Theatergesellschaft Stans
The Theatergesellschaft Stans (Engl. Theatre Society Stans) is a culture society fostering especially amateur theatre in various shapes. The society is situated in the town of Stans in the Canton Nidwalden, Switzerland. It stages one theatre production every year, realising about 20 performances of each production. In their choice of repertoire and aesthetics, the Theatergesellschaft Stans aspires to world literature as well as to new forms of expression, always balancing their advanced claims and the given conditions.[1]
The Theatergesellschaft Stans is a member of the umbrella organisations Zentralverband Schweizer Volkstheater (ZSV) and Regionalverband Zentralschweizer Volkstheater (RZV).[1]
History
The Theatergesellschaft Stans is probably one of the oldest amateur theatre societies in Switzerland, being oficially founded in December 1824. For several decades, the society was especially known for their musical theatre productions, especially operetta. In the 1970s, however, they started to break new ground, focusing now on straight theatre and universal literature.[2]
Contemporary Activities
Today, the Theatergesellschaft Stans counts 280 members.[2] 2025's theatre production is "Der Bauer als Millionär" (Engl. The peasant as millionaire) by Ferdinand Raimund.[3]
Repertoire
A selection of productions, from the 1970s onwards:[2]
- Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti (Engl. Mr Puntila and his man Matti), by Bertolt Brecht
- Von Mäusen und Menschen (Engl. Of mice and men), by John Steinbeck
- Der Biberpelz (Engl. The beaver coat), by Gerhart Hauptmann
- Biedermann und die Brandstifter (Engl. The Fire Raisers), by Max Frisch
- Andorra, by Max Frisch
- Arzt wider Willen (Engl. The physician in spite of himself), by Molière
- Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung (Engl. The Taming of the Shrew), by William Shakespeare
- Ein Sommernachtstraum (Engl. A Midsummer Night's Dream), by William Shakespeare
- Romulus, by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
- Frank der Fünfte (Engl. Frank the Fifth), by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Musical Theatre:
- Die Dreigroschenoper (Engl. The Beggar's Opera) by Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht and Elisabeth Hauptmann
- Little Shop of Horrors, by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman
A selection of productions, from the founding until the 1970s:[2][4]
- 1824 Die Schlacht bei St. Jakob, by J.C. Heigel
- 1825 Menschenhass und Reue, by August von Kotzebue
- 1839 Das zugemauerte Fenster, by August von Kotzebue
- 1841 Vier Schiltwachen auf einem Posten, by W. Vogel
- 1843 Der Unbekannte, by Theodor Haubt
- 1851 Die Jungfrau von Orléans, by Friedrich Schiller
- 1859 Lumpazi Vagabundus, by Johann Nep. Nestroy
- 1862 Bruder Klaus, by Alois Businger
- 1865 Das Pfeffer-Rösel, by Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer
- 1874 Die beiden Sergeanten, by Theodor Hell
- 1875 Zwei Herren und ein Diener, by Friedrich
- 1880 Die Lügnerin, by Roderich Benedix
- 1881 Der Löwe von Luzern, by Jos. Ignaz von Ah
- 1881 Der Tag zu Stans, by Jos. Ignaz von Ah
- 1887 Der Protzenbauer, by Philomena Hartl-Mitius
- 1894 Das Leben ein Traum, by Calderon de la Barca
- 1898 1798, Die letzten Helden der alten Schweizergeschichte, by Jos. Ignaz von Ah
- 1901 Die Nihilisten, by Georg Hoffmann-Schaumberg
- 1908 Arnold von Melchtal, by G.Fischer/E.Kutschera
- 1920 Der Tatzelwurm oder Das Glöcklein von Birkenstein, by Hermann Schmid
- 1927 Dr. Faust's Wunderkäppchen, by Friedrich Hopp
- 1931 Älpler-Chilbi, by Andreas Zimmermann
- 1937 Cäsar in Rüblikon, by Walter Lesch
- 1946 D'Familie Schlumpf, by Emil Sautter
- 1949 Die Landstreicher, by Carl Michael Ziehrer
- 1956 Die Schmuggler, by Arthur Dinter
- 1958 Krach ums Bäby, by August Hinrichs
- 1961 Der Fremdenführer, by Carl Michael Ziehrer
- 1964 Im weissen Rössl, by Ralph Benatzky
- 1966 Die gold'ne Meisterin, by Edmund Eysler
- 1969 Der Talisman, by Johann Nepomuk Nestroy
- 1973 Isi chli Stadt, by Thornton Wilder