Die Wurzeln der Leute reichten bis zum Mittelpunkt der Erde: 40 years of Neues Theater Halle means 40 years of theater history and stories that have been lived and experienced. It began with the initiative of actor and director Peter Sodann, who, with the participation of his acting ensemble, built a theater in the center of Halle (Saale) that is unique in Germany. It continued through the peaceful revolution and the growth in audience numbers in the period after 1989/90, and ended with the end of his tenure as founding artistic director.