The Union of the Theatres of Europe was created fifteen years ago at the initiative of Giorgio Strehler and Jack Lang, with support from the French Ministry of Culture. It is an alliance of public theatres whose mission is to contribute to the building of the European Union through culture and theatre, to encourage a collective cultural movement that breaks through language barriers in order to develop an art theatre which is seen as a vector of fraternity among people. The UTE promotes productions and co-productions, theatre exchanges and shared experiences, while respecting individual identities and cultures. Every year the UTE organises a festival of theatre productions, hosted by a different member theatre. This flagship event offers a unique occasion for the diversity of European theatre production to challenge both itself and the public. The UTE organises workshops for young actors, directors and stage designers, exhibitions of European stage designers, international conferences, and translations of contemporary plays. The Union of the Theatres of Europe is supported also by the European Union, the Hungarian ministry of Cultural Heritage, and a few towns. The 15th UTE Festival takes place this year in Frankfurt: 21 April – 7 May 2006 Schauspielfrankfurt 15th FESTIVAL OF THE UNION OF THE THEATRES OF EUROPE “Wenn Liebe käme” (If Love would come) Under the patronage of Mrs Petra Roth, mayoress of Frankfurt am Main «This festival is not so much about love as about the trying to live life. It talks about love as a memory, about the impossibility yet the desire to feel humanity, about cruelty, about not being loved, about the absence of love. Yet it also evokes possibility : what would it be like, if love would come? » (Brigitte Fürle, Festival programme manager) schauspielfrankfurt Gier (Crave) by Sarah Kane directed by Wanda Galonka 21-22 April schauspielfrankfurt / Jaunais Rigas Teatris Sonja by Tatjana Tolstaja directed by Alvis Hermanis 22-23-24 April Teatre Lliure, Barcelona Santa Joana dels escorxadors (St Jeanne of slaughterhouses) by Bertolt Brecht directed by Àlex Rigola 26-27 April Teatro di Roma La sagra del Signore della nave (The Festival of our Lord of the Ship) by Luigi Pirandello directed by Vincenzo Pirrotta 27-28 April Cheek by Jowl The Changeling by Thomas Middleton & William Rowley directed by Declan Donnellan 29 April Katona Jozsef Szinhaz, Budapest Ledarálnakeltuntem (Rattled and disappeared) by V. Bodó-A. Vinnai after F. Kafka directed by Viktor Bodó 3-4 May Teatro Nacional de São João, Porto Cabelo Branco é Saudade (fado concert) directed by par Ricardo Pais 6-7 May for more information : www.schauspielfrankfurt.de.