ON 21 JUNE 2001 the run of Botho Strauß's latest play, Der Narrund seine Frau in Pancomedia (The Fool and his Wife in Pancomedia, 2000) at the Treptower Arena in Berlin, closed early, as it had failed to attract sufficient audiences. As one critic pointed out, Peter Stein's production flopped despite, or rather because of, the immaculate portrayal of postmodern prattle in the foyer of a hotel symbolic of society. Strauß's attempt to bring some sense into the world of unimportant know-it-alls and want-to-bes by introducing a mythological aspect has proved to be unsuccessful. In a similar way, Rolf Hochhuth's latest production, Hitlers Dr. Faust (2000), which he produced at the Schlosspark Theater (owned by Hochhuth himself), received mixed reviews. It portrayed the life of the engineer Hermann Eberth (1894–1989), who worked on a strategic missiles program, first for Hitler, then, after his emigration in 1940, for the US. However, critics thought that both the plot and the dialogue suffered as a result of Hochhuth's pedagogical ambitions, which reduced the characters to mere purveyors of his views.

At the turn of the millennium, German theater faced a period of change, and the fact that Frankfurt's commercial sector felt the impact of September 11 caused subsidies to be cut, leaving managers and directors to redefine the stage. However, German drama has a long tradition to draw upon, based on a highly esteemed theater that has produced vibrant regional and national plays.