Press-release. On the 29th of May and 1st of June at 11-00 tjg.theater junge generation (Dresden, Germany) on the Small stage of Saratov Academic Kiselev Youth Theater with two performances for the very young spectators.

tjg.theater junge generation (Dresden, Germany) will present on the stage of Saratov Academic Kiselev Youth Theater two performances for the very young spectators:
«Funkeldunkel Lichtgedicht»
29 May at 11.00
the Small Stage of the new theater building
«Fingerfühl, Hörehell und Schlauschau»
1 June at 11.00
the Small Stage of the new theater building

The project is funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation/ Wanderlust Fund

Saratov Academic Kiselev Youth Theater in 2010-2012 carries out a collaboration project with tjg.Theater Junge Generation (Dresden, Germany) as part of the overall cultural development between our cities and countries.

In November 2009 a delegation from the Dresden Theatre for the Young Generation (Germany) managing director Felicitas Loewe and artistic director’s assistant Anna Schmidt visited Saratov Youth Theater. The 3 years collaboration creative project for children was developed together with German guests.

From the 4th to 9th of November 2010 Saratov Academic Kiselev Youth Theater was on tour to Dresden tjg.Theatre for the Young Generation and Chemnitz with the performance "A Sprout" for children from 2 to 5 years old. As part of the tour master-classes and laboratories were held with the participation of the Saratov and Dresden theaters’ actors who will participate in the collaborate performance. The tour of Dresden Theater to Saratov and Volgograd is planned for the end of May - beginning June 2011, the work of the master-classes will also be continued. As a result of the collaborative work of the theaters in 2012 two performances for the little spectators will appear in both theaters’ repertoires.

Theatre for the very young has deeply enriched the cultural landscape and accomplishes an important contribution to cultural education for early years. tjg.theater junge generation has been part of a two year initial program for the German children and youth theatre centre called „Theater für die Allerkleinsten“ (theatre for the very young), which was about the exploration of children's reception from two years old and research of the communication with children and their reception, involving children in a rule-governed fantasy play. The process of the development of this theatre type is not finished so far regarding the methodical, aesthetical and contextual approaches. In difference to the German tradition Russian theater is more about unified aesthetical works that involve children a bit less. The staging is characterized by a specific picturesque set. That's where the approach differs essentially from the German theater, which is mostly characterized by more open type of play, a renunciation from epic structures as well as an inclusion of performative basic elements. In the Russian tradition the direct communication with children doesn't play that important role.

The joint project tends to bring together the experiences of both theatres in the communication with the spectators as well as in the development of a common universal theatre language, type of play and aesthetical work for spectators from two years old. Along this the system of symbols of the German theater for children, which has been established in the relatively short period in Germany shall be enhanced and completed by the special Russian picture language and acting targeted for the special reception of little children.

tjg. theater junge generation, Dresden, Germany

Founded in 1949 as „Theater für Kinder, Dresden, Deutsche Volksbühne" the tjg. theater junge generation (theatre of young generation - tjg.) is Germany's second oldest and one of the biggest Children and Youth Theatre. Under its roof works an acting ensemble with 18 actors and actresses, four musicians and since 1997, after the fusion with the Puppentheater Dresden seven puppet players in the second section of the tjg. the puppet theatre.

In 1950 the theatre moved into the former ballroom „Constantia" in the western part of the city, close the Elbe river banks. Right there the acting ensemble works and plays on three stages, one big hall and two studio stages. Those stages offer space for about 650 spectators. Performances of the Puppentheater take place in the city's centre . The studio theatre on Prager Straße comes along with a capicity of 100 seats.

In the repertoire of tjg. theater junge generation one can find fairytales, classics, contemporary literature and since 2008 the so called „Theater für die Allerkleinsten" (theatre for the very young), coming up with performances for children from 2 years of age. Every year about 90 000 visitors of different age find their way into one or more of the about 650 performances of 30 stagings plus about 20 premiers per season.

With the beginning of the season 2008/09 the Theatre Academy (tjg. theaterakademie) was founded. It's a conceptional development out of the department of theatre education at the tjg, created for new requirements regarding practical experience. A central aspect is intensified participation - the Theatre Academy is a modern offer to play for kids, teenagers and young adults - but most of all - to play WITH them, to let them become an active part in every stage of the creative process of an staging.

Since the beginning of the Nineties the tjg. theater junge generation performs on several open air stages during summer time all over the city, ranging from a stage inside the city's castle to a zoo stage and one in the park.

Funkeldunkel Lichtgedicht
Sparkly-darklight poem
29 May at 11.00
The Small Stage of New theater building
Theatre for the Very Young
over 2 years old

Is light a high note? How does a rainbow get into the water? Can you play with a ball of light, or even with the moon? Beginning with simple play situations, three actors and a musician develop a show with light and shadow, with sounds and silences for the youngest of audiences.

Director: Ania Michaelis
Stage Costumes: Grit Dora von Zeschau
Composer+Live Musician: Bernd Sikora
Cast: Marja Hofmann, Klaus Frenzel, Manuel Krstanović. Steeldrums Bernd Sikora.

A tall man is here.
An old man arrives, next comes a small woman
and another tall man.

They play, discover and sing together.
Is light a twinkling high note?
Who am I - in the Light? In the Dark?
A tiny thing can sparkle.
Can you see my hand in the Light?
Is this your shadow? Or not?
Imagine how the world began.
In the beginning everything begins.


Fingerfühl, Hörehell und Schlauschau
Feelfinger, Brightear and Smarteye
1 June at 11.00
The Small Stage of New theater building
Theatre for the Very Young
over 2 years old

director Ania Michaelis
set and costume design Grit Dora von Zeschau
actors Erik Brünner, Franziska Herrmann and Babette Kuschel


A start has been made. We have landed on earth, have made our first steps and have looked around. Open for everything we see. We are not alone. And what now? Should we hide? Should we get to know each other? Can we play together? Do we have to fight? Or should we start to invent something?
This new production in the series of Theatre for the Very Young is about getting aware of yourself and of others. It shows, how it works to be with others, how delightful it is to try out and experience things in company, how it feels to be together and nevertheless feel lonely sometimes. Performed, danced, froliced around and sung-along - with and without words.

About Ania Michaelis, director
Ania Michaelis was born in Westfalen, Germany. After her studies at »Totales Theater« in Switzerland, she developed independent projects and has directed at various theatres in Berlin, Mannheim, Dresden, Frankfurt/Main, Frankfurt/Oder and Halle. Since 2001 she has been active as inventor, artistic director, director and actress. She has been occupied with Theatre for the Very Young since 2005. Her production of "O Heaven Blue" (2007) for children of 2 years and older was invited to national and international Fes- tivals and many of her productions have been awarded prizes. From 2011/12 season onwards she will be first director of the tjg. theatre and tjg. puppet theatre.

Why perform Theatre for the Very Young?
I would venture to say that the interest for this new genre comes from the original source of theatre. Theatre for the Very Young has to do with original popular theatre, because without the audience nothing will work, least of all l´art pour l´art - for then the little ones will quickly become more interested in their shoes. Viewers have a right to art, poetry, theatre from the beginning. I remember a sentence I heard at the First Steps Festival in Hamm in 2005: “We are human beings from the start, not human becomings!” Even the very young are exposed to news, media and floods of images. Theatre can counteract. If it is able to do this, then it is a duty to do it.

What kind of responsibility does it take to perform for the two years old?
For an extraordinarily young audience to attend our performance is a first contact with performing arts. This I regard as a commitment and a challenge. Additionally, the situation in which the performance takes place has to be considered. Young viewers don´t come on their own but are accompanied by adults who are often more excited than the little ones. They ask themselves: “Will the child like the theatre, will it shape it's life, was bringing the child to see the performance the right choice? Will it later be able to spend an afternoon at the theatre? Will I like it? Will it be boring, childish or trivial?”
For the very young the world is new and innocent. There is no irony, no cynical distance. We have to be concrete, have to mean what we say, do or play at. The little ones are very competent in abstract thought and have boundless imagination.