Meiningen Court Theatre
The Meiningen Theatre, now called the Meininger Staatstheater (Meiningen State Theatre), is a four-division theater in the Thuringian town of Meiningen. The theatre offers music theatre (opera, operetta, musicals), drama, concerts and puppet theatre. The programme is further enhanced by the inclusion of ballet performances produced and performed by Landestheater Eisenach. The orchestra affiliated with the theatre is the Meininger Hofkapelle (Meiningen Court Orchestra). Until 2017, the theatre operated as "Südthüringisches Staatstheater" (South Thuringian State Theatre) before changing its name to "Meininger Staatstheater" (Meiningen State Theatre). It is jointly funded by the state, city and county of Schmalkalden Meiningen under the umbrella of the Cultural Foundation Meiningen-Eisenach, Thuringia.
Meiningen is the birthplace of the modern director's theatre which was famously promoted by the theatre's acting ensemble - dubbed as "Die Meininger" – during guest appearances throughout Europe in the years 1874 to 1890. Between 1880 and 1914, the Meininger Hofkapelle was conducted by Hans von Bülow, Richard Strauss, Wilhelm Berger and Max Reger. To this day, this tradition, its history and further successes has secured the Meininger Theater a special place in the theatre world. The importance of the Meiningen Theatre is highlighted by the Thuringian region naming Meiningen "Theaterstadt" (theatre town).
