29th Annual Student Research Conference
Theatre of Oppression: Theatre in Nazi Germany
Andrew Milhous
Dr. David Robinson and Dr. Dana Smith, Faculty Mentors
In periods of oppression, the creativity of the theatre has a way of surviving and often thriving in tough conditions. Nazi Germany is no different. In this extremely oppressive state theatre was still being produced. The Nazis themselves knew the importance of the theatre and used it as a propaganda tool, producing many plays. The main focus of this research, however, will be on the Jewish Kulturbund Theatre Company located in Berlin from 1933 to 1941. This Jewish-operated theatre was sanctioned by the SS and surprisingly thrived in this environment. This presentation will examine how this theatre formed and will detail its operations, using correspondence between the director of the theatre and the SS as well as journals and letters of others who participated in the theatre. A brief comparison will be made to theatre created in concentration camps.
Keywords: History, Theatre, History of Theatre, Nazi Culture, Jewsish Culture, German Culture, Jewish Kulturbund
Topic(s):History Senior Seminar
History
Theatre
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -5
Location: MG 2090
Time: 2:00