March is a women’s month. At least at the theaters in Munich this year. And of course that’s perfect, as March 8th is also International Women’s Day. Whether the stages agree to give space to female authors, directors and specifically female topics should be irrelevant. It’s nice that they do it. It took long enough for something like this to happen.
If you want to read this: The Theatertreffen jurors Sabine Leucht, Petra Paterno and Katrin Ullmann have it in their book Status quota excellently understands how hard it is for women in directing. In 2019, the women’s quota was introduced for the Theatertreffen. The directors invited from 2019 to 2023 were interviewed for the book. “As a woman in the theater you have to fight for respect,” explains Marie Schleef, for example – that is one of the more harmless statements.
On March 2nd she will be at the Habibi Kiosk together with Nora Abdel-Maksoud in conversation with Ullmann and SZ author Leucht, who will also be presenting the book. Both directors are currently directing at the Kammerspiele. Schleef the premiere The possibility of evil based on Shirley Jackson (premiere: March 23rd), Abdel-Maksoud her own piece – also a premiere – doping (Premiere: April 5th)
The other two large houses are also feminine. The Residenztheater on March 1st with Nora Schlocker’s production of “Prima Facie”. The seasonal hit by British-Australian author Suzie Miller tells the story of lawyer Tessa Ensler. She specializes in sexual assault cases, but then she herself is raped. Elsa-Sophie Jach’s production will also be coming on March 16th Copenhagen Trilogy out of here. The Danish author Tove Ditlevsen fictionalized her life story from working-class child to author. And finally it will be about Eliza Doolittle and the functionalization of a woman Pygmalion on March 21st in the Cuvilliéstheater (director: Amir Reza Koohestani).
Director Elsa-Sophie Jach is adapting the Copenhagen trilogy by the Danish author Tove Ditlevsen for the Residenztheater.
(Photo: IMAGO/TT)
The Volkstheater is showing the feminist horror piece about a boarding school on March 2nd: Mary Magda by Svenja Viola Bungarten, directed by Jessica Weisskirchen. And theater director Christian Stückl dedicates himself to Sibylle Berg’s comedy In the Gardens or Lysistrata Part 2whose plot begins in a future where men are almost extinct.
penis – a hug – admittedly, this title doesn’t sound feminine. But at least two Munich theater makers are dedicating themselves to the topic of masculinity. The premiere by Ines Hollinger and Lucy Wirth is on March 9th at HochX. Jule Ronstedt and Katja Brenner stage their own texts on the Spagat cultural stage and the Schwer Reiter, respectively. In Ronstedts Fearless through everyday life A survival trainer, tormented by her own fears, tries to help others with their fears (5.3., Splits). In performance Winnie is looking for happiness (and an affordable apartment in Munich) The topic can already be discovered in the title.
Finally there are two big names: Sissy and Shakespeare. The Hoftheater am Harras is releasing a mini-musical about the Empress, Franz Joseph I and the murderer of Sissi, premiering on March 7th. And the two directors Jorinde Dröse and Anne Habermehl are staging the Shakespeare project with the Falckenberg acting students The world is going crazy with its fruits (March 22).