Venster is an Amsterdam based community theatre group with members of all ages. We work with lots of enthusiasm on every play we are doing. From our members we expect concern and devotion. On every production often 10 or more players can be given a part. During the last month of rehearsals, everything and everyone in your personal life takes second place to the performance on stage. But the results are not the only important thing. Fun together is also the essence of the Venster life.
Since we live and perform in the Netherlands, we use the Dutch language. And therefor, of course, we ask nothing less from our members than that they speak the Dutch language.
Short description of our repertoire: psychological drama, comedy, two or more act plays as well as one act plays.
Rehearsals: Every Monday evening from 7.30 PM till 10.30 PM. We rehearse in the center of Amsterdam.
Theatre:
We do our performances in all kinds of theatres in Amsterdam. We also attend theatre festivals in Amsterdam and other places in
The Netherlands.
Costs: Making a stage production is quite a costly business, so we ask our members to contribute to
production costs. The contribution amounts € 15,- every month.
More information: E-mail Theatre group Venster
About thirty years ago personnel of the Public Transport Company (PTC) in Amsterdam started an amateur theatre group. They gave it the name De Lijnfilm. A lijnfilm is a film with the number of the tramline on it, which you can see in front of and at the back of the tram. De Lijnfilm was a club that kept itself occupied with farces. At the end of the 1980's there came more members without the PTC-background. At the beginning of the 1990's our permanent director, Frans Werkman, joined the group. That meant the end of the tide of farces. In addition PTC-members ran away and non-PTC-members came in.
Under the name De Lijnfilm the group produced the production Je moet ermee leven (You've got to live with it) of the famous Dutch theatre group Het Werkteater. But in 1992 they decided to change the name of the group. The connection with the PTC was reduced to only 1 member and the name. To set sail for the future this had to be changed. How we finely got that name is not clear, but in the end we've got Venster. A venster is a window frame. A name that suggests the group is eager to watch the world and let the public watch them.
Since 1992 Venster characterizes itself in their choice of plays by seemingly not following any certain road. Venster has played comical one act plays, classics, bitter truth and macabre comedies and everything in between. Their choice of plays is coherent in its own way. Venster chooses those plays, which are a challenge. Sometimes it is the form like in Overspelen (Action replay), sometimes it's the characters in the play like in Avondrood (Shady Pines), but above all the play must tell a good story.
In the fall of 2001 we said farewell to Frans Werkman as our director. With Frank Roumen as our latest director we made Merg (Marrow) of Dutch playwright Judith Herzberg. In this production we worked with movement, lights and music to create a contrast between dream and reality. Theatregroup Venster took the chance to take another turn by working with Frank Roumen. With Carin Nordberg as our next director passion for theatre and strengthening the quality of our productions remain the keywords. After we made the classic Medea with her, we turned a Dutch classic Lucifer in a totally new play with Frank Roumen and in close collaboration with playwright Gijsje Kooter. The result was Lucifer and the 6th day. In 2005 we've found another challenge with the production of The Periodic System of Elements. In 2005/2006 we've started working with a new director, Trudy Stokman. Frank Roumen worked on a one act plays which toured succesfully theatrefestivals in The Netherlands, winning the One Act Festival of Amsterdam three years in a row. Since 2011 Venster collaborates with the professionals of the internationally renowned Toneelgroep Amsterdam. With this perspective Venster can go on for many years and bring their productions to the theatre with great pleasure.The repertoire of theatre group Venster in the years 1993-2012
|
Year |
Title |
Playwright |
|
1993 |
STERKE DRANK IN OUD-ZUID
|
Ton Vorstenbosch and Guus Vleugel |
|
1994 |
HEDDA GABLER
|
Henrik Ibsen |
|
1995 |
DE ZELFMOORDENAAR
|
Nikolaj Erdman |
|
1995 |
EEN VROUW ALLEEN
|
Dario Fo |
|
1996 |
VERWARRINGEN
|
Alan Ayckbourn |
|
1996 |
MOEDERFIGUUR
|
Alan Ayckbourn |
|
1997 |
ARTSEN
|
Rolf Hochhuth |
|
1997 |
PRAATJE IN HET PARK
|
Alan Ayckbourn |
|
1998 |
AVONDROOD
|
Het Werkteater |
|
1998 |
PIJN
|
Jabik Veenbaas |
|
1999 |
GEMENGD DUBBEL
|
Various English playwrites like: Pinter, Ayckbourn, Fay Weldon |
|
1999 |
NACHT
|
Harold Pinter |
|
1999 |
SCORE
|
Lyndon Brook |
|
2000 |
OVERSPELEN
|
Fay Weldon |
|
2000 |
PARTY TIME
|
Harold Pinter |
|
2001 |
TWAALF GEZWORENEN
|
Reginald Rose |
|
2001 |
EEN DAG UIT DE DOOD VAN VERDOMDE LOEWIETJE
|
Peter Nichols |
|
2002 |
MERG
|
Judith Herzberg |
|
2003 |
MEDEA
|
Euripides |
|
2003 |
ROEST
|
Anne-Marg Bakker |
|
2004 |
EEN KWESTIE VAN GELD
|
Adje Kessels |
|
2004 |
LUCIFER EN DE ZESDE DAG
|
Gijsje Kooter |
|
2005 |
MIRA'S DOCHTERS
|
Greet Bosch |
|
2005 |
HET PERIODIEK SYSTEEM DER ELEMENTEN
|
Ko van den Bosch |
|
2006 |
ONDER CONTROLE
|
Ernest van der Kwast, Jorg Schellekens and Jules Terlingen |
|
2006 |
MACBETH
|
William Shakespeare |
|
2007 |
POST
|
Frank Roumen |
|
2007 |
FAMILIE
|
Maria Goos |
|
2008 |
NU EVEN WEL
|
Maria Goos |
|
2008 |
DOOD VAN EEN HANDELSREIZIGER
|
Arthur Miller |
|
2009 |
KLEINE TEUN
|
Alex van Warmerdam |
|
2009 |
HET ZOUTHUIS
|
Peer Wittenbols |
|
2010 |
MATERIAAL
|
Martin Crimp |
|
2011 |
GALILEI
|
Bertolt Brecht |
|
2012 |
DE LAATSTEN DER ONVERSTANDIGEN
|
Peter Handke |
We'd love to hear your remarks, suggestions, commentaries, praises, criticism and so forth on any aspect of this site or our group.
Don't hesitate and send us an e-mail:info@toneelgroepvenster.nl.
Last update: March, 2012