Theater is a place where everything becomes possible. Together with you, we want to explore this magic in all its facets—whether through language, movement, or music—and look behind the scenes. We take on current topics and bring them to the stage as lively spoken theater, aiming to captivate curious minds and theater enthusiasts alike.
The Junges Schauspielhaus Zürich offers space for bold ideas and inspiring encounters. Let’s embark on a journey of discovery together, full of curiosity—the adventure begins now!
♥ The Junges Schauspielhaus is supported by the Ernst Göhner Stiftung, the Elisabeth Weber Stiftung, and the Komplizen Klub.
Banden
Are you between 14 and 24 years old and interested in theater? Then you’ve come to the right place with the Banden (crews) of the Junges Schauspielhaus. The Banden are a participatory program for young people who rehearse, discover, and explore different areas of theater together once a week for an entire season. At the end, you will create your own production or another final format.
These are the gangs
All Banden are co-led by professional theater makers, some of whom work at the Schauspielhaus themselves. In addition to the weekly rehearsals, many other opportunities await you. As part of your crew membership, you will receive a U30 theater subscription, allowing you to go to the theater as much as you like. We also organize rehearsal visits for productions currently in progress at the Schauspielhaus. Together, we hold post-show discussions and exchange ideas with the other crews. Since the 2025/26 season, we have 3 Banden, each with a clear focus.
At the BANDEN SCHNUPPERTREFFEN on September 12, you will have the opportunity to get to know all the Banden leaders and experience firsthand how the three different Banden work. After the Schnuppertreffen, you can sign up for the Banden by choosing two priorities. We look forward to seeing you!
Registration for the BANDEN SCHNUPPERTREFFEN is done via a free ticket in the ticket shop.
Sprechtheater-Bande
In the Sprechtheater-Bande, participants work on a text-based level. The group develops a spoken theatre piece focusing on the themes of joy, fear, anger, and hope. Through discussions, improvisation, as well as vocal, physical, and writing work, personal and collective stories are created for the stage. The central focus is the question of how generational labels and stereotypes—such as those directed at Gen Z—shape young people and what impact these have on their social and political engagement.
Co-directors: Ali Napoé and Deborah Macauley
Bewegungstheater-Bande
With the question "How to start?", the Bewegungtheater-Bande explores how working and moving together can begin. In doing so, they examine everyday beginnings as well as the start of political and social movements. A shared choreography is developed from texts, images, music, and other materials. The physical theatre group is particularly suited for people who prefer working with their bodies instead of their voices and who are interested in group processes and collective creation.
Co-directors: Wilma Schapp, Jette Clasen and Lea Oltmanns
Behind-The-Scenes-Bande
The Behind-the-Scenes-Bande focuses on all the areas that usually remain hidden—everything that happens backstage. While technical priorities like lighting, sound, or video play a major role, the group is just as heavily involved with questions of text and dramaturgy. The behind-the-scenes group is the ideal place for young people who love theatre or want to get to know it better, but don't really feel like being on stage themselves. It is the perfect meeting point for tech enthusiasts, theatre nerds, and future scenographers, directors, or dramaturgs. You choose the presentation format of the group yourselves.
Co-directors: Sarah Büchel and Nicole Heri
Theaterjahr
The Theaterjahr at Schauspielhaus Zürich offers five young people the opportunity to immerse themselves intensively in the world of theatre. Throughout the entire season, they are a part of the Schauspielhaus team and gain diverse insights into the creative and organizational processes of a municipal theatre. During their year-long internship, they actively support the educational work of the Junges Schauspielhaus, assist with a production in an area of their choice (e.g., directing, costume, or stage design), and complete multi-week internships across the various departments of the Schauspielhaus. In addition, the Theaterjahr coordinates the OFFENE BÜHNE (October to May). To conclude the season at the Schauspielhaus, the Theaterjahr participants realize their own production. Both formats take place in the Schiffbau Matchbox.
The theatre year 2025/26 consists of Maïmouna Abou Aw Bräm, Eren Arda Vural, Neftalem Tewelde Tekeste, Linus Maria Hausammann und Anouk Wieland.
contact: theaterjahr@schauspielhaus.ch
© Binta Kopp
Open Stage
Once a month, the Theaterjahr invites you to the OFFENE BÜHNE [Open Stage] at the Matchbox in the Schiffbau. You can sing, dance, put on a theatre performance, hold a poetry slam, play games with the audience, or do something completely different – anything goes! You get ten minutes to make the stage your moment. There’s also a bar!
You can either sign up in advance by emailing theaterjahr@schauspielhaus.ch or just drop by on the night and join in.
Admission is free, but places are limited – we look forward to seeing you!
final project
After a year spent gaining insights into every aspect of theatre, the Theaterjahr is given the opportunity to stage their own production.
I’M JUST HERE FOR THE KISSES
BY AND WITH: Maïmouna Abou Aw, Eren Arda Vural,
Linus Maria Hausammann and Anouk Wieland
SCHIFFBAU MATCHBOX
WORLD PREMIERE: 20.06.2026
Further performances: 21 & 22 June 2026
Look inside
A variety of programs for children, teenagers, and adults offer unique opportunities to connect with Schauspielhaus Zürich, get active in theatre themselves, and temporarily immerse themselves in the world of theatre. From school children to retirees – we look forward to meeting you on the stages, rehearsal stages, and in the workshops!
Vacation course
Immerse yourself in the world of theatre during the school holidays, take a look behind the scenes, and act on stage with other children. The course is aimed at children aged 8 to 12. The next holiday course will take place during the winter sports holidays (Sportferien). Information and registration are handled through the Sports Office of the City of Zürich (Sportamt der Stadt Zürich).
Review of the last holiday theatre course (9 February 2026 – 13 February 2026): MONDSCHEIN UND LÖWE
In the past theatre course MONDSCHEIN UND LÖWE, the children immersed themselves in scenes from a kid-friendly version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. They played craftspeople, fairies, and royals, and created their very own unique enchanted forest creatures. Together, we attended a rehearsal of the Schauspielhaus ensemble and gained an insight into their production of SOMMERNACHTSTRAUM. At the end of the holiday week, the kids performed a short play. Family, friends, and the Schauspielhaus ensemble all came to watch!
Future Day
On Thursday, 12 November, Schauspielhaus Zürich opens the doors of its offices, workshops, and rehearsal rooms to students in the 5th and 6th grades. Here, you will get to know a wide variety of theatre professions firsthand and discover an exciting workplace. Together, we will attend a dress rehearsal of this year's family play DER KLEINE PRINZ and design our own shirts featuring motifs from the production!
youth dramaturgy
Are you between 12 and 16 years old and wondering how a play makes its way from the page to the stage? As a youth dramaturg, you will experience this process up close. From the first group reading of the script to one of the final rehearsals, you will be there to participate and help shape the production over five rehearsal days.
Interested? Then get in touch with us: jungesschauspielhaus@schauspielhaus.ch
Open Acting Training
Every month, a member of the Schauspielhaus ensemble provides insights into theatre techniques. Whether it's stage presence, voice training, movement or improvisation tips – here you'll find new ideas and inspiration. For anyone aged 16 and over who wants to get a taste of the stage, experience theatre up close or get to know the professionals behind the scenes. You can find the current data in our programme.
About us
As co-directors – Johanna Benrath, Elo Göldi, and Lea Niedermann – we curate a high-quality program for a young audience at the Schiffbau Matchbox. Our vision is to transform the Junge Schauspielhaus into a vibrant meeting point for people across generations. In doing so, we create opportunities for Zurich to participate in the theater—on stage, in the auditorium, or within spaces of dialogue. We stand for a discrimination-sensitive approach and are committed to an openness toward diverse theatrical forms and perspectives. We purposefully bridge our work with the main program of the Schauspielhaus Zürich, weaving together complex themes and diverse lived realities. Together with you, we want to open doors, spark fresh ideas, and actively involve people without prior theater experience in the magic of this place. We look forward to thinking, celebrating, and creating something new together!
MANAGEMENT JUNGES SCHAUSPIELHAUS
Johanna Benrath, Elo Göldi, Lea Niedermann
jungesschauspielhaus@schauspielhaus.ch
netzwerk wildi blaatere
Director Johanna Benrath, scenographer Lea Niedermann, and dramaturg Elo Göldi realized theater projects for various age groups in Zurich's independent theater scene with the netzwerk wildi blaatere from 2019 to 2025. Since the 2025/26 season, they have been directing the Junge Schauspielhaus, while staging one production per theater season at the Schauspielhaus in collaboration with the netzwerk wildi blaatere.
The netzwerk wildi blaatere creates contemporary spoken theater and engages deeply with both the themes addressed and the audience. During the development of the production and the text, the artists love to involve their audience. They offer tailored arts education and outreach formats for both young people and adults.
Within their working processes, the artists question traditional hierarchies. Together, they strive for equitable and transparent production structures and stand for a contemporary form of theater-making.
