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28,000 inhabitants, no cinema, one theatre - that's Senftenberg in Lower Lusatia. And what a theatre!
The "Neue Bühne Senftenberg" has been named "Theatre of the Year 2005/06" by 39 independent critics of the trade magazine "Theater heute", alongside the Deutsches Theater Berlin, the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg. The award is a well-deserved reward for the commitment of the entire ensemble headed by artistic director Sewan Latchinian, who has been in charge of the theatre since 2004. He brings world premieres to the small town and launched the annual GlückAufFest, which offers the best entertainment on seven Saturdays with different programmes at several venues - until late at night, with a campfire and breakfast together in the morning.
The "Neue Bühne Senftenberg" emerged in 1990 from the "Theater der Bergarbeiter". This was founded in 1946 in a former gymnasium at the suggestion of the Soviet Colonel Soldatov and was primarily intended for the rapidly growing industrial workforce in the region. Senftenberg lived off lignite in GDR times and today is trying to transform the former open-cast mines into local recreational landscapes.
Esther Schweins introduces the small theatre in Brandenburg and visits one of the artistic director's always sold-out cooking shows. Actress Annekathrin Bürger tells how she met her husband in the theatre and promoted the city on GDR television. The artistic directors Ulf Reiher, Heinz Klevenow and Sewan Latchinian talk about their experiences in the small town. Archive footage shows how the "Theatre of the Miners" lived up to its name in GDR times by bringing miners onto the stage.
Theatrescapes: Neue Bühne Senftenberg
28,000 inhabitants, no cinema, one theatre - that's Senftenberg in Lower Lusatia. And what a theatre!