Theater Strahl Berlin
The privately operated Theatre Strahl is the only theatre in Berlin that exclusively concentrates on young people from 12 years of age. Strahl looks at themes such as love and sexuality, self determination and outside influences, drugs and violence in young people's lives - always on equal footing with its young audience, many of whom are visiting a theatre for the first time. Theatre Strahl involves its young audience in the selection and development of work through creative theatre workshops, open rehearsals and workshops relating to the current productions.
An aesthetic speciality of the youth theatre, founded in 1987, is masked beatbox theatre, represented by the pieces KLASSE KLASSE and KLASSE TOUR as well as interactive theatre like Spaaaß! (Fun!). The interactive pieces represent a very direct and spontaneous theatrical form in which the audience can directly influence what happens on stage. Classical pieces like Lessing's Nathan are also bought up to date with a discerning eye. With dance theatre productions like R O S E S and einsam.gemeinsam, awarded the IKARUS prize in 2013, Theatre Strahl has begun to examine the genre of youth dance theatre, making the art of dance visible and accessible to young people.
The repertory work of Strahl comprises over 150 performances in Berlin. The theatre's permanent home is the cultural centre Die Weiße Rose (The White Rose) in Berlin's Schoeneberg district which has 190 seats. Smaller productions are mounted in the 80-seat STRAHL.Probebühne (Strahl Rehearsal Space) in the Kulturhaus Schöneberg. The masked beatbox theatre pieces KLASSE KLASSE and KLASSE TOUR are regularly presented in the Admiralspalast Studio in Mitte. Other venues include the Uferstudios in Wedding and the former industrial hall KAOS in Oberschöneweide as well as the STRAHL.Halle in Ostkreuz.
Theatre Strahl has a long history of cooperation with Theater Duisburg, Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Theater Dortmund, Kompanie Kopfstand Zürich, De Dansers, Utrecht/NL, SZENE BUNTE WÄHNE, Horn/A, Theatersport Berlin, bat Studiotheater and the Universität der Künste Berlin. The productions regularly tour nationally and internationally.