Visit to the Aalto Theatre in Essen – An exciting behind-the-scenes look

As part of a varied guided tour, our students gained insight into and behind the scenes of the famous theatre, which is named after the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and was built between 1983 and 1988.

We visited the props department and the make-up room, sat in the auditorium, and viewed the front and rear stages, gaining an impressive look into theatre life. We were also allowed to ride the freight elevator—large enough to fit a truck—which was once used to transport a carriage with four horses for a performance to bring it onto the stage!

Nearly 500 people work at and in this theatre to delight audiences with drama, singing, and dance. We learned about the various professions in the theatre and, among other things, gained an interesting impression of the in-house carpentry workshop, where the sets and stage designs for different productions are made.

After our tour of the theatre, we took part in a theatre workshop in which our students were able to take on a wide range of tasks for several scenes from the opera “Hansel and Gretel”: make-up, lighting and sound, costumes, set design, and of course acting. Our students had the opportunity to experience for themselves what it feels like on and behind the stage—an impressive experience that thrilled everyone!

Two exciting days are behind us! Many thanks to the Aalto Theatre for these fascinating insights into the special world of theatre and to the Realschule Grünstraße support association, which provided financial support for our visit and made it possible.

We would be very happy to return!

Ms. Balscheit, Ms. Backhaus, and students from the DaZ courses