Bernhard-Theater Zürich

, as seen from Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG) ship MS Helvetia The Bernhard-Theater is an entertainment theater that housed in its early years guest performances and productions (spoken theater and music theater), initially having an own ensemble to establish a new workplace for the entertainment theater in Zürich. Rudolf Bernhard, a Swiss actor and comedian, founded at the former "Grand Café Esplanade" (built by J. Pfister Picault in 1925) the Rudolf-Bernhard-Theater which premierred on 19/20 December 1941. The ensemle performed farces and comedies in the Swiss German language. The ensemble comprised among others Ernst Bölsterli, Walburga Gmür, Bernard's wife Lisa Lienbach, Peter W. Staub and Willi Stettner; as guests appeared Heinrich Gretler, Emil Hegetschweiler, Alfred Rasser, Schaggi Streuli and Fredy Scheim. From the late 1940s, at the beginning of the season, the ensemble went on tour in Switzerland, while the parent company held guest performances. After the death of Bernhard in 1962 his widow handed over the management of the theater to the brothers Eynar and Vincent Grabowsky, resulting in a gradual diversification of the board: for one thing established Swiss German language (dialect) comedies and revues and dialect adaptations of farces (among others by Jörg Schneider) starring Paul Bühlmann, and "Bernhard-Littéraire". Inigo Gallo, Ursula Schäppi, Ruedi Walter, Margrit Rainer, Ines Torelli, Erich Vock and others. On the other hand, the theater also played in-house productions or guest performances, musicals and operettas, and contrived chanson evenings, drag shows, as well as farces and boulevard theater with popular actors (Willy Millowitsch, Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff, Horst Tappert) from Germany, and also children's and youth plays. In addition, Eynar Grabowsky initiated numerous thematic series like "Bernhard-Apéro" starred in about a dozen plays, musicals and farces on Bernhard-Theater between 1965 and 2001. Jörg Schneider (1935–2015), a popular Swiss stage and film actor (Lüthi und Blanc, Usfahrt Oerlike) and comedian starring usually in Swiss German language productions, was one of the most prominent members of the ensemble who also worked as a playwright for the theater's Swiss German language productions. == Facilities ==

The theater houses a proscenium stage (5.4 x 7.1 m/8.4 m x 3.9 m) with a multi-level rising auditorium that haves a seating capacity of about 400 spectators. == Present activities ==

Since August 2004, when the former management also failed, the premises are hired out for various occasions, For that reason, Hanna Scheuring, a Swiss actress known for her roles as cast of Fascht e Familie and Lüthi und Blanc, was appointed as the new director of the operations of the Bernhard Theater in October 2014, and she revitalized the so-called Bernhard-Apéro events. Scheuring, for example, modernized the Volkstheater program with performances by stand-up comedians from Germany and Switzerland, who have a monthly guest appearances. In this way, she tried to preserve the tradition of folk theater, but also to further develop it and adapt it to the changing needs of the audience. These include, for example, productions such as "Cabaret" on occasion of the theater's 75th anniversary in December 2016. The new own productions are also successful, particularly the so-called "Bernhard-Matinee" those discussions are moderated by Moritz Leuenberger. This is a revival of the "Bernhard-Apéro", and Leuenberger is according to Scheuring the perfect host. As well as the plays and productions by Erich Vock attract a wide audience. The interior of the theater has been unchanged, especially the tables where drinks are served, now is supplemented by a bar called "Bar Café Bernhard". == Directors ==

• Tanja Stenzl and Andreas Kotte (publisher): Theater am Neumarkt. In: Theaterlexikon der Schweiz. Volume 3, Chronos, Zürich 2005, . • Walter Grieder: Gueten Oobe mitenand. 50 Jahre Bernhard-Theater. Friedrich Reinhardt, Basel 1991, . == References ==