Theater Prize: Klaus Zehelein honored for his life's work
Opera director Klaus Zehelein (83) has been honored for his life's work at the German Theater Award "Der Faust 2023". "You have been incredibly courageous in advocating a fundamentally new understanding of musical theater, even revolutionizing it," said Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov in his laudatory speech at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg on Saturday evening.
The German Theatre Award honors outstanding artistic achievements that reflect the diversity of the theater landscape in Germany.
Zehelein (83) was opera director at the Stuttgart State Opera from 1991 to 2006. He then became President of the Bavarian Theater Academy August Everding at the Prinzregententheater in Munich. He was also a lecturer at the University of Oldenburg and worked as chief dramaturge and opera director at the opera house in his native city of Frankfurt am Main, among other positions. From 2003 to 2015, Zehelein served as President of the German Stage Association.
Brosda: Another world is possible
Its President and Hamburg's Senator for Culture, Carsten Brosda (SPD), said at the award ceremony: "It is precisely the stages that show us every day that a different world is possible. We need this play with reality, the inspiration and sometimes irritation - especially now that the world seems to be coming apart at the seams in various ways."
The theater prize was also awarded in twelve other categories: Ligia Lewis received the award in the category Actor:in Dance for "A Plot/A Scandal" (Ruhrtriennale), Fritzi Haberlandt in the category Actor:in Drama in "Angabe der Person" (Deutsches Theater Berlin) and Vera-Lotte Boecker in the category Actor:in Music Theater as Nadja in "Bluthaus" (Bayerische Staatsoper Munich).
Wicki Bernhardt and Janna Pinsker were honored in the category Actor:in Theater for Young Audiences in "Family Creatures" (Mousonturm Frankfurt). Florentina Holzinger was honored in the category staging dance for "Ophelia's Got Talent" (Volksbühne Berlin), Stefan Bachmann in the category staging drama for "Johann Holtrop - Abriss der Gesellschaft" (Schauspiel Köln/Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus).
Other award winners
David Hermann received the prize in the category staging musical theater for "Dogville" (Aalto Musiktheater Essen), Alexander Riemenschneider in the category staging theater for young audiences for "Das Kind träumt" (Junges Staatstheater Berlin). Manuel Braun, Jonas Dahl and Rainer Sellmaier were awarded the "Faust" in the Spatial category for "Arabella" (Deutsche Oper Berlin) and Michael v. zur Mühlen in the Sound and Media category for "Opera - a future game" (Festival for Games).
Johanna Trudzinski was awarded the prize in the costume category for "Baroque" (Schauspielhaus Bochum) and Thomas Krupa and Tobias Bieseke in the genre jumper category for "Die Wand (360°)" (Schauspiel Essen). The Fundus Theater in Hamburg was awarded the Perspective Prize of the Federal States.
The German Theater Prize has been awarded since 2006 by the German Stage Association and the German Academy of Performing Arts in cooperation with the Cultural Foundation of the Federal States. This year, 40 artists were nominated in twelve categories.
The German Theater Prize recognizes outstanding achievements in various categories, including music theater, and Klaus Zehelein was recently honored in this category for his life's work. This year, Ligia Lewis also received an award in the Actor:in Dance category for her performance in "A Plot/A Scandal."
The People's Theatre in Hamburg was awarded the Perspective Prize of the Federal States, which honors promising up-and-coming theater companies. This shows that there are many talented individuals and groups working in German theater, and there is always a chance for new and innovative productions to be recognized.
Source: www.dpa.com
