Dramaturgies of War: Institutional Dramaturgy, Politics, and Conflict in 20th-Century Germany

This book examines the institutional contexts of dramaturgical practices in the changing political landscape of 20th century Germany. Through wide-ranging case studies, it discusses the way in which operationalised modes of action, legal frameworks and an established profession have shaped dramaturgical practice and thus links to current debates around the “institutional turn” in theatre and performance studies. German theatre represents a rich and well-chosen field as it is here where the role of the dramaturg was first created and where dramaturgy played a significantly politicised role in the changing political systems of the 20th century. The volume represents an important addition to a growing field of work on dramaturgy by contributing to a historical contextualisation of current practice. In doing so, it understands dramaturgy not only as a process which occurs in rehearsal rooms and writers’ studies, but one that has far wider institutional and political implications. Acknowledgements Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures 1 Introduction: Dramaturgies of War Terms and Critical Context Book Structure References Part I Dramaturgical Contexts: Institutionalised Ideologies 2 Institutional Dramaturgy at the Deutsches Theater Berlin Institutional Dramaturgy Practice Dramaturgs at the Deutsches Theater The Theatre Journal Die Blätter Des Deutschen Theater The Case of Carl Sternheim The First War Season 1914/1915 Conclusion References 3 ‘The Protector of the Arts’: Dramaturgy and Hitler’s Wartime Theatre References 4 Implementing Germanic Repertoires: Institutional Dramaturgy After 1939 Dramaturgy Programme Notes References 5 Cold War Theatres: Theatre Criticism and the Institutional Matrix of Dramaturgy in Post-War Germany The “Future Task” of German Theatre: Politics and Art Between Two Systems: Reciprocal Accusations of Ideology The Institutional Matrix of Dramaturgy: An Expanded Model Theatre Criticism in Post-War Germany Questions of Repertoire Objective and Partisan Criticism The Cold War Instrumentality of Meta-Criticism References Part II Institutional Infrastructures: Theatres of Oppression 6 Theatre in Occupied Poland Introduction by Anselm Heinrich Discourses Heinrich von Kleist and the German Classics Homburg as Conqueror References 7 Masked Messaging: German theatre in Maribor under the Nazis as reflected in the Marburger Zeitung Introduction German Theatre and Press in Maribor Theatrical discourse as a veiled medium for the ‘new politics’ Conclusion References 8 The Prague Theatre Scene During the German Occupation (1939–1945) German Occupation Policy in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and the Role of Cultural Policy The Development of Prague’s Theatre Scene from the Perspective of the Occupying Regime Monitoring and Control of Czech Theatre During the Occupation “Anti-German Tendencies”: Czech Theatre in Prague During the Occupation Prestige Projects: The Promotion of a German Theatre Scene in Prague Agenda Setting—The Role of Dramaturgical and Institutional Directors References 9 The German Theatre in Oslo Occupation Setting up a German Theatre The New German Theatre in Oslo Challenges Conclusion References 10 Propaganda, Pedagogy, and Cultural Authority: The Fascist theatre in Italy and Abroad Internal Affairs Repertoire Training and Institutions External Affairs References Part III Performance Practice: Dramaturgy and the Aesthetics of War 11 In the Air: Shell Shock Theatre and Ornamental Girls in Nazi Propaganda References 12 Berlin—Amsterdam—Westerbork: Revue and the Aesthetics of War Tracing a Place in Time Revue: Aesthetics of the Emerging Market Capitalism? Tracing Artistic Legacies: Max Ehrlich and Willy Rosen Re-Mediation of Cultural Legacies: Revues in Westerbork The Last Revue in Westerbork: Total Verrückt (Totally Insane) A Lucidly-Blind Finale? “Ludmilla Oder Leichen Auf Laufenden Band” (“Ludmilla or Corpses on the Conveyor Belt”) References 13 Laughing, Spanish Style: Moreto and Tirso de Molina in the Third Reich Introduction: Spain, Nazi Germany, and Theatre Moreto’s El desdén con el desdén Becomes Donna Diana Donna Diana: Aesthetics, Stereotypes, and Nazi Politics Tirso de Molina’s Don Gil de las calzas verdes/Don Gil von den grünen Hosen Gilerei: From Munich to Breslau Conclusion: Laughing at or with Spaniards? References 14 The Rationality of War: Brecht’s Theatre Experiments at the Limit of the Epic Modelling Antigone Dramaturgies of War in the Model The War Primer as an Archive of the Gestus of War References