Chemnitz Theater prepared for the Capital of Culture year 2025

Despite the financially strained situation, Theater Chemnitz believes it is well prepared for the Capital of Culture year 2025. "The program is secured," General Director Christoph Dittrich told the German Press Agency. "There are no reserves, but we will get through 2025 just fine." The staff were enthusiastic about the Capital of Culture right from the start and are looking forward to performing for both regular audiences and international guests. However, the plight surrounding the renovation of the Schauspielhaus, which is likely to be out of action as a venue for some time to come, is causing concern.

Dittrich and his team plan to present the program for the coming season this Thursday. This also includes projects for the Capital of Culture. However, it is already clear that a large open-air production on Theaterplatz will not be staged for cost reasons. Instead, several concerts are to be held there.

The theater, which employs around 420 people, had a large financial gap due to high wage increases, among other things. There was even talk of impending insolvency last year. "At the moment, we are in a stable position," Dittrich now assured. This is because the city and state have once again provided additional money. This means that 2024 and 2025 can be managed "with some effort". What happens after that will depend on the state's next double budget and the evaluation of the Cultural Areas Act, explained the theater director.

After the Capital of Culture year, Chemnitz wants to become the Mecca of the theater scene in 2026. The city will then host the "Theater der Welt" festival, which is held in a different German city every three years. However, the Schauspielhaus will still not be available as a stage. At the end of February, the city announced that the modernization would become considerably more expensive and that the schedule, including the reopening in 2026, could no longer be met. The theater and puppet theater are currently housed in an interim venue. The five-section theater also includes opera, ballet and the philharmonic orchestra.

"This city needs a fully-fledged theater," emphasized Dittrich. The Interim is not a full stage and it takes a lot of creativity and resources to run a theater there. It is clear that the interim will now have to be used for longer than originally planned. Therefore, further improvements will have to be made there. "We will still experience a fantastic "Theater der Welt" festival in the city." In addition to the opera house and the stages in the Spinnbau, museums and the Stadthalle could also be used as venues, as could public spaces. There is experience with the "Tanz Moderne Tanz" festival, for example.