Weißenfelser Liebhabertheater

The amateur theatre in Weißenfels, a small town located near Leipzig, became widely know through the involvement of the popular dramatist Adolf Müllner.

History

Müllner, originally trained as a lawyer became known by the theatrical success of his play "Der 29. Februar" (1812), a typical piece of 'Schicksalsdrama' ('fate drama') that came in fashion at the time. The Weißenfels Liebhabertheater was revived by Müllner after his return to his hometown and became one of the most active and most known amateur theatre companies of the time. The amateur theatre in Weißenfels also benefited from Müllner's dramatic writing. From 1817 he published several editions of the "Almanach für Privatbühnen" ("Almanach for private theatre") presenting easy pieces that were deemed accessible for amateurs and did not require huge "mechanical intricateness" (Almanach für Privatbühnen, 1817, XII).

Repertoire

The Weißenfelser Liebhabertheater staged all genres of drama, but took a clear decision not to involve in staging operatic or musical genres.

Members

Adolf Müllner, actor, dramatist, director