The Kleine Theater Haar is celebrating its new start with an open-air festival and a full stage program.
"We are not the losers of the pandemic," emphasizes director Matthias Riedel-Rüppel.
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- The temperatures are pleasantly mild, the last rays of the sun fight their way through the tall trees.
The guests toast each other with beer or wine glasses, the musicians quietly tune their instruments.
A typical beer garden evening, but something very special: It is the first "evening after work with music" in the theater beer garden of the small theater in the "post coronam" era.
"Tricia & Band" opens the KTH summer open air.
The guests are impartial, but not careless.
The FFP2 mask lies naturally on the table, next to a glass, knife and fork.
But Corona is not an issue.
Happy reunion in the theater garden
“Nice to see you”, that is the most popular sentence of the evening, followed by “How long have we not seen each other?” An expression of how much the 100 visitors enjoy finally meeting again, talking to each other and regain their freedom.
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A stroke of luck for the small theater: Matthias Riedel-Rüppel spurred the crisis on to find new ways.
© Sabina Brosch
Angelika Kolben and Carola Richarz are having a good time, “on our first evening that we are among people again.” After good Bavarian beer garden culture, they have their own snack with them. A few tables away, Mayor Andreas Bukowski is still sitting alone at the table, his friends and acquaintances are still coming. “It's so beautiful here. At that moment I know what I've been missing. "
Theater director Matthias Riedel-Rüppel is someone who also enjoys the ambience.
He greets every single guest, in between restarting the crashed till system of the catering stands, explains the Luca app at the entrance and greets his guests at seven o'clock sharp.
“We in the Small Theater are not the losers of the pandemic,” he emphasizes.
Even though “survival” has left its mark.
"I'm really looking forward to this and the next evenings, but actually I'm exhausted," says Artistic Director Riedel-Rüppel.
52 events streamed behind closed doors
In lockdown he did not allow himself any rest.
He was looking for ways to keep the culture alive, streamed 52 events from the hall, and not just in any way, but in top quality.
“To do it very well, that was my aim.” But the crisis also spurred him on and motivated him to find new sources of income.
New sources of income found
The small theater was transformed into a film studio, training films, webinars and speeches were recorded, edited and, in the end, finished articles were produced. “We made money with that,” says Riedel-Rüppel. “In my mind I could have unscrewed the sign on the door, but that was out of the question.” And so he didn't have to send a single employee on short-time work or even lay them off, on the contrary, he hired two event technicians through the new line of business . "We have realigned ourselves in terms of personnel, I have a team that I'm incredibly proud of."
Hybrid or digital events will also take place during the pandemic, for example when the hall is fully booked and the demand for tickets is high.
But also in order to continue serving the national audience, "we had spectators all over Germany."
Kassensturz will be made in a year
In May of next year he wants to balance, “then we will see what it cost us and what it brought us.” He horrifies everyday uniformity in his job, just as he has never made a distinction between weekend and weekday.
"I'm totally happy here."
"Kulturfuzzi" through and through: "I'm totally happy here"
Riedel-Rüppel has been the head of the house for six years. In a few weeks he will be celebrating his 50th birthday, which is a turning point for many who may change his career again, but not for him. “I have everything here, I don't lack anything, and I have a lot of freedom.” He is a “culture fuzzi” through and through in all its facets: he unlocks the theater door, helps set up the stage, negotiates fees and manages performances, develops new formats, is a project manager, head of personnel and, of course, a representative of the theater. Everyday uniformity at work is a horror to him, just as he has never differentiated between weekend and weekday. "I'm totally happy here."