Theater o.N.
Small stage with a big programme
Theatre from the very beginning is the concept behind Theater o.N. in Prenzlauer Berg, which offers programmes for children two years and older, although grown-ups are also welcome to come to this tiny theatre.
The Theater o.N. may well be one of the smallest stages in the city and its audiences some of the youngest, but doesn't keep the actors and puppeteers, musicians, directors, and writers from staging big theatre.
The o.N. has set itself the task of creating cultural activities for everyone regardless of their age and background. Theater o.N. develops pieces for children as young as two years of age. Every two years, the theatre also organises the FRATZ International Theatre Festival for Very Young Audiences. The productions have become famous beyond Berlin and even Germany and the ensemble has received multiple awards for its commitment to children's theatre.
The stage is located in the popular district of Prenzlauer Berg and is a studio theatre that can be arranged flexibly. The stage is just 5.5 by 7 metres in size and only 50 people can fit in the seats.
From the GDR to the present: the history and the programme of Theater o.N.
Theater o.N. was the first and, for a long time, the only independent theatre in East Germany. The network of actors, puppeteers, directors, musicians, and writers are still at it now 30 years later.
In the 1980s, they created seminal works like traumhaft and The Town Musicians of Bremen. To this day, the company continues to follow the approach of biographical theatre, producing pieces without pre-written scripts.
Priorities and projects
The theatre's focus is very clear: to introduce children to the theatre from a very early age. It is particularly important that children from low-income families gain access to the theatre, which has lead Theater o.N. to expand beyond its neighbourhood and work on projects with children and teenagers from Marzahn. The artists also use the concept of biographical theatre in this work.
