Everyone who lives in Schwerin and the surrounding area has seen it at least once. Completed between 1883 and 1886, the Mecklenburg State Theatre is an architectural eye-catcher and an absolute must-see when it comes to culture in Schwerin: with its neo-Renaissance façade and neo-Baroque auditorium with 540 seats, it was one of the most progressive theater buildings of its era. Fun fact: Even back then, the theater supplied its electric light - a sensation! – from its own electricity plant.
From the outside, the Mecklenburg State Theater is still an impressive monument today and an important factor in the cultural life of the entire region. But who knows what goes on inside such a building? Who knows what it takes to ensure that all the little wheels mesh together and that such a logistically complex enterprise works every day? After all, the repertoire has to be filled out, every performance prepared, every stage set appropriately designed and constructed. How does such a difficult theater cosmos actually work?
The comedian Heinz Erhard once quipped that the authorities are like the theater: "A few work, but most people watch." Sounds funny, but it's not entirely true. Anyone who has the pleasure of looking behind the scenes at the theater in Schwerin learns first of all that there is a lot of magic behind the scenes - and a lot of work. Tina Koball, theater educator at the Mecklenburg State Theater, knows the incredulous amazement of her visitors when she guides them through the mysterious inner workings of her workplace.
