Swiss Archive of the Performing Arts – SAPA
Grand theatre in a confined space
Quality is not defined by space alone. That certainly goes for the Swiss Archive of the Performing Arts, which is unique in Switzerland. With detailed background texts and pictorial material, it permits a perceptive tour of the history of drama from the famous Greek amphitheatres like Epidauros via Shakespeare’s theatre to the present day. Each type of theatre is illustrated by a large model showing the mechanisms used at the time. Visitors can work the systems themselves and so gain a unique insight into theatrical techniques and procedures.
The spotlight is naturally directed on the history of the theatre in Switzerland, presented in its broader European context. Tribute is paid here to such prominent figures as the leading Genevan theatrical reformer Adolphe Appia (1862 – 1928), whose estate is held by the Swiss Archive of the Performing Arts.
