Munich Kammerspiele
The Munich Kammerspiele (German: Münchner Kammerspiele) is a successful German language theatre in Munich. The Schauspielhaus in the Maximilianstrasse is the major stage.
History
The Munich Kammerspiele was founded in 1906 as a private theatre of Erich Ziegel in Schwabing. Since 1917 Otto Falckenberg served as director and moved the theatre in 1926 into the Schauspielhaus in the Maximilianstrasse which had been constructed by Richard Riemerschmid and Max Littmann in Art Nouveau style in 1901. Since 1933 the theatre has been a municipal theatre of the City of Munich. Since 1961 the Werkraumtheater has served as second stage for the Kammerspiele. In 2001 the new large building by Gustav Peichl with a stage for rehearsals next to the Schauspielhaus was opened.
The directors
Since the 1920s the Kammerspiele has been one of the most important German language theatres, presenting numerous world premieres of works, including those by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Frank Wedekind, and Bertolt Brecht. Bertolt Brecht, Bruno Hübner, Axel von Ambesser, Fritz Kortner, Peter Stein, Franz Xaver Kroetz, Robert Wilson, George Tabori, Erwin Faber, Max Schreck and many others important actors and writers have staged plays there and have been awarded with numerous prices.
The Artistic/Producing Directors of the Kammerspiele
One of the most famous Artistic/Producing Directors (Intendant) of the Kammerspiele was Otto Falckenberg (1917-1944), known as the "mavin of Expressionism" in Germany during the Weimar Republic, was credited with producing and/or directing many important productions at the Kammerspiele, including the first staged play of Bertolt Brecht, Drums in the Night, in 1922, as well as those of Frank Wedekind, August Strindberg, and important productions of William Shakespeare.
Since the end of World War II and beginning in 1945 Erich Engel (1945-1947), Hans Schweikart (1947-1963), August Everding (1963-1973), Hans-Reinhard Müller (1973-1983), Dieter Dorn (1983-2001) and Frank Baumbauer (2001-2009) were managers of the Kammerspiele. In 2010 Johan Simons was appointed artistic director.