No major events may take place until at least August 31. What counts as a major event has to be defined first. But it should be clear that even in theaters and concert halls in the next few months to a normal play operation is not to think. Now the first cultural institution in Frankfurt has reacted: with a heavy heart, those responsible for the Papageno Musiktheater have decided to suspend operations until the end of August. Under the current circumstances, reliable planning of further operations is not feasible. This also applies to the (unlikely) case that there should be a relaxation of the contact restrictions after 4 May.
It is very regrettable that at the press conference of the federal government on 15 April there was not even a mention, let alone an outlook or a naming of criteria for the future working conditions of the cultural sector. This is extremely frustrating for cultural workers and artists. Rather, the resolution of the conference call gives the impression that this issue was not discussed at all. Only "major events" were banned until the end of August. What exactly this means for the theater world remains further uncertain.
No rehearsals or preparations are possible under the current regulations. Therefore, the productions "Der Räuber Hotzenplotz und die Mondrakete" and "Pippi feiert Geburtstag" will be postponed until the season after next (2021/22), when Papageno Musiktheater will celebrate its 25th anniversary. The production of "The Man of La Mancha," which was originally scheduled to resume in August, will have to be taken off the schedule for the time being.
"We hope to be able to open the new season in September and then - apart from a few minor schedule changes - continue with our regular schedule again," said theater director Hans-Dieter Maienschein. "We are immensely sorry that we cannot announce better news. But the well-being of our guests and staff is, of course, our top priority. We sincerely hope that, despite this long period of standstill, our guests will continue to remain loyal to us after the crisis and visit us in exactly the same numbers as in previous years."
Those wishing to support Papageno Music Theatre in the meantime can do so by waiving refunds on tickets already purchased.
More info at: http://www.papageno-theater.en/
