VorAlpentheater

The VorAlpentheater [Pre-Alpine Theatre] is a Swiss theatre association in Lucerne. It was founded in 2008.

The VorAlpentheater serves as an extracurricular offer. It presents itself as a theatre workshop with high pedagogical standards. Their professional team aims to contribute to artistic and aesthetic education in Central Switzerland.

Every year, the association presents five new productions and eight workshop performances developed by their youth drama groups. Additionally, it helps organise the Kinder- und Jugendtheaterfestival in Lucerne and participates in the national Youth Club Meeting “Spiielplätz”.   

The VorAlpentheater collaborates with other theatre companies, including the Theater of Lucerne, the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, and the Literary Center lit*z.

History

The founding fathers of the VorAlpentheater are the actor and director Reto Ambauen and Ferdinand Maeder. After orchestrating a successful exchange between their hometown soccer club and their Russian counterpart in 1998, the two of them were convinced that such cultural exchanges could thrive in the theatrical realm, leading them to establish a theatre association.

When the new construction of the Theater Pavillon Luzern [Theatre Pavillon Lucerne] finished in 2008, it became the VorAlpentheater’s set performance venue. The building contains a theatre auditorium with a cloakroom, three rehearsal rooms, an office, a small stockroom, and a bar with a foyer and a kitchen.

Members  

Currently, more than 160 members are participating in 15 projects. Their ages range from three-year-olds to seniors. The projects are accompanied by around 40 employees plus 40 volunteers.

List of current team members (season 2024/25):

• Yvonne Achermann (Stock Manager)  
• Reto Ambauen (General Director, Creative Director, Drama Group Leader)   
• Emma Ambauen (Evening Supervisor)  
• Leonora Ambauen (Tech Team, Evening Supervisor)  
• Samuel Asal (Evening Supervisor)  
• Gian Leander Bättig (Production Manager, Creative Director)  
• Claudia Berg (Drama Group Leader)  
• Julius Bitter (Lightning Technician)  
• Fiorella Boldini (Evening Supervisor)  
• Kurt Bösch (Author)  
• Hannah Bucher (Graphic Designer)  
• Sandra Dietschi (Director assistant)  
• Simone Eggstein (Graphic Designer)  
• Ruth Egli (Auditor)  
• Alban Fischer (Auditor)  
• Florian Fischer (Board Member)  
• Melinda Giger (General Director of Drama Groups, Drama Group Leader)  
• Bruno Gisler (Tech Team)  
• Gabriel Goncalves (Tech Team)  
• Benjamin Heller (Drama Group Leader)  
• Barbara Imhof (Administrative Director)  
• Sylvie Kohler (General Director of Drama Groups, Drama Group Leader)  
• Gilda Laneve (Drama Group Leader)  
• Bernadette Meier (Set Designer)  
• Judith Michel (Actress)  
• Ferdinand Maeder (Board Member)  
• Vicky Papailiou (Drama Group Leader)  
• Silvia Planzer (Speech Coach)  
• Annina Polivka (Creative Director)  
• Luzian Rast / Nikképonk (Musician)  
• Corinne Raschle (Board Member)  
• Christov Rolla (Musician)  
• Johanna Schaub (Drama Group Leader)  
• Zora Schelbert (Editor)  
• Eva Schätti (Communications Director)  
• Elsbet Saurer (Drama Group Assistant)  
• Rita Sommerhalder (Board Member, Controlling)  
• Nina Steinemann (Set Designer)  
• Barbara Stöckli (President of the Board)  
• Kim Emanuel Stadelmann (Drama Group Leader, Creative Director)  
• Tobias Thali (Videographer)  
• Alina Trieblnig (Board Member, Drama Group Leader)  
• Jeanine Ueberschlag (Drama Group Leader)  
• Vertigo (Musicians, Composers)  
• Geraldine Woodford (Drama Group leader)

Repertoire

Recently performed plays and festivals include:

• Der kleine Prinz [The Little Prince], October 2024
• Das perfekte Geheimnis [The Perfect Secret], January & February 2025
• Ränder [Edges], May 2025
• JUTZ – Kinder- und Jugendtheaterfestival [Children’s and Youth Theatre Festival], June 2025
• Neues aus Verona [News from Verona], June & July 2025
• Festival Performage [a performative festival featuring artists aged 60 and above], June 2025