‘Are you a Party in this Business?’ Consolidation and Subversion in East German Shakespeare Productions

Summary

Looking back upon what was for forty-five years a self-contained historical unit closed at both ends, it is easy to fall into the trap of pat generalizations. In retrospect, the East German story seems to telescope to fit neatly into a small red case. Literary and cultural evaluation of this era is reduced, even by generally discerning critics, to moral judgements about alleged support of or opposition to the repressive régime.

Reality was, indeed, much more complex. Perhaps it is too early for any clear and objective assessment of cultural processes, even in a matter somewhat remote from more sensitive political issues, such as the reception of Shakespeare on the East German stage. However, theatrical events may prove particularly revealing as the theatre was on the one hand respected by the authorities as a pillar of cultural prestige, but on the other hand was the genre least harassed by them because of its ephemeral nature and its relative insignificance vis-à-vis the printed word or the mass media. Furthermore, a classical text could hardly on the surface of things be considered subversive; and more than any other writer Shakespeare was part of the cultural heritage dear to socialist Kulturpolitik. Besides, the concept and manner of a theatrical presentation was difficult to pin down and it was still more of a problem to harness the communicative energies of an actor relating to his audience.