Hermanns-Kasperltheater

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Hermanns-Kasperltheater

Member of	Ver­band Baye­ri­scher Ama­teur­thea­ter
Location
Headquarters	Weiden in der Oberpfalz
Country	Germany
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Links
Website	hermanns-kasperltheater.de
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Hermanns Kasperltheater (also called the Edeldorfer Puppenbühne) is an amateur glove puppet theatre from the Weiden area in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany. Run by Hermann Papacek, who writes the plays and makes the puppets and sets himself, it performs Kasperl plays for children as a touring stage and at a permanent stage in Edeldorf, and an annual puppet version of Der Brandner Kasper for adults.

History

Hermann Papacek and his son Michael began with a small puppet theatre for the children at the St. Ulrich festival of their parish in Wilchenreuth; after a performance at a garden party, the son suggested a more professional approach. Since 1999 the theatre has performed only plays written by Hermann Papacek, with self-made puppets, sets and props; the costumes are sewn by a tailor from Dieterskirchen. His twin brother Johann joined in 2005 for technology, sound and lighting. For its tenth stage anniversary in November 2009 the theatre showed a play for adults for the first time, Der Brandner Kasper, adapted for glove puppets; it has since been performed once a year in Edeldorf and at other venues in the region. In 2016 a new team formed around Hermann and Monika Papacek.

According to the district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab, the theatre's history began with Kasperl und die verzauberte Prinzessin; the plays carry a message, are free of violence, include old folk songs, and use painted sets showing places of the region such as Weiden ("Kasperlhausen"), Wilchenreuth, Burg Leuchtenberg and the Wolfsloh gorge.

Repertoire

By 2026 Hermann Papacek had written more than 30 plays and made more than 80 hand puppets. The theatre's repertoire includes Kasperl im Dinosaurierland, Kasperl und der Flaschengeist, Schlagerstar Kasperlzotti, Ollie, das Glückschwein, Kasperl und die Umwelthexe Dorothea and Der kleine Drache Wendelin. For the district office of Neustadt an der Waldnaab it wrote and performed Kasperls Abenteuer im Naturpark and, from 2010, Kasperls Abenteuer im Lerautal in nurseries, schools and at public events in the Nördlicher Oberpfälzer Wald nature park; for the Edeldorf volunteer fire brigade it wrote Der Feuerteufel, performed on 19 July 2008 before almost 200 spectators.

Venue

Since 2005 the theatre has played regularly in spring, autumn and winter on a permanent stage in the Naturpark-Gaststätte Edelweiß in Edeldorf; as a touring stage it also performs elsewhere, as far as Nuremberg and Manching.

Awards

In 2014 the district of Neustadt an der Waldnaab awarded Hermann Papacek its Ehrenpreis Kultur for his social engagement and his services to cultural life with the puppet theatre.