Ekhof-Theater, Palace theatre in Friedenstein Castle, Gotha, Germany
The Ekhof-Theater is a 17th-century court theater housed inside Friedenstein Castle in Gotha, Germany. The hall seats around 165 people across a ground floor and one balcony level, and still contains its original wooden stage machinery and painted scenery from that period.
The theater was built between 1681 and 1683 under Duke Friedrich I as a private performance space for the ducal court. In the late 18th century, under Conrad Ekhof, it became one of the first places in Germany where actors were employed on a permanent, salaried basis.
The theatre is named after Conrad Ekhof, who directed its company from 1775 to 1778 and is called the father of German acting. From 1775, under Duke Ernst II, it was one of the first German court theatres with a salaried resident ensemble, and paying townspeople were admitted for the first time. The annual Ekhof Festival has been held here each summer since 1996.
The theater is reached by walking through Friedenstein Castle, which is well signposted throughout. Seating is limited, so planning your visit ahead of time is a good idea, especially if you want to attend one of the occasional live performances held there.
The stage floor holds two intact trapdoors that could make people and props vanish and reappear, and a flying machine once let performers float above the stage; it no longer survives. The reconstructed wind and thunder machines are still used for sound effects.
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