!!!Theater in der Josefstadt

Theater in der Josefstadt, privately owned theatre in the 8%%sup th/%  
district of Vienna, after the  Burgtheater the oldest playhouse in 
Vienna. Built in 1788 as the smallest of the 3 
"Vorstadttheater" for the middle classes (in addition to 
Theater an der Wien and  Leopoldstaedter Theater), established by the 
actor K.  Mayer, who was director of the theatre until 1812. In 1791 
the theatre was granted a comprehensive imperial sanction to perform 
all types of musical and dramatic theatre, including ballet and 
pantomime. In 1814 F.  Raimund gave his Vienna debut at this theatre 
as Franz Moor in Schiller´s "Die Raeuber". In 1822 the 
building was torn down, rebuilt (façade by J.  Kornhaeusel), 
and reopened, on which occasion the overture "Zur Weihe des 
Hauses", composed and conducted by L. v.  Beethoven was 
performed. Under the directors K. F.  Hensler, his daughter 
J. v. Scheidlin, C.  Carl, and especially J. A. Stoeger, 
mainly opera was performed. In 1834 F. Raimund's "Der 
Verschwender" was premièred, with the playwright in the 
role of Valentin (incidental music by K.  Kreutzer, who was conductor 
of the theatre orchestra from 1833 to 1840). Under the director F. 
Pokorny (1837-1848) the emphasis of the theatre shifted from opera to 
plays (in 1839 the first royalties were paid to playwrights). After a 
period in which the theatre changed hands a number of times, an 
attempt was made in the last third of the 19%%sup th/%  century to run 
it as a "Volkstheater", performing popular plays and local 
farces with songs. Under the director J.  Jarno (1899-1923) the 
theatre presented French and Hungarian farces and light comedies, as 
well as "literary evenings", on which sophisticated 
contemporary dramas (by playwrights such as A. Strindberg, F. 
Wedekind, A.  Schnitzler, K.  Schoenherr, G. B. Shaw, A. Chekhov, 
M. Maeterlinck) were performed, with guest appearances by famous 
actors such as A.  Girardi, L.  Konstantin, I.  Roland, and R.  
Tyrolt. In 1924, following extensive renovation, the theatre was 
reopened under the direction of M.  Reinhardt and achieved world 
renown with leading German-speaking actors (among them P. Hartmann, F. 
 Kortner, W. Krauss, Hugo  Thimig, Hermann  Thimig, Helene  
Thimig-Reinhardt, and Hans  Thimig). In 1925 the  Kammerspiele became 
a branch theatre of the Josefstadt (and has been so until today, with 
one interruption); in 1926 Reinhardt made Emil Geyer director of the 
theatre, and from 1933 O. L.  Preminger was in charge; in 1935 E.  
Lothar took over the theatre, instituting his "Spielplan der 
Dichtung" ("Programme of Literature"), with the object 
of reintroducing classical (and also modern) literary masterpieces to 
the public. From 1938-1945, Reinhardt's former assistant, Heinz 
Hilpert, provided continuity (classical dramas; engagement of V.  
Degischer, A.  Hoerbiger, P.  Wessely); from 1945-1953 R.  Steinboeck 
was director (presenting mainly foreign contemporary dramas). From 
1946-1950, the Josefstadt ensemble performed studio theatre in the 
"Kleines Haus" ("small house") in Liliengasse in 
Vienna´s first district (today "Theater im Zentrum"). 
From 1949 the Kammerspiele was again incorporated, performing light 
comedies (from1951-1953 also the  Buergertheater); in the years 
1951-1977, the director F.  Stoss (1953-1958 and 1972-1977 together 
with E.  Haeusserman, who was committed to Reinhardt´s maxims of 
a repertory theatre centred on its actors and their individual 
creative abilities, increased the size of the ensemble (adding, among 
others, F.  Imhoff, S.  Nicoletti, and E.  Ott), and arranged the 
programme to focus on internationally recognised works and plays by 
Nestroy and Schnitzler. In 1952 season tickets were introduced; in 
1954 the company "Theater in der Josefstadt Betriebsgesellschaft 
m. b. H." was founded; in 1955 Austrian banks purchased 
the theatre; in 1957 the "Kleines Theater im Konzerthaus" 
was set up as a studio stage for experimental theatre, which was taken 
over by D.  Haspel in 1977; from 1977-1984 E. Haeusserman was the sole 
director; Haeusserman presented many works by Schnitzler and 
Horváth and engaged actors such as K. M.  Brandauer, C.  
Juergens, and B.  Wicki); light comedies were performed exclusively at 
the Kammerspiele. After the death of B.  Gobert, Haeusserman's 
designated successor, Heinrich Kraus, who up to then had been managing 
director, assumed the position of provisional director until 1988, 
when the direction was taken over by O.  Schenk and R.  Jungbluth 
(classical Austrian literature - J.  Nestroy, F. Raimund, A. 
Schnitzler - as well as contemporary dramas). By 1987, the expansion 
and renovations of the theatre planned in 1977 had been completed; a 
new, large rehearsal stage, formerly the "Rabenhof" cinema 
in the third district of Vienna, was added as a third stage to be used 
for performances of contemporary critical theatre. In 1997 H.  Lohner 
took over the direction of the theatre from Schenk and in 1999 
Alexander Goetz succeeded R. Jungbluth as managing director.

!Literature
A. Bauer, Das Theater in der Josefstadt zu Wien, 1957; 
B. R. Schimscha, Das Josefstaedtertheater als Opernbuehne, 
doctoral thesis, Vienna 1965; F. Klingenbeck (ed.), Max Reinhardts 
Theater in der Josefstadt, Eines der schoensten Theater der Welt, 
1972; A. Bauer and G. Kropatschek, 200 Jahre Theater in der Josefstadt 
1788-1988, 1988.


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