- The Hamburg Theater in Germany has been declared the Year's Best Theater.
The Hamburg-based Schauspielhaus, under Karin Beier's management, has been crowned as Theater of the Year by "Theater heute" magazine in its annual review. A total of 46 critics took part in the voting process, which spanned various categories, showcasing the season's top highlights.
Beier assumed control of the house during the 2013/14 season, as per "Theater heute," bringing an influx of art that "overwhelmed Hamburg." Fast forward to the 2023/24 season, the house has found its creative and dramatic footing, closing a thematic loop.
Critics also lauded the Schauspielhaus in other categories. Lina Beckmann bagged the title of Actress of the Year for her outstanding solo act in "Laios," the second installment of the five-part ancient drama cycle "Anthropolis." The play, directed by Beier and penned by Roland Schimmelpfennig, won both Play of the Year and Production of the Year honors, alongside "The Dog Poop Attack" at the Theaterhaus Jena.
Schimmelpfennig's "Anthropolis" script draws inspiration from the ancient plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. This expansive project significantly boosted the Schauspielhaus' audience numbers. In a "Die Deutsche Buhne" survey involving 53 authors, the Hamburg theater emerged as the frontrunner in overall performance.
Dimitrij Schaad, Actor of the Year
Dimitrij Schaad scooped the Actor of the Year award from "Theater heute" critics for his role in Falk Richter's "The Silence" at the Berliner Schaubuhne. In the play, he masterfully navigated the tightrope between "emotional detachment and empathy with the playwright and director," as they delve into familial traumas from his sheltered 1980s childhood and adolescence.
Schaad, renowned for "The Kangaroo Chronicles" and "Kleo," confessed to the trade magazine that hearing about his Actor of the Year nomination prompted him to say, "That's the role I want to play." Additionally, the critics honored categories such as Set Design and Costume Design of the Year.
The German Theater in Hamburg, specifically the Schauspielhaus, gained recognition as Play of the Year and Production of the Year for Roland Schimmelpfennig's "Anthropolis." This groundbreaking production, a collaboration between Beier, Schimmelpfennig, and the actress Lina Beckmann, significantly contributed to the theater's growing popularity.
Furthermore, the German Theater scene celebrated the German Theater, with the Schauspielhaus garnering top honors in a "Die Deutsche Buhne" survey, placing it at the forefront of overall performance.
