Historical Theatres Exploration Trips

Our Theatres Exploration Trip to Meiningen 09/15/2022 - 09/18/2022

Bye, bye and goodbye Meiningen,

and again the joint theater tour passed far too quickly. Meiningen and the cultural treasures of the ducal town have left their mark and given many participants the idea of planning another visit to the theater city. For 16 years, we found out, the Meininger Theater went on tour in Germany and Europe and it was always full of enthusiasm "The Meiningers are coming". Equipped with the impressions of the theater trip, we now say: "Meiningen, we will come (again)".
The castle with museum and temporary exhibitions, the theatre museum with the unique collection of around 280 theatre decorations from the Meiningen court theatre from the last third of the 19th century, the theatre including theatre tour, a performance and a visit to rehearsals, city tour, meeting with the Meiningen theatre development association and also the tour of the steam locomotive works and time for individual viewing - an all-round exciting program that Klaus Möbus organized perfectly in the usual way.

Thank you, thank you, thank you - and we are happy to be all together again.

IHowever, it is worth reviewing the experiences in Meiningen again - especially with regard to the theatre. The name of Duke George II has made its mark. After all, it was he who, when he took over the regency in 1866, transformed the theater into a playhouse. He was not only a friend and patron, but also a leading artist, directing and designing all the sets and costumes. These were painted in the famous Coburg "Atelier for scenic stage designs". The brothers Max and Gotthold Brückner turned the designs into masterful stage-filling landscape panoramas and atmospheric interior decorations. We got an impression of it during the tour in the theatre museum.

During our visit to the theater we experienced a modern theater that still feels committed to tradition in Erich Wolfgang Korngold's opera "Die tote Stadt" and during the rehearsal of "Kabale und Liebe". Self-confidence is part of trying something new and wanting to bring it to the stage, and so I liked the statement (in essence) at the introduction to the "Kabale" rehearsal: Today we can allow ourselves to say something against the grain to Schiller brush... Be curious about the performance... There will be a need to talk... See you..." And there were definitely discussions - both about the opera and about the "Kabale und Liebe" production. That's right, Opinions matter, discussion is important, but the art is free, often ahead of its time and so diverse that everyone can find their profession.And even if my impressions of the two performances are somewhat conflicting, I'm glad I saw them to have.

Brigitte Krooß