Schauspielschule Krauss Announces 75th Anniversary Celebration

The acting school Schauspielschule Krauss has announced plans for its 75th anniversary celebration. Throughout the year, the city of Vienna celebrates the school's long and rich history with a series of theatre performances, scenic and multimedia readings, and musical entertainment. 

The main celebration will take part on October 23 as an evening event in the “Vindobona” (Vienna), which is located in the cinema founded in 1919. 

Lead for 35 years by owner and director Michaela Krauss-Boneau, the Schauspielschule Krauss is a drama school situated in the heart of Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1948 by Krauss-Boneau's grandfather Helmuth Krauss, an actor from the city’s famous Burgtheater, the school acted as an unbureaucratic, idealistic alternative to the state University for Music and Performing Arts. The Schauspielschule Krauss has been run on these principles ever since. 

“The acting school is the only continuously operated, officially state-recognized private acting school in Austria” said Michaela Krauss-Boneau, "For 15 years, my grandfather operated the school by offering evening acting courses. My father spent 25 years running the evening school in this vision, and I have spent the last 35 years developing it into a full-time program.”

Among its most famous students of the first generation were the internationally renowned Oskar Werner and Karl-Heinz Böhm. Many successful acting careers were established throughout the decades, including Regina Fritsch, a member of the Burgtheater ensemble since 1985 and holder of the Alma-Seidler-Ring since 2014. Newcomer Valerie Huber, who has already played various leading roles in movies, graduated in 2017.

Krauss-Boneau said, “in its basic precepts, the school’s curriculum follows the Stanislavski methods, as demonstrated by teachers like Meisner, Spolin, Johnston, and Linklater. The decisive accent in these methods is placed on analysis, through which the windows to discovering and deepening an actor’s insight into his own character and that of the role in hand may be opened.

The objective of the school is to develop in its students the ability to think and work independently, enabling them to swiftly adapt to the constantly changing demands of the profession. The three-year course ends with an examination that will furnish the graduate with a state- approved diploma for theatre, film, and television." 

The President of Austria, Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen said, "I would like to congratulate the Schauspielschule Krauss on its 75th anniversary. In these decades, the school acquired an excellent reputation and produced well-known actresses and actors. May numerous acting enthusiasts continue to be trained at the Schauspielschule Krauss and become suitable for the stage through it.”

The district head of the inner city, MMag. Markus Figl said, “The First District is the soul of Vienna and the political, economic, historical, and cultural center of Vienna, indeed of all of Austria. With the Schauspielschule Krauss we have had an important institution for stage cultural training and further education for 75 years, which the First District can be very proud of. Many well-known actresses and actors such as Oskar Werner, Regina Fritsch, Karl Heinz Böhm and many more learned their acting craft here in the district in order to take it to the international stage. I wish the Schauspielschule Krauss all the best for its 75th anniversary.”

In addition to its classes and performances, the Schauspielschule Krauss offers students and former students networking, mentoring and contacts in the German-speaking areas of the field (theater, film, multimedia...) across the borders of Austria, growing the network throughout the years. 

Director Michaela Krauss-Boneau:

"I am so proud to be a part of this school founded by my grandfather. Every day I watch with pride as these students become better and better at their craft. Everyone here knows that the ART is the thing at our school, and I am proud of each and every student who has ever studied here. As with every cultural institution and school focused on the arts, our students are dedicated to their craft. One doesn't choose a life in the arts, it chooses you.

We have been passing on the craft of acting to young, motivated and talented people for 75 years. Great attention is paid to conveying values: humanity in the sense of empathy, independent and critical thinking skills, teamwork, resilience, fairness, tolerance, diversity and discipline are a matter of course at the Krauss Drama School.

At the end of the training, we produce people with excellent craftsmanship skills. They are members of society who have matured into lasting personalities through the maturation process of our training and who, in turn, can carry on humanistic values. Our graduates can continue to work as performing artists in a variety of ways, and we are very proud of that!

'A house of joy' is what my grandfather, Helmuth Krauss, called the acting school he founded and named after himself. Today it is not only the oldest, but also the only private acting school with public rights in Austria. My wish was to continue this with heart and soul, and I am proud to be able to look back on its successful history in the third generation. My dedicated team and I want to support young actors in the development of their individual stage personalities and give them the space they need to develop their independence, their personal strengths, and their adaptability. Our training is intended to give them the tools to meet constantly new artistic challenges."

To learn more about the SCHAUSPIELSCHULE KRAUSS, visit www.schauspielschulekrauss.at  

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