Premiere in the Gewandhaus: Theater Plauen-Zwickau gets off to a brilliant start!

Premiere in the Gewandhaus: Theater Plauen-Zwickau gets off to a brilliant start!

On Sunday, August 28th, there was a brilliant opening of the new 2025/26 season of the Plauen-Zwickau Theater in the sold-out Gewandhaus. Under the motto “What holds the world together at its core", the ensemble presented an exciting program that presented both new and familiar faces. General director Dirk Löschner and press spokeswoman Anne Sandmann led the gala, which gave an exciting outlook on the coming theater months. This event is not only a celebration of art, but also a sign of the cultural vitality of the region.

A highlight of the evening was the performance by ballet director Sergei Vanaev, who performed a graceful excerpt from “Le sacre du printemps" captivated the audience. Particularly pleasing: Vanaev is committed to promoting young talent and supervises 13 interns from all over the world. Also featured was the British dancer Ryan Aptomos, who impressed as Peer Gynt, while the Italian dancer Andrea Liotti later played the role of Rama in "Ramajana” will take over.

Diversity on stage

The musical sounds of the evening were enriched by the new voices of soprano Natalia Willot and baritone Nikolaus Nitzsche. Willot sang, among other things, “Quando me'n vo" out of "La Boheme", while Nitzsche presented a duet with Elisabeth Birgmeier. The new actors Kristin Heil and Joshua Dahmen also introduced themselves with their own monologues, which made the evening even more varied.

But the Plauen-Zwickau Theater doesn't just have big plans for the stage. In the midst of preparations for the season, the house has also launched a crowdfunding campaign to...Lion foyerto redesign. The aim is to collect a lot of money by August 31st - over 30,000 euros will be raised to give the foyer in the second tier a fresh look. Crowdfunding has established itself in this country as an effective way to finance cultural projects. One of the first to use this practice was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose financial support from patrons for his works is now an example of modern campaigns.

Cultural perspectives

The commitment of the theater support associations and the Hans and Edith Löwel Foundation is also crucial for the theater landscape. For example, in June signatures for the preservation of the theater were handed over to the mayor, which underlines the importance of the theater for the community. The inclusive theater clubCOMPLETELY normal, which has existed since 2018, continuously develops new pieces and ensures that cultural diversity is brought into focus. On May 21, 2025, around 700 participants demonstrated in front of the Saxon state parliament to fight for funding for Saxon theaters.

The second chance to repeat the opening gala in the Gewandhaus will take place on Thursday, August 28th at 7:30 p.m. This gives everyone who missed the hustle and bustle the opportunity to see for themselves the creative liveliness of the theater.