Theatergesellschaft Simmerberg

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Theatergesellschaft Simmerberg

Theatergesellschaft Simmerberg e. V.
Founded	1859
Legal form	Registered association (eingetragener Verein)
Member of	Ver­band Baye­ri­scher Ama­teur­thea­ter
Location
Headquarters	Simmerberg
Country	Germany
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Links
Website	theater-simmerberg.de
Social media	Facebook · Instagram
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Theatergesellschaft Simmerberg e. V. is an amateur theatre association in Simmerberg, part of the market town of Weiler-Simmerberg, district of Lindau, Bavarian Swabia, Germany. Its theatre dates back to 1859; since 1990 it has staged a production every two years after Christmas, in recent years mostly operettas and musical comedies (Singspiele).

History

In 1859 the Simmerberg merchant Franz Anton Specht and some local residents performed the first play, Orbasan, in the open air in front of the salt warehouse; further plays followed in the Adler inn, at first without sets or stage and with men playing the female parts. By 1864, when performances moved to the Gasthof Krone, 14 plays had been staged, and by 1884 there were 54; women were then allowed to act. In 1894 the society decided to build its own theatre hall as an extension of the Krone, financed through shares sold to citizens. Modelled in small format on Munich's Gärtnerplatztheater, it had a sinking stage, fly tower and seats for 250 spectators, and opened on 22 October 1895 with Raimund's Der Verschwender. The merchant Hans Wachter led the theatre as chairman, actor and director until his death in 1926; under him the company also performed in Isny, Oberreute and Oberstaufen.

During the Nazi period the district culture office banned one production, and after the Second World War many sets and costumes had been lost. The society was refounded at a meeting of 41 people on 27 January 1946. Der Herrgottschnitzer von Ammergau (1947) drew more than 5,000 spectators and Im weißen Rössl (1952) a record 5,143; between 1900 and 1953 the society staged 38 plays in 455 performances for 95,584 spectators. Frequent productions of Schiller's plays led to the erection of a Schiller monument in Simmerberg.

The ageing theatre hall was closed by the authorities in 1971, and on 29 July 1978 the Gasthaus Krone and the theatre burned down, destroying almost all props, costumes and the society's library; the chronicle books survived. The society moved to the village gymnasium with a transportable stage and restarted in 1979 with Lumpazivagabundus. Conflicts over the use of the gymnasium forced a break from 1982 to 1988, during which a multi-purpose hall with a fixed stage was built. Since 1989 the society has played there; in 1996 it added a spectators' stand, and in 2006 it gained rehearsal and storage rooms in an extension it largely financed.

Repertoire

In its first century the society performed classics such as Schiller's Wilhelm Tell and Die Räuber, Raimund's and Nestroy's magic plays and farces, folk plays such as Der Pfarrer von Kirchfeld, and from the 1950s operettas. Since 1990 it has specialised in operettas, combining music and acting; productions usually run for twelve to fourteen performances with around 3,000 to 3,500 spectators. The premiere traditionally takes place on 26 December.

Productions (incomplete)

Year	Title	Author/composer	Notes
1859	Orbasan		First play, open-air in front of the salt warehouse
1895	Der Verschwender	Ferdinand Raimund	Opening of the theatre hall on 22 October 1895
1902	Alpenkönig und Menschenfeind	Ferdinand Raimund	100th production
1903	Im weißen Rössl
1905	Wilhelm Tell	Friedrich Schiller	William Tell; again in 1924, 17 performances in total
1947	Der Herrgottschnitzer von Ammergau	Ludwig Ganghofer and Hans Neuert	Over 5,000 spectators
1952	Im weißen Rössl	Ralph Benatzky	21 performances, 5,143 spectators (attendance record)
1959	Wenn du Geld hast!		Centenary
1963	Lumpazivagabundus	Johann Nestroy	Director: Josef Lingg
1979	Lumpazivagabundus	Johann Nestroy	120th anniversary; first production in the gymnasium
1980	Johnny Belinda	Elmer Harris	Johnny Belinda; first production directed by Hans-Peter Imgrund
1988	Ewig Dein and Die Scheidung		Two one-act plays with the Trachtenverein
1989	Im weißen Rössl	Ralph Benatzky	First production on the new stage; 12 performances, 2,822 spectators
1990	Der Vogelhändler	Carl Zeller	13 performances, 3,140 spectators
1992	Das Schwarzwaldmädel	Leon Jessel	1992/93; 14 performances, 3,500 spectators
1994	Königin einer Nacht		1994/95; 13 performances, 3,040 spectators
1996	Wiener Gschichten		1996/97; 12 performances, 2,853 spectators
1998	Der fidele Bauer	Leo Fall	1998/99; 13 performances, 3,480 spectators
2000	Maske in Blau	Fred Raymond	2000/01; 12 performances, 3,263 spectators
2002	Tanz ins Glück		2002/03; 12 performances at Christmas and 4 at Easter, 3,158 spectators
2004	Das Feuerwerk	Paul Burkhard	2004/05; 12 performances, 3,186 spectators
2006	Zigeunerliebe	Franz Lehár	2006/07; 13 performances, 3,391 spectators
2008	Sissy		2008/09; 13 performances, 3,485 spectators
2009	Das Piratenschiff		150th anniversary
2010	Frau Luna	Paul Lincke	2010/11
2012	Saison in Salzburg	Fred Raymond	2012/13
2014	Die keusche Susann	Jean Gilbert	2014/15
2016	Die Landstreicher	Carl Michael Ziehrer	2016/17
2018	Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte oder der Geizhals und die Gespenster	after Charles Dickens	2018/19

Venue

From 1895 to 1971 the society had its own theatre hall attached to the Gasthof Krone. Since 1989 it has performed in the gymnasium (Turn- und Festhalle) of Simmerberg, which has a fixed stage and dressing rooms in the basement.

Organisation

Since July 2001 the society has supported the association Salzstrasse with its play about the proclamation of Simmerberg as a market town, performed in front of the salt warehouse.