffbau-Halle after the reopening. From 15 October it continues... And the title of the autumn edition: Vol. 2.

04. October 2020
Nestroy Prize 2020 for
Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän

At the Nestroy Gala 2020 in Vienna, our in-house director Alexander Giesche and the Schauspielhaus Zürich were awarded the Nestroy 2020 in the category Best Performance in the German-speaking region for the production Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän - a visual by Alexander Giesche after Max Frisch. The gala was broadcast by ORF 3 television.

01. October 2020
Früchte des Zorns (The Grapes of Wrath):
Live Broadcast and final shows

Christopher Rüping's production Früchte des Zorns will be broadcast live from the Pfauen of the Schauspielhaus Zürich to the Baltic House Theatre Festival in Russia on Sunday 11 October, as the production cannot travel to St. Petersburg due to the pandemic - a live broadcast premiere for us.

The second performance of Früchte des Zorns on Theatermontag, 12 October, will be this production’s final performance in Zurich, which premiered almost a year ago at the Pfauen, on 25 October 2019. We are delighted that this production was part of our repertoire; it was an essential part of our opening.

30. September 2020
Schiffbau Bar is open:
Contact details are recorded

Since Wednesday, 30 September, the Schiffbau Bar is again open for our visitors before and after the performances. In a separate area, drinking and eating without masks is allowed, contact details of our guests are recorded. Outside the marked bar area, in the foyer and in all interior rooms of the theatre, visitors and employees of the Schauspielhaus Zürich are required to wear masks.

28. September 2020
Future day 2020

Due to the protective measures because of Covid-19, we have decided to cancel the Future Day this year. If you have any questions, please contact Manuela Runge, Co-Head of Theatre Pedagogy: Theatre & School: manuela.runge@schauspielhaus.ch, 044 258 75 62.

We still have fond memories of last year's Future Day: Impressions 2019.

And we are already looking forward to the Future Day 2021!

15. September 2020
Congratulations:
Man in the Holocene nominated for Nestroy Prize 2020

Alexander Giesche, in-house director at the Schauspielhaus Zürich, has been nominated for the Vienna Theatre Prize Nestroy in the category Best Performance in the German-speaking region with Man in the Holocene. In the same category also in-house director Leonie Böhm with Räuberinnen has been nominated, a production by Münchner Kammerspiele. Our related Artist Chrisoph Marthalter wins the Nestroy for his life work. We celebrate!

10. September 2020
Showcase Trajal Harrell

To open the season, choreographer Trajal Harrell will take to the stage at Pfauen. From 12-18 September, he will be showing his solo performance The Return of La Argentina, the lecture-performance The Conspiracy of Performance with Perle Palombe and the world premiere of The Köln Concert for six dancers: Trajal Harrell responds to the physical distance rules forthe stage with a plan he has been pursuing for years: achoreography to Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert, the mostsuccessful piano solo recording of all time. It is a matterof learning anew, of making theatre. Dance. In front ofan audience. With distance and caution. But not withany less devotion.

17. August 2020
Season 2020/21: Advance Booking and Protection Concept

We are back from the theatre break and are looking forward to welcoming you to the Pfauen and Schiffbau from 12 September! At the beginning of June, we presented our pre-season-speculation for the season 20/21, which was developed during lockdown. But enough speculation: advance booking for the new extraordinary Schauspielhaus season starts today. And rest assured, even if there is laughter, singing, shouting and cheering in the theatre, you can feel safe when you visit the Schauspielhaus. We are not merely interested in being able to trace who has come into contact with a person who has been infected with Covid-19 during a theatre visit - our primary goal is to prevent infections and make an outing to the theatre possible for everyone.

If you have any questions about our protection concept, our subscriptions and the productions of the new season, please contact the box office:

044 258 77 77 / Theaterkasse@schauspielhaus.ch.

See you soon!

Cordially
Your Schauspielhaus Zürich

 

26. June 2020
Theatre holidays 2020

Wir wünschen Ihnen und uns eine erholsame Sommerpause.

In der ersten Spielzeit unter der neuen Intendanz von Benjamin von Blomberg und Nicolas Stemann feierten wir ein fünftägiges Eröffnungsfestival, erste gemeinsame Premieren, die ersten Einladungen zum Berliner und Schweizer Theatertreffen, im Schiffbau Atrium ist unser erster Theatergarten entstanden und dann hat der Lockdown unsere Pläne über den Haufen geworfen. Im Juni wurden erste vorsichtige Schritte in ein Danach gewagt.

Nun stehen unsere ersten Theaterferien an: Vom 29. Juni bis am 10. August ist das Schauspielhaus Zürich in den Ferien. Tickets für die Spielzeit 2020/2021 sind ab dem 17. August 2020 auf schauspielhaus.ch oder an unserer Theaterkasse erhältlich.

In dringenden Notfällen sind wir über mitteilung [​at​] schauspielhaus.ch erreichbar.

Wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch ab dem 12. September - persönlich im Pfauen und im Schiffbau!

08. June 2020
Wir spielen weiter

Wir freuen uns, nach all den Wochen der Corona-bedingten Spielpause endlich wieder live und in unseren Theatern spielen zu können – und wollen Sie deshalb im Juni mit gleich drei Premieren bei uns willkommen heissen: Compostion (vor) IV und The Show's Over von Wu Tsang sowie die Corona-Passionsspiele von Nicolas Stemann!

Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier.

 

27. April 2020
Wir gratulieren:
3sat-Preis für Alexander Giesche und Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän

Das Theatertreffen gab heute bekannt, dass Alexander Giesche, Hausregisseur am Schauspielhaus Zürich, für seine Inszenierung Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän den mit 10.000 Euro dotierten 3sat-Preis erhält.

17. April 2020
Coronavirus: Bis am 8.6. alle Vorstellungen abgesagt

In accordance with the instructions of the Federal Council, the management of the Schauspielhaus Zurich has decided to cancel all theatre performances up to and including 8.6.2020. In addition, for your own and our protection, the house will be completely closed until and including 26th April.

28. January 2020
Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän got invited to the 57. Berliner Theatertreffen

Wir freuen uns riesig: Die Inszenierung Der Mensch erscheint im Holozän von Alexander Giesche wurde zum 57. Berliner Theatertreffen eingeladen.

28. January 2020
Geschäftsbericht 2018/19

Anlässlich der Generalversammlung vom 28. Januar 2020 veröffentlicht die Schauspielhaus Zürich AG die Zahlen der Spielzeit 2018/19: 136’127 Zuschauer*innen besuchten die insgesamt 585 Veranstaltungen des Schauspielhauses.

09. November 2019
We congratulate:
Maja Beckmann wins the FAUST-Award

Maja Beckmann wins for her performance in Dionysos Stadt in the category Actor Play.  

17. September 2019
We congratulate: Sybille Berg is nominated for the Swiss Book Prize

Sibylle Berg has been shortlisted for the Swiss Book Prize together with Simone Lappert, Tabea Steiner, Alain Claude Sulzer and Ivna Žic.

04. September 2019
New: Four Youth Clubs at the Schauspielhaus Zürich

From September 2019 onwards, the Schauspielhaus Zürich offers four weekly youth clubs for all performance-enthusiasts between the ages of 13 and 23.

28. August 2019
We congratulate: Christopher Rüping is Director of the Year, Nils Kahnwald is Actor of the Year

This year’s critics poll of the theatrical journal Theater Heute has elected Christopher Rüping as Director of the Year for his production “Dionysos Stadt with 14 votes. Nils Kahnwald was named Actor or the Year with 6 votes, whilst Maja Beckmann ranks third in the female category.