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Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt (* 1955 in Düsseldorf) is a German dramaturge, Professor of Dramaturgy and Theatre Practice, and an internationally active consultant, especially for European Capitals of Culture.

From1974 until 1979 he majored in theatre studies, art history, and philosophy at the Universität Köln (University of Cologne).

Theatre Activities

Whilst studying 1975 until 1978 at the University of Cologne he also acted as assistant dramaturge and director to Hansgünther Heyme at Schauspiel Köln (Cologne Drama Theatre). 1979 he was Dramaturge at Schauspiel Köln, 1979-1985 Dramaturge at Staatstheater Stuttgart. 1985 until 1988 he was Head Dramaturge at Schauspiel Essen (Essen Drama Theatre). 1990 until 2003 he was Head of Dramaturgy and Programming for the Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen (Ruhr Drama Festival).

In addition Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt has worked as a guest dramaturge in Berlin, Bochum, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Lausanne, Luxembourg, Madrid, Mannheim, Maribor, Tashkent, Tel Aviv, Temeswar, and Zürich.

As well as providing the dramaturgy for over 150 theatre productions, Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt is also active in film and television. To date he has collaborated with such directors as Hansgünther Heyme, Günter Krämer, Herbert König, Paul Schalich, Peter Eschberg, Peter Kühn, Inge Andersen, Lisa Nielebock, Brian Michaels, Achim Lenz and Jakob Arnold.

He has conceived, provided the dramaturgy, and staged international theatre projects for Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen and Schauspiel Essen, above all in collaboration with theatre schools, such as "Woyzek" with Łódź/Poland, and "You are also very attractive when you are dead" (debut performance) with Tel Aviv/Israel.

He has collaborated with such authors as Christoph Hein, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Gaston Salvatore, Arnon Grünberg, Jochen Berg, Thomas Hürlimann, and Thomas Harlan as well as with the visual artist Wolf Vostell.

Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt conceived and founded the Jugendclub Kritisches Theater (Critical Theatre Youth Club) in Stuttgart und Essen.

Activities in Higher Education

1988 he was appointed Professor of Dramaturgy and Theatre Practice at the Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen. 1994-1996 he was Vice-Dean of Faculty 3 (Performing Arts) and 1996-2000 Vice-President. Since 2009 he is again Deputy Rector and Vice-President for International Affairs and Events at the Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen.

In addition to being a professor at the Folkwang University of the Arts, Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt has tutored seminars (including on behalf of the German Academic Exchange Service) on such subjects as German drama, Ancient Greek theatre, Shakespeare etc., including in Cologne, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv, Milan, Athens, Durban, New York, Kraków and Delphi and Ramallah.

He was responsible for the initial idea and conception of the International Shakespeare Festival and is also its director:

• 2001 with Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen "Love's Labour's Lost" (participating Folkwang, Seattle, Tashkent, Tel Aviv)
• 2004 with Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen "Twelfth Night" (participating Amsterdam, Folkwang, New York)
• 2006 with Schauspiel Essen "The Comedy of Errors" (participating Brno, Folkwang, New York)
• 2008 with Schauspiel Essen "The Tempest" (participating Folkwang, Glasgow, New York)
• 2010 with Schauspiel Essen "Richard III." (participating Folkwang, Glasgow, Sibiu
• 2011 at Folkwang University of the Arts "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (participating Folkwang, New York, Ramallah, Shanghai, Sibiu) _2013 at Folkwang University of the Arts "Romeo und Julia" (participating Folkwang, Kraków, Ramallah, Shanghai, Sibiu)
• 2016 at Folkwang University of the Arts "Much Ado About Nothing" (participating Durban, Folkwang, Kraków, Melbourne)
• 2018 at Folkwang University of the Arts "The Taming of the Shrew" (participating Durban, Folkwang, Helsinki, Ramallah)

One of his recent projects was the production of Aristophanes "Lysistrata" directed by Brian Michaels for the programm of the European Cultural Capital Paphos 2017. The performance was staged in a unique location, amidst the ruins of the Ancient City of Paphos.

Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt is also regularly invited to sit as a member of juries and selection committees.

Consultancy Activities

From 2003 onwards he was involved in the conception of "Essen for the Ruhr 2010" and its application to be European Capital of Culture. Following Essen and the Ruhr area’s nomination, he was active as Commissioner for International Relations in the European Capital of Culture team from 2007 to 2011. Since 2011 he has been working as a consultant for European Capitals of Culture:

• Pafos2017/Cyprus
• Plovdiv 2019/Bulgaria
• Kaunas 2022/Lithuania
• Esch 2022/Luxembourg
• Veszprém 2023/Hungary

as well as candidate cities for the title:

• Cluj 2020/Romania
• Herceg Novi 2020/Montenegro
• Kalamata 2021/Greece
• Tartu 2024/Estonia
• Dornbirn 2024/Austria
• Magdeburg 2025/Germany
• Nova Gorica 2025/Slovenia

Books / Publications

Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt has contributed to various publications, including: edited volumes on the history of the Ruhrfestspiele, Schiller’s works for the theatre, as well as to one on Daniel Casper von Lohenstein and Baroque drama. In addition he has written numerous articles for reference books (theatre guides), professional journals, and magazines.

Important Works:

• Dramatisation of Homer’s "The Iliad" (Düsseldorf 1988, also a script for Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting]), and the "Odyssey" (Bremen/Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen 1993)
• Revised versions of all of Baroque dramatist Daniel Casper von Lohenstein’s theatre plays ("Epicharis" Cologne 1978; "Sophonisbe" Berlin Festwochen (Berlin Festival)/Essen 1985; "Cleopatra" Essen 1986; "Ibrahim Bassa"/"Ibrahim Sultan"
• Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen/Luxembourg 2002; "Agrippina")
• Conceived, authored, and provided the dramaturgy for "Sternstunde I" for the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin at the Großer Stern, Berlin, 1987
• Conceived, authored, and provided the dramaturgy for the project "Nathan an der Mauer" after Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Berlin Festwochen, 1987
• "Theater! Arbeit! Heyme - Der Schauspieler, Regisseur und Intendant Hansgünther Heyme"

Weblinks

• Folkwang Universität der Künste

• Folkwang Shakespeare-Festival

• Kulturhauptstadt Europas RUHR.2010