Privattheatergesellschaft Melpomene

History

The Berlin based theatre society Melpomene was founded in 1796 and remained active until after 1800. Very little is known about its whereabouts after that date.

Members

Members were from the middle class. At the moment of foundation two accountants, two watchmakers, a jeweller, a shop assistant, a painter, a lottery secretary, a surgeon, two teaches, an administrator, two young adults and two women participated in the society. In 1797 membership grew to 20.

Repertoire

In 1798, the society performed the following pieces:

• August von Kotzebue: Graf Benjowski
• August von Kotzebue: Der Wildfang
• August Wilhelm Iffland: Die Reise nach der Stadt
• Friedrich Schiller: Die Räuber
• Friedrich Schiller: Kabale und Liebe
• Christoph Friedrich Bretzner. Das Räuschgen

Sources

• „Ueber die hiesigen Privattheater“, National-Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft, Kunst und Gewerbe in den preußischen Staaten, 1801, 922–932.
• Uta Motschmann, Handbuch der Berliner Vereine und Gesellschaften 1786-1815, Berlin: de Gruyter, 2015, 543.