Salzburger Kulturvereinigung

In 2010 the Salzburg Street Theatre celebrates its 40th anniversary. Since its formation in 1970, the horse-drawn portable stage continuously has offered top quality theatre for people from all walks of life. In contrast to a traditional theatre where people attend its performance in a certain venue – the Salzburg Street Theatre performs on public squares and streets across the city and province of Salzburg; in other words it brings the theatre to the people.

On the occasion of its anniversary, the exceptional play by Johann Nestroy ‘Der Zerrissene’ is staged in the version of Professor Klaus Gmeiner. The anniversary year is the perfect occasion to review this unprecedented Austrian success story. Once, the renowned director Oscar Fritz Schuh had the utmost concern to provide admission free but top quality theatre performances to all citizens of Salzburg, in other words, he wanted to organise a ‘festival for everyone’. In order to correspond to this basic principle, Schuh has consciously decided for the ‘travelling theatre’ according to the idea of the ‘Commedia dell’arte’. Since 40 years, the Salzburg Cultural Association has organised the Street Theatre during the summer month and thus realized Schuhs dreams. This tradition has been launched by the staging of ‘Frühere Verhältnisse’ by Johann Nestroy, the godfather of the traditional popular theatre. By performing ‘Der Zerrissene’, a play by the same author, the Salzburg Street Theatre still remains true to its basic idea also in its anniversary year. Therefore, in 2010, the cast tells the story of a well-heeled man, who nevertheless has lost the pleasures and amenities of life. As a consequence of an exciting adventure and due to the discovery of true love, finally he gets cured from his disruption.

In the period from the 23rd of July to the 14th of August several well renowned actors will give prove of how to perform great classical theatre on a very small and portable open air stage. The artistic director and stage director of the Salzburg Street Theatre Professor Klaus Gmeiner is the opinion that it is incredibly challenging to stage such a demanding play within the period of only 2 weeks. He takes it really serious and definitely puts it on a par with a professional theatre production. Like each year, in 2010 Bernd Dieter Müller is going to surprise again with his visionary stage design. When Elfriede Ott and Alfred Böhm firstly have performed in ‘Frühe Verhältnisse, the audience immediately was swept off its feet by both. Consequently they have become darlings of the public. Until now, the carriage has continued travelling and the performances even have increased its popularity. In 1985, after the death of Schuh, Klaus Gmeiner took over the position of the artistic director. In the course of the time, many different plays by the most important authors such as Lessing, Goethe, Shakespeare, Shaw, Goldoni, Scribe, Moliere, Bahr or Molnár have been staged.

The Salzburg Street Theatre is funded by the Austrian Ministry for Education, Arts and Cultural as well as by the City and Province of Salzburg. Furthermore, it is supported by the different host communities through arranging the transport of carriage and stage props between the different venues.  The main sponsor of the Salzburg Street Theatre is the local brewery Stiegl that provides the coachman and the horses as well as a rehearsal room. The costumes for the play are by courtesy of the Salzburg State Theatre. And last but not least, there is the audience that always has made a major financial contribution by its generous donations.