Berlin, 1990s – The Volksbühne and the "Patchwork of Minorities"

Berlin, 1990s – The Volksbühne and the "Patchwork of Minorities"

For this third session of the cycle What the Hell Kind of Theater History Are We Talking About?, Corentin Jan – researcher in theater and German studies – will revisit the history of Berlin's Volksbühne in the 1990s. At a time when Berlin was becoming the capital of a politically unified but still socially, economically, and ideologically divided country, several artists attempted to develop a rebellious counter-culture there, halfway between artistic avant-garde and popular theater. Within just a few years, the team and company led by East German Frank Castorf managed both to provoke scandals and riots and to establish a style that would soon become influential across Europe. How did artists like Frank Castorf, Christoph Marthaler, and Christoph Schlingensief succeed in pursuing political contestation and artistic research simultaneously? How did the institution manage to address the diversity of Berlin's audience at the time and reach, to borrow music critic Diedrich Diederichsen's expression, a "patchwork of minorities"? And above all, what can this experience teach us today for contemporary theater?

What the Hell Kind of Theater History Are We Talking About?*

Throughout the season, this cycle of 8 encounters will bring together artists, historians, and researchers in performing arts. These meetings will provide opportunities to question theater history, explore its margins, and shed light on its lesser-known areas.

A chance to (re)discover certain forgotten or understudied aspects, but also to reflect collectively on how such a history is constructed.

- What the Hell Kind of Theater History Are We Talking About? #1: The Matrimonies of the 20th Century, Monday, September 29, 2025 at 6 PM

- What the Hell Kind of Theater History Are We Talking About? #2: Theater in Iran, the Shiraz Arts Festival, Monday, October 13, 2025 at 6 PM

- What the Hell Kind of Theater History Are We Talking About? #3: Berlin, 1990s – The Volksbühne and the "Patchwork of Minorities," Monday, November 17, 2025 at 6 PM

*quote from Angélica Liddell

*quote Angelica Liddell