Diskothek

Diskothek: A space for reflection on our present times, a space for experimenting with new writing, Schauspiel Leipzig’s venue exclusively dedicated to contemporary drama.
This season, we will continue Diskothek’s concept of giving voice and space to contemporary authors, enhanced by direct cooperation with two other great forums and festivals of contemporary drama: Autorentheatertage of Deutsches Theater Berlin and the Kleist Advancement Award. Furthermore, two pieces commissioned by Schauspiel Leipzig will celebrate their world premiere.

The beginning will be made by the world premiere of Magdalena Schrefel’s “Ein Berg, viele”, which received the 2020 Kleist Advancement Award. “Ein Berg, viele” explores the question of how conceptual positings can generate real and fixed boundaries – both intellectual and global in nautre. Pia Richter will stage this extraordinary winning play of the Kleist Award – a prize that celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020.

The two protagonists of “beach house” feel that they can only move beyond social limitations if they sell out themselves and, ultimately, their dreams. Director-in-Residence Philipp Preuss will stage the world premiere of Dorian Brunz’ text as Schauspiel Leipzig’s contribution to the drama competition of the 2020 Autorentheatertage at Deutsches Theater Berlin. This cooperation will be continued in June 2021 with a world premiere production directed by Claudia Bauer.

In „DIE KUNST DER WUNDE“, a commissioned piece for Schauspiel Leipzig, Katja Brunner listens carefully to the polyphonic chorus of voices of today’s society. Following her play “geister sind auch nur menschen”, this is another play that she has written specifically for Diskothek. Katja Plötner will stage Katja Brunner’s anamnesis in all its disjointedness and inconsistency, caught between demands and failure, utopian ideals and limitations. This is Katja Plötner’s second project at Diskothek, too: Her world premiere production of Martina Clavadetscher’s “Frau Ada denkt Unerhörtes” was invited to the 2020 Heidelberger Stückemarkt and the 2020 Autorentheatertage at Deutsches Theater Berlin.

Lukas Rietzschel, one of the country’s most distinctive young authors, has written his first work for the theatre. This piece, commissioned by Schauspiel Leipzig, explores the conflicts between urban and rural regions – with a focus on (East-)German conditions: A young woman returns to the village she was born in and finds herself confronted with “Widerstand”, the resistance that is brewing there.

Finally, in our Studio Production, the members of Studio Leipzig will follow traces of our season’s motto “Perceived Realities” through several generations of their own families.

All of these Diskothek-premieres will be followed by concerts. Following performances by Prada Meinhoff, Gewalt, The World Dominatoin, LASSIE and ANT ANTIC over the past season, the new 2020/21 season will feature five new acts. These concerts will be free of charge and presented in the sets of the production that premiered on the night. More information will be announced in the monthly programme brochures.