Mephisto

A highly current evening about the threat and danger of the appropriation of art by fascist structures.

The novel "Mephisto," written in 1936 in Dutch exile, tells of the freedom of art and the self-imposed obligation to resist. Klaus Mann questions individual responsibility in what he himself called his "hard and cruel book" and portrays a seemingly unscrupulous careerist. Even though Klaus Mann emphasizes that he is only depicting a type with the character of Hendrik Höfgen, the resemblance to Gustaf Gründgens, once his brother-in-law and companion in earlier theater works, is clearly recognizable.

Following a decision by the Federal Constitutional Court in 1971, "Mephisto" was not allowed to be published in Germany on the grounds that the personal rights of theater director Gustaf Gründgens were to be protected. While Gründgens was able to resume his career almost seamlessly after the war, Klaus Mann, who was never able to secure a foothold in Germany again, ended his life in 1949. However, his study on the "sociological and intellectual prerequisites that made such a rise possible" remains of unbroken relevance. The novel was published in the Federal Republic in 1981 despite the existing ruling. It had previously been available in the GDR, where it was published by Aufbau-Verlag in 1956 and went through six editions.

"The play deals with the responsibility of the artist/intellectual to the society in which he lives. It does not limit itself to tracing the milestones of an opportunist's rise, as Klaus Mann did, but raises fundamental questions: about the function of theater and its possibilities of effect, the relationship between artistic ambition and militancy, talent and its usability." (Theater heute)

All info: https://theater-koblenz.de/mephisto/

Secure your ticket now: https://www.ticket-regional.de/events.php