From classic productions to performances on the fringe stage, rehearsals create the fundamental conditions for creative theater work. Contemporary theater is unthinkable without rehearsals, and the way theater is created reflects something about the society for which and in which it is made. This volume focuses on the theater rehearsal as a site of aesthetic and social work. Theater makers and scholars examine the creative practice of rehearsal and inquire into its theoretical foundations. Using examples from productions by selected directors (including Michael Thalheimer, Robert Wilson, Nicolas Stemann, Frank Castorf, Christoph Schlingensief, René Pollesch), their working methods in the rehearsal process are analyzed. Additionally, various techniques and procedures of rehearsal are defined and explained. Contributions from John von Düffel, Rolf Elberfeld, Ka.