All over Germany theaters are marking the thirtieth anniversary of RWF’s death with productions of his work. 2012 is seeing an unprecedented number of concurrent productions of Fassbinder works on German-language stages. We would like to provide an overview here of works currently being staged. It is notable that the majority of the plays are in fact based on film scripts that have been adapted for the stage since the 1990s. As a result, 11 of Fassbinder’s films have found their way onto the stage since his death.   

Recently completed runs: Theater Bremen In a Year with 13 Moons, September 2011 - January 2012. Frankfurter Autoren Theater The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, February - March 2012. Schauspiel Leipzig /Skala The Third Generation, November 2011 - February 2012.

Coming performances in 2012:

April 1  Veronika Voss, Rationaltheater München

April 4  Katzelmacher, Schaubühne Berlin

April 9  Satan’s Brew, Kammerspiele München

April 13  Fear Eats the Soul, Staatstheater Schwerin

April 14  Katzelmacher, Residenztheater München, Marstall

April 15  Lola, Rheinisches Landestheater Neuss, Schauspielhaus

April 19  Satan’s Brew, Theater glassbooth, Neue Galerie Gladbeck

April 21  Lola, Theater Heilbronn

April 23  The Third Generation, Schauspiel Frankfurt 

April 26  The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Neues Theater Halle

June 1  Water Drops on Burning Rocks, Schauspiel Stuttgart, Foyer Nord

June 2  Fear Eats the Soul, Das Theater a. d. Effingerstr., Bern

We would also like to take this opportunity to recommend a visit to the RWF exhibition in the Deutsches Theatermuseum in Munich, which runs from May 24 to September 9, 2012. 

Also recommended is the recently published study of Fassbinder’s work by David Barnett, “Rainer Werner Fassbinder – Theater als Provokation” (160 pages, Henschel Verlag 2012).

Photo left: © Istvan Bajzat

Photo right: Wolfgang Pregler as Walter Kranz and Edmund Telgenkämper as the Publisher in Satan’s Brew, 2012 © Kammerspiele München