DramaContemporary: Germany

Carl M. Weber, Carl Weber

Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996 - Drama - 276 pages

Appearing after the reunification of the two Germanys, DramaContemporary: Germany offers a politically charged view of German drama in the years immediately preceding and just after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The volume includes plays by the internationally renowned authors Heiner Mller, Botho Strauss, and George Tabori, as well as works by other German-language authors who deserve a wider audience, among them Georg Seidel of the former East Germany and Elfriede Jelinek of Austria.

The spectrum of subjects and styles represents the great number of new plays that have premiered in German theaters between 1985 and 1995. In the best German dramatic tradition, these plays range from poetic, highly imagistic work to realism and melodrama, and to virtuosic wordplay. They are often outspoken in criticism of contemporary reality and the German past.

Heiner Mller's "Mommsen's Block" was one of the first plays written after the historic changes in Germany to take as its theme the political and economic consequences of unification. "The Beautiful Stranger," by Klaus Pohl, offers an uncompromising view of the aggressive violence and brutality directed at foreigners in Germany. George Tabori, in "Mein Kampf," situates the young Hitler in a Vienna flophouse. Elfriede Jelinek's "Totenauberg" is a satirical treatment of Martin Heidegger's crypto-fascist theories and the relationship between Hannah Arendt and the philosopher which is now the subject of an international controversy.

Contents

• Mein Kampf: 37
• Carmen Kittel: 85
• The Beautiful Stranger: 127

About the author

Carl Weber graduated from Virginia State University and holds an MBA in marketing from the University of Virginia. He is an Essence bestselling novelist and author of Something on the Side, The First Lady, So You Call Yourself a Man, The Preacher's Son, Player Haters, Baby Mama Drama and Married Man. He is also the author of several New York Times Best Sellers such as He Said, She Said, She Ain't The One, and The Family Business 2. Weber is a life long reader but wanted to write. When he realized the growing importance of African-American fiction to readers and publishers he couldn't resist writing. He wanted to write a book about ordinary people who have crazy things happen in their lives. His work received immediate positive responce from readers. Once he had one book under his belt, he kept going. His first novel - Lookin' for Luv, was a relationbship story written from the male perspective. In addition to his writing, Weber is the founder and publisher of Urban Books and in 2005, he was named Blackboard's Publisher of The Year. He is also a recipient of Blackboard's Bestseller of the Year award.

Bibliographic information

• Title: DramaContemporary: Germany; A Johns Hopkins paperback; PAJ Books: Art + Performance; PAJ books
• Editors: Carl M. Weber, Carl Weber
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996
• Original from: the University of Virginia
• Digitized: May 6, 2008
• ISBN: 080185279X, 9780801852794
• Length: 276 pages
• Subjects: Drama / European / General; Drama / European / German; Performing Arts / General; Poetry / General