Theatre tradition reborn

In 1996, a theater group was founded on the initiative of Alexander Diener, then chairman of the Heimatverein. It was a long-cherished wish of Diener and association member Jutta Ulrich to revive the theatrical tradition in Schmalnau. After several attempts, enough drama enthusiasts were found and the first play was staged in November 1996. The play was “The Bachelor Wedding”. The actors in the founding year were: Christa Köhler, Bernd Bohl, Dietmar Happ, Marlies Moritz, Leonhard Weber, Jutta Ulrich, Jutta Köhler, Elisabeth Köhler, Alexander Diener, Thorsten Brändlein, Alexander Breitscheidt. Prompters: Claudia Wahl and Elke Frank. The production was directed by Waltraud Bohl. The scenery has been in the hands of Reinhold Reith from the very beginning. With enthusiasm, expertise and a great deal of commitment, he builds the desired stage sets every performance year according to the ideas and designs of the director and acting troupe.

Some of the actors and helpers in front of and behind the stage have been there from the beginning. Others have discovered the hobby of acting and have joined over the years. A core group has formed. But due to the diversity of the individual plays and characters to be portrayed, new actors have to be recruited again and again. However, as professional commitments take up a lot of space in today's society and leisure time is usually taken up with a variety of activities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get people excited about theater so that they can and want to give this hobby as much priority for a certain time of the year as is absolutely necessary.

In addition, amateur theater in general does not usually take place under optimal conditions during preparation, rehearsals and performances. In Schmalnau, this means that the school and sports groups use the multi-purpose hall, where rehearsals and performances also take place, for daily practice sessions, so cooperation and good timing are required, which is always a great challenge for everyone involved.

Contrary to the general trend among amateur theaters in the surrounding area to stage their plays in dialect and usually with a local reference, the Schmalnau theater group has always performed its plays in High German and without any local references. It is characteristic of the troupe to present their plays to the audience according to the content of the play, in the appropriate time periods with elaborately designed stage sets and stylish costumes.

The amateur stage of the HV Schmalnau is constantly striving to optimize its performances and to professionalize its acting as well as the equipment of the actors and the stage design. It is also a great concern of the HV to offer the audience an appealing ambience and to create a theater atmosphere despite the hall character of the performance venue. It is therefore a matter of course for the association to set up a grandstand with seats especially for the performances.

In the current year 2011, 13 actors are on stage, the largest number to date and with 2 stage sets, it is also the biggest challenge to date in terms of stage construction and logistics. The play “Der wahre Jakob” will be performed, a play that shows the stiff, petty bourgeois, oh-so-moral society of the early years of the 20th century and what happens when Mr. City Councillor and his cohorts secretly go over the top. On stage are: Daniel Kreis, Moni Will, Lucina Heil, Leonhard Weber, Claudia Kreis, Rene Moritz, Andreas Kress, Christian Michel, Michael Ruppel, Elke Brändlein, Marlies Moritz, Jasmin Diel, Alexander Breitscheidt.

After 14 years since the founding of the amateur theater group in the HV Schmalnau, it can be said that the resumption and continuation of the tradition of amateur theater in Schmalnau has been successful.