about Peter Stein
Peter Stein is one of the most critically acclaimed directors of German theatre and opera, known for his leadership of the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, a company that he brought to the forefront of German theatre.
Born in Berlin in 1937, Stein studied literature and art history in Frankfurt and later in Munich, where he completed his Doctoral thesis on the works of romantic author E. T. A. Hoffmann. Pursuing a longstanding interest in theatre, Stein frequented the Munich Kammerspiele and was deeply impressed by the productions of Fritz Kortner. After becoming Kortner’s assistant, Stein was granted the opportunity to direct his first production in 1967. His staging of Edward Bond’s Saved catapulted Stein into the limelight and was acclaimed ‘Best Production of the Year’ by the influential German magazine Theater Heute. Stein followed his inaugural success with a series of politically charged pieces, including Peter Weiss’s Vietnam Discourse, Edward Bond’s Early Morning, Sean O’Casey’s Cock-a-Doodle Dandy, Middleton and Rowley’s The Changeling, and Goethe’s Torquato Tasso.
Recognizing Stein’s political vision, Berlin’s politicians in 1970 selected Stein to take over the Schaubühne theatre and run it as an egalitarian democracy. Under his leadership, the Schaubühne’s most important productions included Ibsen’s Peer Gynt (1971), Kleist’s Prinz Friedrich von Homburg (1972), Handke’s Die Unvernuenftigen sterben aus (1974), and Nigel William’s Klassenfeind (1981). Most importantly, Stein’s 1980 revival of Aeschylus’s The Oresteia is known as one of the most significant works in German theatre history, and was reproduced in Russia in 1994.
In 1985, Stein left the Schaubühne to become a freelance director of Opera and theatre plays in important international productions. He celebrated huge successes with his Chekhov plays, Three Sisters (1984 for the Schaubühne), The Cherry Orchard (1989 for the Schaubühne and 1995 for the Salzburg Festival) and Uncle Vanya (1995 for the Schaubuehne). After serving as the director of the prestigious Salzburg Festival from 1992 to 1997, Stein took on several large-scale productions of considerable significance. His unabridged, 22-hour version of Goethe’s Faust premiered at the Expo in Hannover in 2000, before touring to Berlin and Vienna. He followed this success with another huge project in 2007, when he directed Schiller’s entire Wallenstein (10 hrs.) for the Berliner Ensemble.
Stein’s theatrical achievements are mirrored by his successes as an opera director. His most important productions include Rheingold, conducted by Georg Stolti in Paris in 1976; Otello at the Welsh National Opera in 1987; Moses und Aron, conducted by Pierre Boulez at the Salzburg Festival in 1996; Don Giovanni for the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2004; Eugen Onegin and Pique Dame For the Opéra National de Lyon in 2007 and 2008, respectively; Dallapiccola’s Il prigioniero and Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle for la Scala in Milan and Amsterdam in 2008; and Berg’s Lulu in Lyon, Milan and Vienna in 2009; Boris Godounov for the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2010. In 2011, Stein mounted a new production of Verdi’s Macbeth for the Salzburg Festival, featuring conductor Ricardo Muti.
Major Productions:
1967
· Saved by Edward Bond, adapted by Martin Sperr, in its West German premiere at the Werkraumtheater der Kammerspiele in Munich.
· Intrigue and Love by Friedrich Schiller at the Bremer Theater in Bremen.
1968
· In The Jungle of Cities by Bertolt Brecht at the Werkraumtheater der Kammerspiele in Munich.
· Vietnam-Discourse by Peter Weiss, co-directed with Wolfgang Schwiedrzik, at the Werkraumtheater der Kammerspiele in Munich.
1969
· Torquato Tasso by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Bremen)
· Early Morning by Edward Bond (Schauspielhaus Zuerich).
1970
· The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley (Zuerich).
· The Mother by Bertolt Brecht (Schaubuehne).
1971
· Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen (Schaubuehne)
1972
· Optimistic Tragedy by Vsevolod Vishnevsky (Schaubuehne).
· Prince von Homburg by Kleist (Schaubuehne).
1974
· Antikenprojekt I (Schaubuehne).
· Summerfolk by Maxim Gorky (Schaubuehne)
1977
· As You Like It by William Shakespeare (Schaubuehne).
1980
· Oresteia by Aeschylus (Schaubuehne)
1983
· The Blacks by Jean Genet (Schaubuehne).
1984
· Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov (Schaubuehne)
1987
The Hairy Ape by Eugene O’Neill (Schaubuehne)
1992
· Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (Salzburg Festival)
1994
· Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare (Salzburg Festival).
1998
· Hamlet by William Shakespeare (performed in Russian/ Japanese; Tokyo)
2000
· Faust I & II by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Expo Hannover).
· Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi ( Osterfestspiele Salzburg).
2003
· The Seagull by Anton Chekhov (Edinburgh Festival).
2004
Don Giovanni by Mozart at the Lyric Opera, Chicago
· Blackbird by David Harrower (Edinburgh Festival).
· Medea by Euripides (Syrakus and Epidaurus)>
2006
· Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare (Edinburgh Festival).
· Mazeppa by Tchaikovsky and Burenin (Lyon).
2007
· Electra by Sophocles (Epidaurus).
· Wallenstein by Schiller (Berliner Ensemble).
2008
· The Broken Jug by Kleist at the Berliner Ensemble.
2010
· Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles ( Salzburg Festival).
·
· Boris Godounov by Mussorgski ( Metropolitan Opera, New York).
·
2013
Le Prix Martin by Eugene Labiche (Odéon-Théatre, Paris).
The Last Tape by Beckett (Schloss Neuhardenberg).
King Lear by Shakespeare (Burgtheater, Vienna).
Born in Berlin in 1937, Stein studied literature and art history in Frankfurt and later in Munich, where he completed his Doctoral thesis on the works of romantic author E. T. A. Hoffmann. Pursuing a longstanding interest in theatre, Stein frequented the Munich Kammerspiele and was deeply impressed by the productions of Fritz Kortner. After becoming Kortner’s assistant, Stein was granted the opportunity to direct his first production in 1967. His staging of Edward Bond’s Saved catapulted Stein into the limelight and was acclaimed ‘Best Production of the Year’ by the influential German magazine Theater Heute. Stein followed his inaugural success with a series of politically charged pieces, including Peter Weiss’s Vietnam Discourse, Edward Bond’s Early Morning, Sean O’Casey’s Cock-a-Doodle Dandy, Middleton and Rowley’s The Changeling, and Goethe’s Torquato Tasso.
Recognizing Stein’s political vision, Berlin’s politicians in 1970 selected Stein to take over the Schaubühne theatre and run it as an egalitarian democracy. Under his leadership, the Schaubühne’s most important productions included Ibsen’s Peer Gynt (1971), Kleist’s Prinz Friedrich von Homburg (1972), Handke’s Die Unvernuenftigen sterben aus (1974), and Nigel William’s Klassenfeind (1981). Most importantly, Stein’s 1980 revival of Aeschylus’s The Oresteia is known as one of the most significant works in German theatre history, and was reproduced in Russia in 1994.
In 1985, Stein left the Schaubühne to become a freelance director of Opera and theatre plays in important international productions. He celebrated huge successes with his Chekhov plays, Three Sisters (1984 for the Schaubühne), The Cherry Orchard (1989 for the Schaubühne and 1995 for the Salzburg Festival) and Uncle Vanya (1995 for the Schaubuehne). After serving as the director of the prestigious Salzburg Festival from 1992 to 1997, Stein took on several large-scale productions of considerable significance. His unabridged, 22-hour version of Goethe’s Faust premiered at the Expo in Hannover in 2000, before touring to Berlin and Vienna. He followed this success with another huge project in 2007, when he directed Schiller’s entire Wallenstein (10 hrs.) for the Berliner Ensemble.
Stein’s theatrical achievements are mirrored by his successes as an opera director. His most important productions include Rheingold, conducted by Georg Stolti in Paris in 1976; Otello at the Welsh National Opera in 1987; Moses und Aron, conducted by Pierre Boulez at the Salzburg Festival in 1996; Don Giovanni for the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2004; Eugen Onegin and Pique Dame For the Opéra National de Lyon in 2007 and 2008, respectively; Dallapiccola’s Il prigioniero and Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle for la Scala in Milan and Amsterdam in 2008; and Berg’s Lulu in Lyon, Milan and Vienna in 2009; Boris Godounov for the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2010. In 2011, Stein mounted a new production of Verdi’s Macbeth for the Salzburg Festival, featuring conductor Ricardo Muti.
Major Productions:
1967
· Saved by Edward Bond, adapted by Martin Sperr, in its West German premiere at the Werkraumtheater der Kammerspiele in Munich.
· Intrigue and Love by Friedrich Schiller at the Bremer Theater in Bremen.
1968
· In The Jungle of Cities by Bertolt Brecht at the Werkraumtheater der Kammerspiele in Munich.
· Vietnam-Discourse by Peter Weiss, co-directed with Wolfgang Schwiedrzik, at the Werkraumtheater der Kammerspiele in Munich.
1969
· Torquato Tasso by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Bremen)
· Early Morning by Edward Bond (Schauspielhaus Zuerich).
1970
· The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley (Zuerich).
· The Mother by Bertolt Brecht (Schaubuehne).
1971
· Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen (Schaubuehne)
1972
· Optimistic Tragedy by Vsevolod Vishnevsky (Schaubuehne).
· Prince von Homburg by Kleist (Schaubuehne).
1974
· Antikenprojekt I (Schaubuehne).
· Summerfolk by Maxim Gorky (Schaubuehne)
1977
· As You Like It by William Shakespeare (Schaubuehne).
1980
· Oresteia by Aeschylus (Schaubuehne)
1983
· The Blacks by Jean Genet (Schaubuehne).
1984
· Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov (Schaubuehne)
1987
The Hairy Ape by Eugene O’Neill (Schaubuehne)
1992
· Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (Salzburg Festival)
1994
· Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare (Salzburg Festival).
1998
· Hamlet by William Shakespeare (performed in Russian/ Japanese; Tokyo)
2000
· Faust I & II by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Expo Hannover).
· Simon Boccanegra by Giuseppe Verdi ( Osterfestspiele Salzburg).
2003
· The Seagull by Anton Chekhov (Edinburgh Festival).
2004
Don Giovanni by Mozart at the Lyric Opera, Chicago
· Blackbird by David Harrower (Edinburgh Festival).
· Medea by Euripides (Syrakus and Epidaurus)>
2006
· Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare (Edinburgh Festival).
· Mazeppa by Tchaikovsky and Burenin (Lyon).
2007
· Electra by Sophocles (Epidaurus).
· Wallenstein by Schiller (Berliner Ensemble).
2008
· The Broken Jug by Kleist at the Berliner Ensemble.
2010
· Oedipus at Colonus by Sophocles ( Salzburg Festival).
·
· Boris Godounov by Mussorgski ( Metropolitan Opera, New York).
·
2013
Le Prix Martin by Eugene Labiche (Odéon-Théatre, Paris).
The Last Tape by Beckett (Schloss Neuhardenberg).
King Lear by Shakespeare (Burgtheater, Vienna).