Stainach Theatre Group

The Stainach theater group is one of the oldest in Styria. Even in the years before and after the First World War, Stainach had a very active and successful ensemble. Photographic evidence testifies to lively activity up until the Second World War. In 1948/49, theater activities were revived as part of the Catholic Youth group under Pastor Otto Rabel. In the fall of 1950, on the occasion of a Christmas gift drive for children of war victims, a group of interested people came together under the initiative and leadership of school principal Heinz Köberl to perform Anzengruber's play "Heimgefunden" in the Beichtbuchner Hall. The great success of this performance encouraged the actors to stage 14 more plays up until the summer of 1953. Six plays were performed in 1952 alone! Unfortunately, between 1953 and 1962, difficulties arose regarding a suitable hall, resulting in a nine-year theater hiatus. Only through the cooperation of Pastor Otto Rabel, who permitted amateur theater performances in the newly built parish hall, did the Stainach theater group's activities revive, and in June 1962, Anzengruber's "G'wissenswurm" was performed. The parish hall served as the theater group's venue until a new, larger stage was made available to the theater group in the Volkshaus in 1981. To this day, with much diligence and even more idealism, a variety of folk plays, boulevard comedies, but also difficult and serious plays are performed.