One-Mensch-Theater

One-Mensch-Theater Natias Neutert, at Arena, Vienna 1982

Ein-Mensch-Theater (German: Mensch "human being") is a German expression for a traveling theater, within the owner is writer, director, stage designer, performer and sometimes even his own tour manager in one person. ^[1]

Franca Rame, at the Italian TV-show "Canzonissima",1962

Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo in Cesena, Italy, 2008

Johnny Melville, 2012

Origin

The term was coined by Natias Neutert after his performance (The poet reels into the Open) at Schauspielhaus Bochum during a panel discussion with Peter Zadek ^[2]

Robert Kreis at «Peety's», Köln 2013

Goal

His intention was going to replace the worn and partial label one-man show by a label under which both males and females could find equally. ^[3]

Exponents

Dario Fo, Robert Kreis, Johnny Melville, Natias Neutert and Franca Rame became famous exponents as this type of theater in Europe. ^[4]

See also

• Commedia dell'arte
• Monodrama
• Monologue

References

1. A definition, corresponding with The poor Theater and its imagination power. Cf. Jerzy Grotowski: Towards a Poor Theatre (Preface: Peter Brook/Edited by Eugenio Barba). Eyre Metghuen, London 1980. ISBN   978-0-413-34910-1
2. DIE ZEIT No. 32, 4 August 1978.
3. So Neutert in the panel discussion at Schauspielhaus Bochum, August 1978.
4. Cf.Hannes Heer (Ed.), Dario Fo über Dario Fo. Übersetzt aus dem Italienischen von Ulrich Enzensberger. Prometh Köln, 1980 ISBN   3922009115