As of: March 8, 2024, 9:00 a.m
By: Timo Aichele
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Faustus and the double Mephistopheles: a scene from the premiere on June 16, 2023. © Timo Aichele
“Complete success”: Mayor Heinz Grundner is satisfied with the outcome of the 2023 open-air spectacle. At a cost of 343,000 euros, the deficit is absolutely justifiable.
Dorfen
– The “Faust in Dorfen” was a win culturally and as an image boost for the city.
Those responsible agree on this.
Financially, there is now a loss of 25,000 euros.
And that is no loss for Mayor Heinz Grundner (CSU).
“We add 4.16 euros per admission ticket.
If you compare that with other theaters, it’s far less,” he explained at the main committee meeting on Wednesday.
There were no objections from the committee; it accepted the final report unanimously.
The city assumed a deficit of 10,000 euros when calculating, said Grundner.
Now it is 25,000 euros.
Treasurer Maria Bauer put the costs at 343,000 euros.
“The production itself was a precision landing,” she explained.
There was no inflation here.
However, the city had little experience in some costly areas.
For example, they had to spend more than expected on national advertising, security, insurance and the supply association for stages and theaters.
“We were already aware of artists’ social security contributions, but not this pension association,” says Bauer.
Last but not least, donations and sponsorship from businesses in Dorfen made this success possible, explained Mayor Grundner.
In addition, 79,000 euros came from the cultural fund of the Free State of Bavaria.
This funding showed that the “Faust in Dorfen” was also perceived as a significant cultural event across the region.
Grundner’s conclusion: “Faust was a complete success.
He will certainly remain in all of our memories.”
The open-air theater was rehearsed on the occasion of the city's 1250th anniversary.
Eight sold-out performances were shown on the Lower Market Square from mid-June 2023.
Around 6,500 spectators sat in the specially constructed stands, the city wrote in its final report.
The actual theater troupe consisted of 200 participants.
A total of 370 people were involved, including seven professional actors, 42 extras, 99 singers aged eight to 80 in the project choir, a small orchestra with nine musicians and 28 helpers behind the scenes.
There were also 36 city administration employees who ensured smooth entry and sold rain ponchos.
Jakobmayer's friends sold drinks with 15 volunteers.
There were also security with 25 personnel, fire brigade (76) and BRK (8).
The mayor now praised the eight performances – “despite all the prophecies of doom at the beginning” – to great acclaim.
The musical director and composer Ernst Bartmann and director Andreas Wiedermann were responsible for the artistic quality.