New Plays from Europe
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Theatre Biennale New Plays from Europe / de is the only large-scale international festival dedicated exclusively to productions of contemporary plays in their original languages. They are presented with a simultaneous translation into German. The focus is on authors and their texts. The festival program ideally aims to provide a reflection of the most pressing topics that Europe is faced with: conflicting national characteristics and idiosyncrasies, diverse interpretations of European identity as well as questions of isolation and self-assertion. Being exposed to different views on familiar occurrences and gaining new perspectives on the concept of European identity ideally lead to an improved understanding of the cultural differences unique to each European country. This festival aspires to function as an impetus and pave the way towards a united, multifaceted and heterogeneous European cultural area – challenging, critical and tolerant. Expectations are thwarted and viewing habits are challenged: it is a “continuous attack against stereotyped thinking” as Christine Wahl wrote in the magazine Theater heute[1] on the festival’s accomplishments.
Patrons
NEW PLAYS FROM EUROPE is based on a network of “patrons”. These are renowned playwrights from 41 European countries, among them Biljana Srbljanović (Serbia), Özen Yula (Turkey) and Bernhard Studlar (Austria). They make proposals of new plays and exciting productions to the Artistic Direction and inform about current theatre events in their country. Their advices and appraisals guarantee that the plays presented in Wiesbaden and Mainz are also relevant in their countries of origin.
FORUMs
Ever since it was founded in 1992, NEW PLAYS FROM EUROPE has additionally considered itself as a developmental festival for theatre professionals from all disciplines. In 5 forums, young talents pair up with experienced professionals to work together collaboratively: up-and-coming authors from throughout Europe, budding theatre critics and bloggers, dramaturgy students, the patron playwrights and theatre translators.
Artistic Direction
The NEW PLAYS FROM EUROPE 2012 team of artistic directors consists of: Manfred Beilharz, artistic director of Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, the author Tankred Dorst, one of the most internationally renowned and most frequently staged German playwrights (distinguished with awards such as the Büchner Prize and the Schiller Memorial Prize), his co-author Ursula Ehler and the dramaturg Maya Schöffel, who has served as festival organizational director since 2007. Head dramaturge Marie Luise Rötzer curates on behalf of the Staatstheater Mainz.
Date
From 14–24 June 2012 at Wiesbaden and Mainz, Germany.
External links
Footnote
- ↑ Theater heute, Berlin, September 2008
