Münchner Volkstheater, or Munich People’s Theater, is a company based in the Bavarian capital and operated by the cultural office of the city government. Its original performing home opened in 1903. This was rebuilt in 1955 and again in 1983. It now can hold over 700 spectators. Since 2002, Christian Stückl has served as the company’s Intendant. A new larger building has started being constructed in Zenetti platz in the former Viehhof on the corner of Tumblinger and Zenettistraße and it is scheduled to open in 2021.
Old building
In 1903, the architects Gerstenecker and Tittrich in the Josephspitalstraße in the district Altstadt-Lehel, designed and built a reinforced concrete constructed building. It opened with Schiller'sKabale und Liebe. It had about 1000 seats. Then actress Elise Aulinger received her first theatre engagement here. The first performance took place on 10 November 1903. The manager initially was actor Ernst Schrumpf. Administratively, Wilhelm Braun assisted him. A report in the Munich Ratsch-Kathl from November 16, 1904, it can be seen that the theater had already gained recognition in Germany a year later. At this time, the 54th play was played at the house. Since 1907, the actor Rolf Pinegger was engaged, who remained loyal to the Volkstheater throughout his life. After the First World War, Ernst Bach was director of the theater. On 25 December 1921, the theatre hosted a performance of Bach and Franz Arnold's farceDer keusche Lebemann. In 1932, Ludwig Schmid-Wildy became the head of the theater, which was still privately run at that time. From 1934 to 1938, Ferdinand Dörfler worked here as an actor, tenant and director. From 1933 to 1941, Willy Rösner belonged to the ensemble of the Volkstheater. It was then destroyed by bombs during World War II.
Rebuilding 1983
The theater was rebuilt in Brienner Straße in 1955, originally as a multi-purpose hall in the 'Haus der Sports'. It was then rebuilt in 1983 as the current Volkstheater and now can hold 609 spectators. Much of the cost of 3.9 million marks was borne by public donations in addition to urban support. At the opening, on 24 November 1983, Ruth Drexel staged the play 'Glaube und Heimat' by Karl Schönherr. The first director was Jörg-Dieter Haas from 1983 to 1988. The ensemble consisted of a group of well-known folk actors. In 1989, the "Nachtkastl", a variable platform pedestal with 120 seats, was added as a further venue. From 1988 to 2002, Ruth Drexel ran the house, interrupted by a short interim period by Hanns Christian Müller from 1998 to 1999. The program included especially the classics of South German-Austrian dialect literature, as well as works by the non-German Volkstheater tradition, but also pieces by Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, Molière, Brecht and others. In 2002, Christian Stückl became artistic director, who became known mainly through his productions of the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1990 and 2000. With a young ensemble and up-and-coming directors, the Volkstheater was able to gain a new profile within the theater scene and at times achieved almost 90 percent seat occupancy. Since 2005, 'Radikal jung' - The Festival of Young Directors takes place once a year. Since 2006, the Munich Volkstheater publishes the magazine "Volksmund" once a year instead of a season magazine. The 2007/08 issue was described as a "ravishingly funny" and a new discovery with a "feuilletonist claim". In 2013, The Kurt Wilhelm's play "Brandner Kaspar and Eternal Life" had its 250th performance with 170,000 visitors. It had its premiere on 30 March 2005 at the Volkstheater. Then by 2019, it had 300 sold-out houses, with an ensemble cast of Maximilian Brückner, Markus Brandl, Susanne Brückner, Ursula Maria Burkhart, Tobias van Dieken, Alexander Duda, Peter Mitterrutzner, Stefan Murr, Hubert Schmid, Hans Schuler, Kathrin von Steinburg and Young Riederinger musicians.
New construction
In December 2017, the winning design for a new building was presented on a total of almost 18,000 square meters in Zenetti platz in 'Viehhof'. Which is about 2000m south of the 1983 theatre, it will have a hall with 600 seats and a workroom stage, as well as a rehearsal stage. The urban jury chose the design planningoffice space to the company Georg Reisch from Bad Saulgau, created by the Stuttgart based architects Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei to an all-inclusive price of just under 131 million euros. By the end of 2020, the rental agreement of the Volkstheater on Brienner Straße and the Bavarian Football Association will expire.
