Theatertreffen 2019

The Berlin Theatertreffen is truly an Olympic event of German-language theatre. The festival invites the ten most remarkable theatre productions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland to Berlin in May every year.

The members of the Theatertreffen jury, Margarete Affenzeller, Eva Behrendt, Wolfgang Höbel, Andreas Klaeui, Dorothea Marcus, Christian Rakow and Shirin Sojitrawalla watched and discussed a total of 418 productions during the past 12 months and made their selection of the ten most remarkable productions:

Das große Heft (The Notebook), based on the novel by Ágota Kristóf
In a version by Ulrich Rasche and Alexander Weise
Directed by Ulrich Rasche, stage design by Ulrich Rasche | Staatsschauspiel Dresden

„Das Internat“ by Ersan Mondtag
Text by Alexander Kerlin and Matthias Seier
Directed by Ersan Mondtag, set and costume design by Ersan Mondtag | Schauspiel Dortmund

„Dionysos Stadt“
Devised and directed by Christopher Rüping | Münchner Kammerspiele

Erniedrigte und Beleidigte (The Insulted and Humiliated)
Based on the novel by Fyodor M. Dostoevsky
Using the Hamburg Poetics Lecture by Wolfram Lotz
Directed by Sebastian Hartmann; stage design by Sebastian Hartmann | Staatsschauspiel Dresden

„Girl From The Fog Machine Factory“
A contemporary story with a magical ending
By Thom Luz, Directed by Thom Luz; stage and lighting design by Thom Luz | Gessnerallee Zürich
A production by Thom Luz and Bernetta Theaterproduktionen in co-production with Gessnerallee Zürich, Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, Kaserne Basel, Internationales Sommerfestival Kampnagel Hamburg, Theater Chur, Südpol Luzern

„Hotel Strindberg“ by Simon Stone based on August Strindberg
Directed by Simon Stone | Burgtheater, Wien & Theater Basel

„Oratorium“ Kollektive Andacht zu einem wohlgehüteten Geheimnis (A collective mediation on a well-kept secret)
By and with Sebastian Bark, Johanna Freiburg, Fanni Halmburger, Lisa Lucassen, Mieke Matzke, Ilia Papatheodorou, Berit Stumpf and the choir of local delegates | HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin
A production by She She Pop in coproduction with HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Festival Theaterformen, Münchner Kammerspiele, Schauspiel Stuttgart, Kaserne Basel, Schauspiel Leipzig, Kampnagel Hamburg, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, FFT Düsseldorf, Konfrontacje Teatralne Festival Lublin and ACT Independent Theater Festival Sofia

„Persona“ by Ingmar Bergman
Directed by Anna Bergmann | Deutsches Theater, Berlin
Co-production with Malmö Stadsteater

„Tartuffe oder das Schwein der Weisen“ Comedy by Peter Licht based on Molière
Directed by Claudia Bauer | Theater Basel

„Unendlicher Spaß“ (Infinite Jest) by David Foster Wallace
Text version by Thorsten Lensing in cooperation with Thierry Mousset and Dirk Pilz
Directed by Thorsten Lensing | Sophiensæle, Berlin
A production by Thorsten Lensing in coproduction with Schauspiel Stuttgart, Schauspielhaus Zürich, Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Kampnagel Hamburg, Theater im Pumpenhaus Münster, HELLERAU – Europäisches Zentrum der Künste, Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and SOPHIENSÆLE

Programme and Awards

The Stückemarkt (external link, opens in a new window) has been dedicated to the promotion of contemporary drama since 1978, presenting new plays or already completed theatre projects (2018 was the first year in which invitations were issued worldwide). Within the International Forum (external link, opens in a new window) young international artists are working on the future of the theatre. A critical coverage of the Theatertreffen is provided by the emerging journalists staffing the TT Blog; the programme TT Kontext serves as an discursive framework for the festival. Each year, several awards are handed out: the Theatre Award Berlin by Stiftung Preußische Seehandlung (since 1988), the Alfred-Kerr-Acting-Award (since 1997) and the 3sat-Award (since 1991).