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Bad Lauchstädt (dpa / sa) - The Goethe Theater in Bad Lauchstädt (Saalekreis) was well attended this year despite the corona-related restrictions.
"It went better than expected," said the managing director of the Goethe Theater Bad Lauchstädt, René Schmidt, the German press agency.
Overall there was a capacity of around 6,000 seats.
Of these, 5315 place cards were sold.
Nevertheless, some things went differently than planned in the Corona year.
With the outbreak of the pandemic in the spring, operations in the historic theater were also stopped, said Schmidt.
Guided tours were only possible again in May.
The first appearances began in June.
However, instead of the planned 49 events, only 36 were on the program, which was thinned out due to the corona.
Among other things, events that were planned in cooperation with the Halle Opera and for the later canceled Handel Festival were canceled.
The theater was built in 1802 under the direction of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
The construction time of the externally simple half-timbered building was only three months.
As part of the glamorous seaside resort of Lauchstädt, which was known for its healing springs, it attracted guests from all over the world.
Today the theater is said to be the only original theater building from the Goethe era.
The plans for the building came from the renowned Berlin architect Heinrich Gentz (1766-1811).
Even today, plays are mainly played between May and October in the house designed as a summer theater.
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Due to the strict hygiene measures, the number of seats in particular had to be minimized this season.
Instead of 450 people, initially only 150 and later 190 spectators were allowed into the Goethe Theater, as Schmidt explained.
Instead of the usual 230, there was only room for 50 and later 85 people in the historic Kursaal.
“That's not a lot, but that's how the conditions were,” said Schmidt.
In order to still sell enough tickets, some pieces were performed more often than planned.
Among other things, Katharina Thalbach played three times instead of one in front of a sold out house.
According to Schmidt, the highlights of the “Corona schedule” included Goethe's “Faust I”, a Wilhelm Busch evening, Büchner's comedy “Leonce and Lena” and Mozart's “The Magic Flute”, which was accompanied on a historical fortepiano that was specially borrowed from the Ruhr area .
The theater professionals used the corona-related forced break for ambitious renovation projects for the aging building.
The outer shell is already shining in new splendor, explained Schmidt.
With the renewed partial lockdown that began in November, time had been gained to plaster the interior.
There is currently a three-day scaffolding in the interior of the house.
Everything should be ready in April 2021, explained the managing director.
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The final fine-tuning is to take place in October 2021.
Then the historic benches in the Goethe Theater will receive a new cover.
"It should look like it did in Goethe's time", Schmidt.
Brick-red fabric made of an ultra-modern, fire-resistant fabric is planned.
Around 2.5 million would be available for the complete renovation work - financed among others by the state and the Hermann Reemtsma Foundation Hamburg and the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung.
The Goethe Theater is currently closed due to the partial lockdown.
Goethe Theater