Mr. Köhler, the Frankfurt Theater Grüne Soosse turns 40 on May 1st.

A long time for free children's and youth theatre.

Congratulations!

Eva Maria Magel

Senior cultural editor of the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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Thanks.

We're having a big party now.

After two years of Corona it has to be.

Above all, we want to take the opportunity to show the changes that have taken place over the past two or three years.

And the people.

You were half a dozen actors 40 years ago, then Willy Combecher, Siegfried Herold and you remained the core team for a long time.

I joined with the opening of the Theaterhaus in 1991.

Then there were three of us for many years.

When did you decide that there had to be a generational change?

We spoke for the first time ten years ago about how to proceed.

And it was clear to the three of us: The green sauce should continue as a business.

We are currently experiencing a very fruitful process of adopting tradition and rethinking everything again.

Without turning it completely upside down.

Are there problems there too?

I sense a lot of respect from the young people for the history of the green sauce, and at the same time they vehemently implement their ideas.

For example, most of the inner conflicts are caused by a different understanding of the division of labor: For years, the three of us felt like specialists for everything and actually couldn't do anything.

And now there are people who are particularly good at something and say about other things: That's not my area, someone else has to do it.

All in all, this leads to professionalization in all areas.

Something that many in the independent theater scene aspire to but don't always achieve.

Yes, of course, but that also depends on the generation.

Back then, when the independent theaters were founded, also for young audiences, there were many autodidacts and career changers.

Today everyone has theatrical training and the tools to make a difference.

Does that all sound very forward-looking?

Our outlook is also optimistic.

Apart from world affairs.

I see a good future for us and also for the independent scene for young audiences.

The perspective of continuing to work with federal funds in the future is a good way for us.

You also need a certain size for that.

The Theater Grüne Soße has tripled from a team of three to nine people.

The process progressed very slowly, even with freelance colleagues.

Now everyone has a voice in the company.

The Corona crisis was a small engine to drive forward the structuring.

In any case, we managed to set up the company in a completely different way.

Who does something, how is it distributed?

This has very different effects on the stage and mediation.

What else happened in these two years of change?

During that time, three children were added, including the debate about combining family and work, because that's extreme in the theater.

For many years we only knew the men's side.

Although we were very there for our families.

But an appearance was an appearance and it was made.

That was different than it is now with the mothers.

For example, they may not be able to play, even with the best will in the world.

Then reality catches up with you, with contractual commitments and agreements.

On May 1, 1982, the Theater Grüne Soße was founded with the first performance of "Man, I love you."

That's not in the repertoire anymore, is it?

No, not for 35 years.

It was one of the most successful pieces, next to "Heinrich V.".

This is still our most successful piece: produced in 1996 - and we have already arranged guest performances for 2023 in German-speaking countries.

Are there many such pieces in the repertoire?

We currently have 16 pieces ready to play.

The "Potato Soup" with Sigi Herold, which premiered in 2009, is such a perennial favorite.

The Second World War appears in it - and today, unfortunately, the war is very close again.

Repertoire pieces that are always ready to play as a backbone.

How about a generational change?

The young colleagues play the new ones, the old ones have a harder time getting in next to the older pieces.

But for example in "Apocalypse Resistance Training" there is a mixed group and middle generation on stage.

She has been invited to this year's festival "Politik im Freie Theater" in Frankfurt.

In the Corona period alone, the young team created three, soon four new pieces.

And the work in mediation is also well distributed among the generations.

In what way?

We played very often in Corona, even in 2021, but the placement program was of particular importance, despite many restrictions.

Our children's and youth ensembles started again in October 2021 and are all about to premiere.

Will there also be an anniversary celebration for the audience?

We play like crazy for our audience.

We are basically playing, rehearsing and preparing every day.

We can hardly jump in spontaneously like we used to - the program is so dense.