A Cabinet Exhibition of the German Theatre Museum.
Between 1872 and 1885, over 200 exclusive performances of plays, operas, and ballets take place in Munich at the Residence and National Theatre specifically for King Ludwig II. These so-called private performances offer the monarch an opportunity to escape his daily life into more ideal worlds. He immerses himself in fantasies, allowing himself to be transported to exotic and mythical scenarios, momentarily evading reality.
In a cabinet exhibition, the Deutsches Theatermuseum showcases models, stage and costume designs, photographs of individual performance moments, and portraits of roles that King Ludwig II had lavishly commissioned. These items serve as lasting testimonies to his fleeting passion for theatre. Original scripts and director's notes offer insights into the "royal program" of fairy-tale or idealized absolutist worlds. The objects reveal Ludwig II's perfectionist demands on the set design, performers, and the cutting-edge stage technology of these exclusive performances, providing a glimpse into the king's strategies of escape and fascination.
Special thanks to the Munich Residenz Museum for their generous support and for granting permission for four special interventions..
With the kind support of
MPZ – Museumspädagogisches Zentrum
THEATERMUSEASTEN – Freunde des Deutschen Theatermuseums e.V.
Bayerische Staatsoper
Curator: Susanne de Ponte
Assistant: Petra Kraus
Exhibition Graphics: Christoph Sauter
Exhibition Installations: Michael Gschwill
