Büchner write this play in 1835. He was twenty-two and was to die only two years later. This work tells of the last days of Danton, Camille Desmoulins and their friends. At death's door, Danton again opposes Robespierre and each one confronts their ideals - the revolution, the republic, happiness, love - with the strong internal emotions they are experiencing. In the Dictionnaire Encyclopédique du Théâtre edited by Michel Corvin (The Encyclopaedic Dictionary of the Theatre, published by Bordas-Larousse), famous theatre critic and historian Bernard Dort writes, "La Mort de Danton is not an historic tragedy like its model, Julius Caesar by Shakespeare." Szondi noted that as a hero, Danton is already dead when the play begins. The clash between Danton and Robespierre is cut short; the revoutionary tragedy cannot take place: it unravels before our eyes. History rolls into death and madness. As G. Raulet says, "a crisis of modern reason, The Death of Danton adopts a form of tragic crisis. " The play directed by Thomas Ostermeier was first performed at the end of March 2001 at the Schaubühne in Berlin.
Distribution
stage direction Thomas Ostermeier
decor : Jan Pappelbaum
costumes : Almut Eppinger
music : Jörg Gollasch
dramaturgy : Roland Schimmelpfennig
and Marius von Mayenburg
lighting : Rudolf Heckerodt
assistant directors : Wulf Twiehaus,
Enrico Stolzenburg
with : Thomas Bading, Hans Diehl,
Lars Eidinger, Julika Jenkins,
Ronald Kukulies, Cristin König,
Werner Rehm, Falk Rockstroh,
Kay Bartholomäus Schulze, André Szymanski,
Mark Waschke and Tilo Werner
musicians : Silke Eberhard, Christian Gerber and Matthias Trippner
Production
production : Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Berlin
avec le soutien du : Goethe Institut pour le surtitrage