VBB is the name of the German-speaking professional theatre in Bolzano, the Teatro Stabile is its Italian counterpart
The Vereinigte Bühnen Bozen (VBB), based in the Municipal Theatre of Bolzano, has existed since 1992, when the four theatre associations "Südtiroler Ensembletheater", "Initiative", "Kleinkunstbühne" and "Talferbühne Bozen" merged. Resources such as theatre spaces and technology could now be better used and a common theatre-political vision could be created.
The idea for a German professional theatre in South Tyrol had been around since the late 1970s, after the "Bund Südtiroler Laienspielbühnen", now the South Tyrolean Theatre Association, was founded in the 1950s. Today the VBB give around 120 performances per season, which are always well attended, and at the same time offer workshops and theatre education. The Italian professional theatre, which is also located in the Municipal Theatre, is called Teatro Stabile.
The Teatro Stabile is the second "teatro stabile" in Italy after the Little Theatre of Milan, i.e. a public regional theatre organisation. It was founded already in 1950, and after several decades with different performance venues, the Italian professional theatre today offers performances in the Municipal Theatre of Bolzano, which attract around 120,000 visitors a year.
