Schauspielhaus Graz

On August 24, 1770, the construction of a new theater building in Graz came to a halt due to significant financial complications. The October 1774 event was discussed.The new theater was opened on September 9, 1776, following a construction period of just under two years.The provincial theater was designed and constructed by Joseph Hueber, a skilled “landscape master mason” in Graz at the time. Hueber later went on to become a court master builder.Josef Jakobelli served as the first director of the new house until 1780.Emanuel Schikaneder followed him in 1781/82, Johann Nouseul in 1783/84, Roman Waizhofer from 1786 to 1791, Joseph Bellomo from 1791 to 1797, Karl Friedrich Domaratius starting in 1797, Franz Hysel from 1813 to 1819, and Johann August Stoeger from 1823 to 1833.The directorate that was appointed in 1819 resigned from office after only a few months, citing financial reasons.

In the early morning hours of Christmas in 1823, the recently renovated theater was tragically destroyed by fire. However, the main and central walls miraculously remained intact. The theater was subsequently reconstructed under the guidance of Peter von Nobile, the esteemed Imperial and Royal Court Architect, following the original plans.Performances were held in the country house and two amateur theaters until the end of January 1824.The performances were held from January 29, 1824 to October 3, 1825 in a temporary theater that was newly established in the estate riding school located at Reitschulgasse (now known as Mondscheingasse 3).Following the fire in 1823, the Estates promptly commenced the construction of a new theater at the exact location.Today’s Freiheitsplatz was created when the small and large ballrooms were demolished, creating an open space in front of the theater.Simultaneously, the Suppansche Garten, located between the theater and Karmeliterplatz, was abandoned. It was bordered by a retaining wall adjacent to the large ballroom. As a result, Hartiggasse was established to connect Franzensplatz and Karmeliterplatz.The opening of Franzensplatz led to the development of the theater’s main facade facing it.The main entrance in the Hofgasse was preserved, as the masonry in the parterre was mostly undamaged and it served as the connecting passage to the Hofburg.As a result, the development of the anterooms had to be relocated to the side facing Hofgasse.The entrance located on the main front has always functioned as a side entrance. This is because the positioning of the building site required the longitudinal axis of the stage and auditorium to be perpendicular to Hofgasse.

Austria was facing rampant inflation, making it challenging to raise the required funds.The funds were obtained through various sources, including the sale of the last estate cannons stored in Trieste to the King of Naples, income from the “Rohitscher Sauerbrunnenoperationkassa,” and advance payments from the estate deposits.The building plan was drafted by theater director Stöger.However, Stöger’s plans were sent to Vienna’s court master builder, Peter von Nobile, for correction.There were only a few technical changes to be made.In addition to the two individuals previously mentioned, Professor Meißner also played a significant role in designing the heating systems in Vienna.The entire building’s heating system has been installed using the Meißner air-heating system, which offers a lower risk of fire.Adam Roller, a renowned theater machinist from Vienna, was tasked with the responsibility of installing and operating the machinery.

Baron Mandell, along with the estate building clerk Johann Nepomuk Edler von Ortenhoffer and the estate building assistant Perschon, were responsible for overseeing the construction.I’m sorry, but I need more context or information in order to provide a well-written responsePeter von Nobile frequently asked Baron Mandell for updates on the construction progress. In a letter dated May 18, 1824, he mentioned, “His Majesty examined everything with great kindness, analyzed the decorative system with remarkable insight, and expressed his preference for the drawing that embodies rational simplicity. He also noted that the choice ultimately rests with you, the Estates.”

The Estates Theater, which was later renamed the Landscape Theater and then the State Theater, was reopened on October 4, 1825, to celebrate Emperor Franz I’s name day. The theater’s address was changed to Franzensplatz in 1838, and later to Freiheitsplatz 7 in 1918 and 1938.On the opening evening, the audience was treated to a poetic prelude by Karl Gottfried von Leitner, which beautifully combined Styria and art. The main attraction of the evening was the tragic play “Weißröschen” (also known as “Turturell”) by Joseph Christian von Zedlitz. This five-act tragedy captivated the audience and held their attention throughout the performance.

One of the most renowned actors during this era of new beginnings was Johann Nestroy, who passed away on Elisabethstrasse in Graz.

The house was renamed “Stadttheater” in 1887. This change occurred after the opening of the new “Stadttheater” in 1899, which was located in Theater am Franzensplatz. After the First World War, the name was further changed to “Schauspielhaus Graz”.

The house was closed in 1953 due to building regulations.The historical building was preserved during the conversions, and a new stage house was added. In 1964, it was reopened with a production of “Hamlet,” featuring Helmuth Lohner in the lead role.Since its establishment, the theater has remained dedicated to spoken theater and has become an integral part of the cultural scene in Styria.The entire stage technology underwent a significant renovation during the summer breaks of 1999 and 2000. Over the course of these years, the architecturally renovated foyer underwent gradual adaptations to meet current needs.There are three different venues available for performances. The main stage, known as House One, has a seating capacity of 540. Additionally, there is House Two, which was previously used as a rehearsal stage and can accommodate around 100 audience members. Lastly, there is House Three, located on level 3, which has approximately 50 seats. The theater also includes the Redoutensaal as one of its venues.

The Graz theater was under the direction of drama director Matthias Fontheim from 2000 to 2006. In the 2004/05 season, he also took on the role of managing director.After that, Matthias Fontheim relocated to the Staatstheater Mainz.Anna Badora, the theater director and former general manager of the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, served as the manager in Graz from the 2006/07 season to the 2014/15 season.In 2008, under Badora’s leadership, the Schauspielhaus Graz became the sole Austrian theater to be accepted into the UTE (Union des Théâtres de l’Europe).

Iris Laufenberg assumed the role of managing director at the Graz theater during the 2015/16 season.The artistic director of the organization is Georg Kandolf, and the leading dramaturge is Karla Mäder.The Graz theater is a member of the European Theater Convention (ETC). The stages have been given the names HAUS EINS, HAUS ZWEI, and HAUS DREI.The program offers a wide range of themes, playing styles, and approaches.The range of performances includes monumental drama, classic comedy, and diverse contemporary drama.

Andrea Vilter will assume the role of artistic director at the Schauspielhaus Graz starting from the 2023/24 season.