A "Botch" Onstage and Off: Trouble Continues to Brew at the Volksbühne

As reported by The Guardian, backstage holds just as much chaos as on at the Volksbühne theater, where the dada cabaret revue Pfusch (which translates literally as "botch") is currently playing in repertoire. In the nearly two years since the announcement in early 2015 that Chris Dercon (once the director of the Tate Modern in London) would assume the director position at Volksbühne, staff and artists linked to the theater have expressed vehement contempt for the appointment.

Current director Frank Castorf has been with the company since 1992, is now beloved by the Volksbühne community, but faced his own challenges at the outset of his tenure with his endeavor to utilize a marriage of Soviet aesthetics and a Hollywood-sized scale in his productions. Now, however, the veteran director is considered a staple of the unique environment fostered by the Volksbühne. Critics of Dercon worry that the strong artistic identity of the theater will be compromised in favor of commercialism.

Over 120 years old, the Volksbühne represents a movement to bring theatre and the performing arts to a working class who were often underrepresented in the art circles of the time period during which the Volksbühne was founded. The theater was founded upon the principle that everyone, from the custodian to the star of a production, should have the same weight of importance. One of the most vital aspects of the company is the workshop, a breeding ground for new work, which Dercon called "a factory that builds things you cannot buy." Despite criticisms from his more liberal counterparts, the continued existence of the workshop was allegedly a stipulation of Dercon's when he signed his contract.

For the original Guardian article, click here.

Photo Credit: Thomas Aurin