Theater Plauen-Zwickau thematizes election in new repertoire

The Theater Plauen-Zwickau wants to address the upcoming elections in the coming season and is planning political contributions among the 18 premieres. "Our world is changing. We want to show what power is and what happens when it is abused," said Head Dramaturge Christina Schmidt on Thursday at the presentation of the 2024/2025 schedule, which has the motto "WAS MACHT MACHT". Elections will be held in three eastern German states at the start of the new season, including Saxony.

The drama premieres are set to start on September 21 at the Vogtlandtheater in Plauen with Shakespeare's historical drama "Richard III". "The play about the era of the Wars of the Roses and the decades of fighting fits like a glove," said General Director Dirk Löschner. "It shows what power is, what it's worth and whether you can manage to stay away from it."

Two new productions are only intended for one city in the theater network at a time. A theater project is planned for Zwickau in the local automobile museum: The premiere of "Back to the Future - The Fall of the Four Rings" (September 7) will focus on vehicle construction there.

In Plauen, on the other hand, a play with the working title "Die Vogtlandrevue" is planned for November 9. "This is a critical but affectionate look at the Vogtland region," said Löschner. Both plays are part of a cross-city theater project for Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture.

"EUdaimonía - A Utopian Promise of Bliss", a commissioned work by Tamó Gvenetadze, can also be seen as a contribution to the Capital of Culture year. The focus here is on the power of seduction. "It shows how a promise of salvation can change your whole life," said Löschner. The musical "Anatevka" also deals with the topic of power. "A pogrom takes place on stage, out of an everyday situation."

The ballet also poses the question "WHAT POWER MAKES", said ballet director Sergei Vanaev: "Political power can take various forms, can also be almost invisible and affects everything that manipulates people." The ballet premiere of "The Nutcracker" by Peter Tchaikovsky will be about precisely this. "At the same time, it will still be a fairy tale, with fantastic music and pompous stage design," said Vanaev.