The Politics of Brutality: Toward a Definition of the Critical Volksstück

Abstract

The critical Volksstiick, which has been enjoying a new vogue on the West German stage, is a dramatic genre alien to the Anglo-American tradition, and although recent English works like Bond's Saved, Pinter's earliest plays, or dramas of the kitchen-sink school could be related to it, no one would call them folk plays. The term "folk play" in English would rather designate unliterary, impromptu dramatic performances like the mumming play that are usually accompanied by song and dance (sword dance, morris dance) and given at village festivals by the villagers themselves. These plays usually treat the themes of death and resurrection, honor local worthies, or celebrate heroic feats. Since this term does exist in English and does refer to a historical form of the drama, the German term "Volksstück" will be retained throughout this paper.