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War drama in Plauen: Audience doesn't want sad heroes!
Zwickau: After the controversial premiere of Borchert's war drama in Plauen, artists comment on the audience mood.
War drama in Plauen: Audience doesn't want sad heroes!
On Friday, the play “Outside the Door” by Wolfgang Borchert was performed in Plauen, an impressive drama about those returning from war that intensively wrestles with the challenges of life after the war. Director Dirk Löschner commented after the premiere and described the atmosphere as “uncomfortable”. Audiences and critics agreed that such serious plays remain controversial. Viewers seem to have a clear preference: they don't want to be confronted with melancholic heroes suffering in difficult situations. Ringmaster Lev Semenov pointed out that the audience has a need for entertainment rather than facing the hard issues of life, which shaped the reactions after the performance. As the Free press Reportedly, this type of performance is not particularly well received.
Andreas Timmermann-Levanas also had his say in this premiere, who appears in this production as a war veteran and does not portray a classic character. His first encounter with stage applause was impressive and new for him. However, Timmermann-Levanas emphasizes that he is not an actor in the traditional sense. He only appears after an imaginary curtain that does not exist in reality, which blurs the boundaries between theater and reality. “I am a war veteran,” he says, making it clear that his portrayal offers an authentic perspective on life after war. The full conversation is currently available as an MP3 until June 27th and offers deeper insights into the topic.
Deutschlandfunk culture has recorded the details.
War in the Theater – An Old Metaphor
The question of how war is portrayed in theater is not new. In the early modern period, war was often staged metaphorically as theater. Such depictions promise a neat presentation of struggles and battles, but also promote a certain level of unease as the brutal realities are often kept out of the audience's view. Dramatic texts reflect the connection between aesthetic and political aspects of war, remarkably documented in the analysis of ZFL Berlin. This scholarly discussion shows that, despite the challenges of technical staging, war in theater remains a complex, fascinating topic.
As shown in the case of Borchert's work, the balancing act between entertainment and serious topics in theater is a sensitive topic that continues to stimulate conversation. Whether the audience wants to face this or not ultimately seems to be a question of personal taste, but the fact is that plays like “Outside the Door” play an important role in the cultural discussion of war and its aftermath.