Following its year as European Capital of Culture, Chemnitz is now becoming a mecca for the performing arts: More than 30 productions from around the world will be on stage in the city from June 18 to July 5. “Theater der Welt” is considered one of the most important international theater festivals in Germany. It is organized by the German Center of the International Theater Institute. The festival aims to showcase artistic perspectives from around the world and takes place every three years. Frankfurt am Main and Offenbach were the most recent hosts. Here’s what visitors can expect in Chemnitz.
Franz Kafka, Alfred Döblin, and Sofia Andruchowytsch
Under the title “Kafka’s Ape,” South African director Phala Ookeditse Phala and actor Tony Bonani Miyambo present an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s "Report to an Academy," while a German-Chinese co-production brings Alfred Döblin’s novel "Mountains, Seas, and Giants" to the stage under the title "Luftmasse." The visual concept for this comes from artist Ai Weiwei. The Czech production “Amadoka” draws on Sofia Andruchowytsch’s novel trilogy and recounts a century of Ukrainian history through the lives of three women.
Activities for children and families
An imaginative world made of cardboard and paper is taking shape for the festival at the Hartmannfabrik, the visitor center for Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture 2025. There, during the first days of the festival, young and old alike are invited to get creative themselves, gluing and folding. “Paper Planet” is a participatory performance by the Polyglot Theatre from Australia, aimed primarily at families and school classes. The puppet theater piece “Stream of Memory” from Indonesia is also reportedly suitable for families and gets by entirely without spoken words. At its center is the giant Kali, the guardian of memory and a witness to a world in transition.
