Achter de schermen

Step into the bustling world of late‑19th‑century European theatre through the eyes of Joseph Schürmann, a self‑made impresario whose career spanned Rotterdam, Paris and the great capitals of the stage. Born to a cloth‑merchant family in 1857, he traded the shop floor for rehearsal rooms, eventually guiding legends such as Sarah Bernhardt, Eleonora Duse and the young Maeterlinck onto the boards. His memoirs trace the restless energy that drove him from school‑yard sketches to the negotiation tables of Parisian houses, revealing how a keen sense of public taste and a daring willingness to travel shaped his success.

The narrative weaves vivid anecdotes—quiet backstage conversations, frantic ticket‑selling races, and the occasional clash between art and commerce—into a broader portrait of a turning point in theatrical history. Schürmann does not shy away from the setbacks: missed openings, financial strains, and the delicate balance required to keep star performers satisfied. Listeners will come away with a colorful, human picture of the people and pressures behind the curtains, as well as a fresh appreciation for the daring entrepreneurship that kept the art alive.