Liebhabertheatergesellschaft Lenzburg
The Liebhabertheatergesellschaft Lenzburg (Engl. Amateur Theatre Society Lenzburg) in the Canton of Aargau was active for about 100 years from the 1820s up to 1925. For rehearsal and performances, the theatre amateurs of the society used rooms in the townhall and afterwards in a butchery at Metzgplatz Square, later called “Alter Gemeindesaal” (Engl. Old Community Hall).[1] The society dissolved in 1925.[2]
Legal form
While the Amateur Theatre Society Lenzburg itself apparently did not have a particular legal form, the theatre amateurs in Lenzburg nevertheless established a structure to fund their activities: They formed a stock company, the Aktien-Theater-Gesellschaft Lenzburg (also Theater-Aktien-Gesellschaft Lenzburg, Engl. Theatre Stock Company Lenzburg). It was initiated in 1844 with the objective to foster social pleasure in Lenzburg.[3]
Repertoire
The Liebhabertheatergesellschaft Lenzburg performed mainly comedies written by German playrights, but also some French or other foreign plays in German translation.[4]
Examples from the many plays performed:
Der Zeitgeist (Engl. “The spirit of the time”) by Ernst Raupach
Der Neffe als Onkel (Engl. “The nephew as uncle”) by Friedrich Schiller
Der Veilchenfresser (Engl. “The violet-eating glutton“) by Gustav von Moser
Der Wollmarkt oder das Hotel de Wibourg (Engl. „The wool market or Hotel de Wibourg”) by Heinrich Clauren
Der beste Ton (Engl. „The best tone“) by Karl Töpfer
Großjährig (Engl. „Of age”) by Eduard von Bauernfeld
Die Pensionärin (Engl. „The retiree“) by Roderich Benedix
Ein weisses Blatt (Engl. „A white sheet”) by Carl [Karl] Gutzkow
Der erste Eindruck (Engl. „The first impression“) by Eugène Scribe (German translation by L. W. Both)
Die Uniform des Feldmarschalls Wellington (Engl. „Field marshal Wellington’s uniform”) by August von Kotzebue
Die Kleinigkeiten (Engl. „Odds and ends“) by August von Steigentesch
Zopf und Schwert (Engl. „Plait and sword“) by Carl [Karl] Gutzkow
Des Königs Befehl (Engl. „The King‘s command“) by Carl [Karl] Töpfer and Carl Bömly
Der Onkel als Nebenbuhler (Engl. „The uncle as rival in love”) by Louis Schneider/L. W. Both/Mellesville
Venues
From the 1820s until the 1860s, performances of the Liebhabertheatergesellschaft Lenzburg were staged in the Lenzburg townhall. However, the hall had not been composed for theatre purposes and more space (especially height) was needed. A new community hall was built in a multifunctional building at Metzgplatz in 1863/1864, which from then on served as a venue not only for the theatre performances of the Liebhabertheatergesellschaft, but also for various cultural and political events in the town.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://welovelenzburg.ch/ein-wunder-dass-der-alte-gemeindesaal-noch-steht/
- ↑ Municipal Archive Lenzburg, III WD.1, Cashbook of the Amateur Theatre Society Lenzburg, last entry.
- ↑ Municipal Archive Lenzburg, III WD.4, Regulations of the Theatre Stock Company in Lenzburg (Booklet), p. 1.
- ↑ Municipal Archive Lenzburg, III WD.1, Cashbook of the Amateur Theatre Society Lenzburg; and III.WD.13 Prompt copies