Staatsschauspiel Dresden Kleines Haus

The Kleines Haus stands in Dresden, a city in Saxony. It belongs to the Staatsschauspiel Dresden, one of the Sächsischen Staatstheater that began as the Königliches Hoftheater. The theatre has two stages, the Schauspielhaus and this smaller venue. In 2024–25 the company welcomed 210 000 visitors across both houses. The ensemble includes 44 actors and actresses. The building sits close to the Zwinger, sharing its baroque language. The house matters because it has housed avant-garde drama since the early 20th century. In 1918 it premiered Reinhard Goerings Seeschlacht, a war play that won the Kleist Prize and scandalised audiences. Walter Hasenclevers Der Sohn followed the same year, helping expressionism break through on German stages. Directors like Berthold Viertel used the house to build ensemble theatre in opposition to Berlin’s grand style. The hydraulic stage machinery survived the 1945 bombing thanks to quick thinking by the machines’ keeper. Visitors find a compact playhouse with modern sightlines and clear sight to the stage. The auditorium’s curved balconies and stripped plaster walls let light move across the space. The stage itself still carries traces of the original water-hydraulic lifts that once raised whole sections of floor. The proximity to the Zwinger’s arcades means the walk from ticket desk to seat is short. The ensemble’s regular repertory offers fresh perspectives on classic and contemporary plays.