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.

Anselm Heinrich is a Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Glasgow. His books include Entertainment, Education, Propaganda (2007), Theater in der Region (2012), Theatre in Europe Under German Occupation (2017), and a volume on Ruskin, The Theatre, and Victorian Visual Culture (2009). He is currently under contract for a monograph on theatre in Britain during WWII. He has held research fellowships at Harvard, Oxford and Marburg.

Ann-Christine Simke is a Lecturer in Performance at the University of the West of Scotland. She recently published the article ＂Forensic Architecture in the Theatre and the Gallery: A Reflection on Counter hegemonic Potentials and Pitfalls of Art Institutions＂ (with Anika Marschall, 2022) and is currently under contract for a co-authored (with Anika Marschall) book on intersectional theatre practices.