The Schauspiel Frankfurt is the municipal theatre company for plays in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. It is part of Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt.

History

In the late 1770s the theatre principal Abel Seyler was based in Frankfurt, and established the city's theatrical life. Opened in 1782, the Comoedienhaus (comedy house) was the first permanent venue of the Frankfurt theatre, both plays and opera (drama and opera). Its traditional house, the Schauspielhaus, built in 1902 by architect Heinrich Seeling at the Theaterplatz (now Willy-Brandt-Platz) was destroyed in World War II during an air raid in 1944. In 1926, Brecht's A Respectable Wedding premiered. Main temporary location of the Schauspiel from 1945 to 1963 was the Börsensaal. A new house for opera and play was built at the Theaterplatz, completed in 1963. When Harry Buckwitz was general manager, the ruins of the Schauspielhaus were restructured to house both play and opera. Buckwitz focused on plays by Bertolt Brecht, including the world premiere of Die Gesichte der Simone Machard in 1957. On 31 October 1985, the planned first performance of Fassbinder's Garbage, the City and Death caused a theater scandal. Spectators occupied the stage and prevented the actors from continuing to play. , a new building for the Städtische Bühnen is planned.

Venues

Städtische Bühnen

Schauspiel Frankfurt and Oper Frankfurt are part of the municipal Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt am Main GmbH.

Intendant