Pfarreitheater Mindelheim

A promotional image of the Mindelheim 2023 parish theatre for the play "Juwelen und andere Früchtchen"

The Pfarreitheater Mindelheim is an amateur theatre in Mindelheim, Germany. It was founded in 2013 by members of the Parish of Mindelheim.

History

The Pfarreitheater Mindelheim was founded on the initiative of a trainee priest with experience in amateur theatre. The idea was inspired by the existing stage in the parish hall of the parish centre. The founding members came from the Youth Council, the town's acolytes and others connected to the church.

The parish of Mindelheim actively supported the foundation by making the parish hall available for rehearsals and performances. The sacristan was particularly helpful in providing private stage lighting, as there were no other props or technology available. The stage itself, a 3-sided wooden wall construction with the option of installing windows or doors, was built by a parishioner. The cost of the materials was advanced by the parish and later paid for by the income from successful performances.

The premiere of the first play took place on 31 October 2014, after rehearsals started in autumn 2013. Due to high demand, the first play was performed five times, including an additional performance. The Pfarreitheater now offers six performances, including a dress rehearsal with a test audience. These performances take place every year in the week of All Saints' Day.

The theatre group has now developed a well-established routine. The theatre year begins on Holy Saturday with a meeting to present and select possible plays for the coming year. Rehearsals begin in August and the year ends with a post-show meeting after the performances. Proceeds from donations and ticket sales are donated to a different charity each year.

Repertoire

The Pfarreitheater puts on a new play every year:

• 2014: Der bayerische Protectulus, Peter Landstorfer
• 2015: Um Gottes Willen, Wolfgang Bräutigam
• 2016: Den Seinen gibt der Herr den Schlaf, Monika Szabady
• 2017: Neurosige Zeiten, Winnie Abel
• 2018: Zweimal Himmel und zurück, Regina Harlander
• 2019: Brandheiß - gelöscht wird später, Jette Findeisen
• 2020-2021: Forced corona interruption
• 2022: Männergrippe - Lebst du noch oder stirbst du schon?, Jennifer Hülser
• 2023: Juwelen und andere Früchtchen, Marius Leutenegger

Members

The Pfarreitheater consists of ten active members, five women and five men, plus four inactive members (from 2023). Until 2022, all members, with the exception of the prompter, were active both on stage and backstage. Their involvement included various tasks such as set construction, publicity, prop finding, set design and directing.

For 2023, the theatre is planning to expand the team with more helpers, especially for backstage. This expansion aims to increase the efficiency and versatility of the theatre's production by allowing dedicated team members to take on specific areas of responsibility.