Stage watch

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Bühnenwatch is an association of people from the fields of art, science and journalism, which was created in 2011 and appears in public with criticism of racist and / or understood practices and performances in the German theater landscape. There are no chairpersons or other official speakers, but individual members have given interviews to various media.

Origin: "I am not Rappaport"

At the end of 2011 / beginning of 2012, Dieter Hallervorden found himself exposed to accusations of racism as artistic director of the Berlin Schlosspark Theater . For the performance of the play "Ich bin nicht Rappaport" by the US-American author Herb Gardner , the figure of the black Midge Carter was cast with the white actor Joachim Bliese . It was claimed that the advertising poster showing Hallervorden and the black make-up Bliese would be perceived as offensive in part. The theater director Evangelia Epanomeritaki and the director Thomas Schendel replied to a letter written by critics to the effect that the casting of a black American by a white actor in German-speaking countries follows a long, non-racist tradition. In addition, there are hardly any ensembles in German-speaking countries that include black actors, as the theater's repertoire of plays does not offer enough roles to justify permanent employment. The protest, which had not been noticed until then, now grew considerably. Extensive media coverage followed. While advocates of the theater pointed out that it had to be possible in principle for every actor to play every character and that the play itself had an anti-racist message, the critics emphasized that the casting policy at German theaters that was unwillingly admitted in the letter of the theater was precisely this principle do not heed. Rather, white actors would in principle be considered suitable for all roles, even black ones, whereas black actors would only be considered suitable for expressly black roles. Other authors pointed out that this problem does not only exist for black people in Germany, but also for citizens with a migration background in general. The dispute also revolved around the question of whether the staging was a case of blackface . Blackface is a racially influenced theater and entertainment masquerade that originated in the minstrel shows of the 19th century in the United States. The debate also received attention in foreign media.

During the debate, Bühnenwatch was founded by critics who found each other through their common stance. The group got into conversation with controversially discussed actions.

Disruptive action in the Deutsches Theater

During the performance of Dea Loher's play “Innocence” at the Deutsches Theater (director: Michael Thalheimer ), part of the audience demonstratively left the auditorium in the first scene in which the black-made actor Andreas Döhler appeared as the African immigrant Elisio. Then handouts were distributed to the audience who later poured out, in which the action was declared as a protest against what Bühnenwatch believed was a racist staging. The mask corresponds to the racist tradition of the blackface. Such a stylistic device with a racist connotation cannot simply be reinterpreted and used for anti-racist purposes. The present head dramaturge of the Deutsches Theater, Sonja Anders , sought a conversation immediately after the action and invited the critics to a talk in the Deutsches Theater, which also took place a few weeks later. The disruptive action found a media response similar to the protest against the performance at the Schlosspark Theater. The debate was fueled by the fact that shortly before the US-American author Bruce Norris had banned the performance of his play "Clybourne Park" at the Deutsches Theater because Francine, who was explicitly described as a black figure, was supposed to be portrayed by a white member of the ensemble the fact that, since the first performance at the Hamburg Thalia Theater, the black roles of the play have been played predominantly by white actors, although the text basically provides for black actors for these roles. The Deutsches Theater decided to respond to the criticism and chose a different mask for the subsequent performances of Innocence. Director Ulrich Khuon stated in interviews that he was in a process of reflection. Black artists used the debate as an opportunity to shed light on the subject of racism and German spoken theater.

Atif Hussein, member of Bühnenwatch, also criticized Loher's introduction to the play “Innocence” as “racism in its purest form”. White actors are basically unmarked and, in Loher's opinion, can basically play anything. Black actors, on the other hand, have to be “excellent”.

Further actions

With press releases and letters, Bühnenwatch turned against the use of the word “ negro ” in the subtitle for an Othello production at the New Theater in Halle . The term is a racist insult that cannot be used at will or in an abstract way, especially from a one-sided white perspective. The Neue Theater Halle rejected the criticism. Bühnenwatch also holds individual information events.

Voices on the racism debate

  • “By the way, we also have a problem with dealing with racism. We treat it with tolerance, but tolerance is no solution for racism…. Because it doesn't matter whether our best friends are migrants if we don't cast Hamlet with a black man so that he can be 'properly' understood. The problem of racism is primarily the problem of representation. Especially in the theater. ” René Pollesch
  • “I don't think our society is ready to accept a black fist in the theater - unfortunately.” Christian Tombeil

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Self-presentation of the group ( memento from January 18, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
  2. ↑ Jasmin Kalarickal: Racism in the Theater: "A Poisoned Means". In: taz Online . May 10, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Again: Why advertising with the N-word for a play can be called racist. Radio Corax , May 28, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Blackface in 2012, the Schloßpark Theater in Berlin offers a poor performance with wording on beatsandpicturesandlifeandstuff.tumblr.com, accessed on July 23, 2012
  5. ↑ Konstantin Zurawski: Accusation of racism - The limits of theatrical make-up. DRadio Wissen ( Memento from July 29, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
  6. ↑ Controversial production: Hallervorden rejects allegations of racism. In: Spiegel Online . January 10, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  7. ↑ Peter Laudenbach: Racism allegations against Hallervorden: black paint forbidden. In: Sueddeutsche.de. January 10, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  8. ↑ Video Wutbürger Paul zu Didi Hallervorden: Speaking of Rappaport and Hallervorden  in the ZDFmediathek , accessed on June 23, 2012. (offline)
  9. ^ Katrin Bettina Müller: Accusation of racism at Berlin theaters: Black make-up. In: taz Online. January 12, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  10. ^ Hallervorden on the criticism of racism. In: BZ Online. January 10, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  11. ↑ Joachim Bliese on the accusation of racism. In: BZ Online. January 12, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  12. ^ Marie-Claude Bianco: Racism in the theater: "A racist exclusion tool". In: taz Online. January 11, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  13. ↑ Dihia Wegmann: Old tradition: Dark shoe polish and German theater. In: Gazelle Online. February 14, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  14. ^ Andrej Reisin and Andreas Strippel: Everyday racism: Everything just theater? In: MiGAZIN . January 25, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  15. ↑ Özgür Uludag : Migrants play no role on the speaking stages: When the background is in the foreground. In: Nachtkritik.de . May 10, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  16. ↑ Germany's Schlosspark Theater defends 'blackface' actor. In: BBC News . January 10, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  17. ^ Black Voices: German Play, 'I'm Not Rappaport', Angers Critics With Blackface Actor. In: The Huffington Post . January 10, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  18. ↑ Joanna Itzek: Debate on Blackfacing at the Theater: A Question of Artistic Freedom. In: taz Online. March 22, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  19. ↑ Page no longer retrievable , search in web archives: Exemplary recording of a later scene . Tip Berlin, accessed on August 2, 2012. Photo from the Deutsches Theater with Barbara Schnitzler (Mrs. Zucker), Sven Lehmann , Andreas Döhler (Elisio), Gabriele Heinz (Mrs. Habersatt), Olivia Gräser (Rosa)@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.tip-berlin.de
  20. ↑ Nikolaus Merck: Debate at the Deutsches Theater: Where does racism begin on stage? In: Berliner Zeitung . February 14, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .
  21. ^ No more blackfacing at the Deutsches Theater: Black becomes white. In: Nachtkritik.de. March 22, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  22. ↑ Current: The Deutsches Theater sees white and / or black? ( Memento from February 2, 2014 in the web archive archive.today ), Metropolis , arte.tv, April 12, 2012.
  23. ↑ Lara-Sophie Milagro: The Blackfacing Debate III - You don't have to be a neo-Nazi to act in a racist manner: The convenience of definition. In: Nachtkritik.de. March 28, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  24. ↑ Till Schmidt: “Even if it is not done with bad intentions, it is racist” . In: Bavarian Refugee Council (Hrsg.): Hinterland . No. December 21 , 2012, ISSN  1863-1134 , p. 31–34 ( online as PDF ; 5.7 MB).
  25. ↑ Radio Corax: Stage Watch for advertising of Othello at the New Theater. In: freie-radios.net. May 24, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2017 .
  26. ↑ Tobias Haberl: »Tolerance is not a solution for racism.« Interview with René Pollesch about love and consideration. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin . No. 17 , 2012 ( online at SZ-Magazin.de ).
  27. ↑ Nikolaos Georgakis: Racism debate about blacks on theatrical stages . In: Neue Ruhr Zeitung . February 16, 2012, accessed March 19, 2017 .