How to optimize the mainfranken theater? In view of the declining attendance figures, this question caused extremely controversial discussions between the theater management, the cultural department and the committee members on wednesday evening in the theater committee of the wurzburg city council.
Around 140,000 people currently visit the theater each year. In the early 1990s, the number was still 200,000. The committee is concerned about the poor box-office takings of less than 50 percent for some productions in the big house.
CSU and FDP members interpreted the sometimes very poor occupancy rates as the public’s acknowledgement of a theater management that accepts all too daring artistic ideas. The controversial staging of the operetta "the merry widow" was the focus of criticism as well as the play "no sparer land". That a popular operetta, of all things, has been "deformed" to the point of unrecognizability she has been frustrated by the public. "People are wondering what will be defaced next.", said CSU councillor dr. Christine botsch. A statement that met with sharp criticism from director hermann schneider: "i won’t stand for pieces being ‘defaced’ at our stadium."
Another sentence from botsch caught the eye of the theater boss. The city councilwoman had appealed, not only "for a limited number of intellectual people" making theater. In view of 140,000 spectators, there can be no question of that, says schneider. According to him, the theater is not interested in "only for a handful of intellectuals" to produce: "we are eager for success." Which is to be understood however also artistically, not exclusively quantitatively: "we have a cultural order. It can’t be our sole aim to fill the house."
There is no doubt in hermann’s mind that it is a great challenge to work in the "resonance space wurzburg" making theater.
In view of the deep crisis of meaning in which the catholic church found itself in 2010 due to the uncovered abuse trap, the production team of the stucco "kein schoner land" built provocative scenes, satirizing the church, in her play. According to schneider, he received "dozens of letters from emporters" in the work committee christian theater-goer presented with a gift. The city councillors, on the other hand, wondered why schneider allowed plays with such scenes to be shown at all. "My job is to make art possible", stressed the intendant, about this contract extension after 2013 was discussed after the public meeting not openly. "I am not the highest censorship authority."
Loyal soccer fans are always on hand to support their club, interjected wurzburg’s cultural officer muchtar al ghusain: "there can also be a home defeat once in a while. The fans nevertheless continue to believe in their team." So, he wished, the theater fans from wurzburg and the surrounding area should also attend "their" theater mainfranken theater "believe.
The fact that there can be positive or negative surprises at every performance is due to the character of the theater: "theater is not an industrially manufactured product." That the artistic ideas of the production team sometimes do not coincide with those of the viewer, to this "risk" every visitor must accept.
Without any further objections, the tragedies, operas and ballet performances planned for the new season were then announced. Under the motto "macht spiele" in 2012/2013 there will be ten productions in the music theater, four drama productions in the main theater, five plays in the kammerspiele, two children’s plays and one classroom play. In addition, the program for the new season includes several concerts, the theater festival and the children’s and youth theater days. There will also be a poetry slam again. In the current season, it had brought in just under 2800 euros with an occupancy rate of 85 percent.