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    Spring Awakening by Eric Bentley

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    635 views50 pages

    Spring's Awakening - Eric Bentley

    Uploaded by

    Rob Barron
    Spring Awakening by Eric Bentley

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    widher 1 quo biel pegs tread ‘llingises abou pecfocrace rights should be ares to Suu French Ue, 4s We 25 Steet New Yerkes oon Litrary of Congres Ctaloingin Publication Data ary of Congte Cant Number 9685180 Betty Libary Cataloging in Publication Date ‘Acar eon of his ek abe fiom the Beh bray, ou lor books, oF you may ok wevcappounpeb com oF Frank Wedekind SPRING’S AWAKENING Tragedy of Childhood English version and Ten Notes by Eric Bentley APPLAUSE’ INEW YORK + LONDON, A DEDICATION Wedekind dedicated his play to the Man in the Mask, who is a f some- te edition, another version. If there is 2 Man in 2 Mas, its the presene publisher, hiding behind the wards “Applause ‘Theatre Books’: my fiend, Glenn Young. I mus, and happily do, dedi- cate this new version of the play to him. EB. CONTENTS Ten Notes FOOTPRINTS IN THE SANDS OF 1891 1906 1909 1912 1917 1918 1933 vit TIME Spring's Awakening published ar the author’s expense in Zurich. Max Reinhard directs the world premize in Bertin, Published in the U.S. in a translation by Francis J. Ziegler. First production i the US, In German: at the Inving lace Theatre, New York. In a brief, anonymous ‘The New York Timesdeclstes the play would not be: tar in Arnesica because (@} ofits subject mace id (B) of its “Tex construction” in fifteen (sic) scenes. First American production in English: a single matinée at the Thirty-Nineh Street Theatre, New York, Prochucer: ‘The Medical Review of Reviews. Slightly before curain he City Commissioner of Licenses arrives and of the eye, and gestures a large and strangely terday afiemoon co witness Fathlingsereacher at its first performence in Present were Emma Blzabeth Masbaey, who There was an elderly gentleman who whiled away the intervals becween acts reading The Birth Control Review” Wedekii War I ends, and with ie the cen- sorship of the old regime in Germany and Austria- withdrew as soon as possible. 1933- 1945 1958 Hungary. During the Weimar Repub play is freely produced. A 1929 produ Knscher, elf Nas i 2 pains to explain :o the gov- emeent how pure was Wedekind’s Aryan blood. Bur he hadnie written the kind of thing the Nazis wanted pro- duced, so they didn’ produce him: a story that would later be told by his widow, Tilly, in her memoir, Exfu: Rolle Meines Lebens, In consukation with Wedekind’s daughter, Kadidja, Eric Bentley prepares a translation for production by the University of Chicage Theatre. Ten Neves ERECTIONS AND EJACULATIONS In che second half of the 19th cencury, literature opened up the actualites of sex at never before, and great “innovative” arvises such as Baudelaire, Flaubert, and Zola were all ia trouble ‘wich the law over their alleged indecency. Especially the eighties and nineties were a time of sexual revolution. One can place most of the revolutionary literature between parentheses marked by KrafleEbing’s Pychopathia Sexualis in 1886 and Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams in 1900. Havelock Ellis’ ml Pyycholugy of See, coming out subject for a wide steacum of che public. play" of the early nineties, in England, 2¢ leest, at, and Stcindberg plays such as The Father and 0 be seen in the capitals of the West. ‘The theatte critics were duly shocked, but the sex in theuere was uunderstandebly far less explicit than it had already been in aov- ‘als such as Zola’ Nana or the stories of Maupassant, Bernard Shaws Mrs. Warren’ Profesion was banned in England for decades, but it contained no raunchy or even blunt language— Maes, Warten’ profession is never named—and it displays no nude or even semi-nude bedies ot love-making So plays like Gbostswere able to reach a theatre audience and shock it, while Springs Awakening was not allowed co reach the- antes lest Western jon go up in smoke. When Wedekind finally found a publisher for the play, the latter refsed to go not come for fifteen years after that, and only in a heavily cue text, Wedekind was so “explicit” in this play that he seemed 10 many of his readers closer tothe underground erotica of the Vic- corian age (which abounded) than to any dramatic liveracare aboveground, His play asked the impossible of the Victorian the- are: thet it exhibit on stage the sexuality of thirtesa- and four- re Berey ceen-yeat-old boys. (He did not go 20 far as co ask for equal can- dor about girls.) screening in hotels and private homes in millions of video cas- settes. Live theatte, even today, could not be as “explicit” as chese films are, if only because actors cannot ges erections and ejacu- lations on cue, bur Wedekind was the first dramatist to intro- duce the subject F erections and ejaculations. At cert in the action of Springs Auwabening we ate meant to believe they are actually happening, though one takes for granted that they are aot meant to be actually seen. Masturbation hovers over che lost stage ditectors havent even realized chat chat ‘Those who have placed the actors with dl masturbate. Among sexual acts, there, on stage and Facing front, of XXX movies. Yes, if yo phy, not only are cenage pregnancy igs of manhnood” are very much an drive Mortiea Stiefel to suicide, He has been so amazed at his first erections, so terrified by his fist ejaculations “There is more to say about the enacted rape. fan audienee thinks ing actual incercousse on stage—cr something very close to it—they will nor be able co think of anycbing buc the shock they are receiving (or the surprise or whatever) knowing full well chac the act is only simulaced, they are free to reeognize the complexity of the episode. It is not just a matter, Ten Notes fa girl being “had” by a boy. It is a to these two: Wendla, who is say- things: Wendle at her mother’s (pretended) view of childti Melchior at adolescent rebelliousness and unbelief. And, at previous meeting, the incipient masochism in Wendla has brought ue the hitherto unconscious sedism in Melchior which now, in the haylofi, bursts into flame. vic Bentley CENSORSHIP Springs Awakeninghas been one of the most censored of all plays. When ic was not banned altogether, many passages and words were changed or deleted. Irwould be hard to gather all the ce because Gerniany did nor have a single national cen- but censored differently in each locality. Heze are some ical facts fom Bthard Weid!s notes in a recent German edition: + Among the words (here translated) ordered to be replaced were: Priapia (where Priapts reigns), copulation, abortion pills, stis- sings of manhood. * Three scenes were cut in their entivety, namely, the scene of Hinschea Rilow refraining from masturbation (Act I, Scene 3), the Reformacory scene in which the inmates do masturbate (Act IT, Scene 4), and the vineyard scene in which Ernst kiss- es Hanschen (Act Ill, Scene 6). + The language of the youngsters was much doctored. Por exam~ ple, (in 1.2) Mclehior was not allowed to ask Moree if he had ever seen two dogs running together across the street. The fol- lowing formulation was substicured: “Have you ever seen how, for example—in a certain way—if 1 ” Key scene in the haytoft ‘Only a concealed presen- to be chekened as much as other but sic side by side with 2 space between them.” * Teying to help chings along under the restricted circumstances, Wedekind wrote a stage direction for an acting edition in which he proposed that the darkness of the haylofe scene be punctuated by flashes of lightning while thunder, roaring throughout, is punctusted by a few loud bang. “en Notes Although these horrid examples are German (or Austro- Hungarian), they have a bearing elsewhere and even after 1918. My own translation of Springs Awakening, which dates fiom 1958, bore the marks of 2 German acting edition which, all unknown to me, was bowdlerized, For example, where Wedekind hhad written chat Wendl:’s sister had had three childcen in two yeats of marriage, thus informing us that she had been pregnant before che wedding, my eranslation gives che figure as wo and a half years, chus rendering Ina respectable. A small poim ical. A larger point has to be made about Emma Goldman! tions of dhe play in a lecture she gave in 1914, later a chapter in her book The Social Significance of Modern Drama. It is cleat from Emma Goldmaris account chat she used a text chat sup- thei the way directors, sometimes without omitting or changing any dialogue, can keep the audience from noticing what is going on. Thus, for example, in the vineyard scene (Act II, Scene: 1 boy should kiss another boy, chus openly sho ng Awakening bas foucteen teen, The first American production Eric Beniley his partes, a gesture which incidentally made the characters wach older than fesing would have “The characters seemed much older? On stage, ever since the world premiere in 1906, the characters in Spring’s Awakening have always seemed oldet than they should have. The youngsters are thirteen or fourteen. So far as} know, they have always been played by grownups, even grownups, in many cues, well over y-five, Small productions in the U. there is just as crucial a difference between fourteen and eighteen as there would be beeween fourteen and ten, The eightesn-yeat- female, young wives innocuous, and to miss Wedekind’s whole point. Spring has gone back to sleep as summer beckons. Ten Nous ANOTHER KIND OF DRAMA ot an 2uto- Springs Awakening is aurobiogeaphical, yet i sue, not lytic ¢ monologue, bu ice, but conflict actualized by at least ting voices. And this being Wedekindian drama, chere is more than one conflics, and we ate afforded more then to perspectives on the more than one conflicts along the way. ‘What Aind of drama is this ly, ts fans made the same assumption as its censors: the play is a dramatic pamphlet in behalf of seal enlightenment. What we now call de Exablish- sment must be agai what is now loosely called the Lefe must be fo sents theit very own views. To the Right, and anarchy To the Left, ‘was initially regarded as ccould noc be performed in any country that che published script had reached. I: reached for example, almost at once, and we find a Detroit, in, periodical running a serial review of it—in five weekly installments—as car first American performance in English 7,,and the play would not really be “on the mad was pornography 1h and freedom. In shor, it and extreme, so as the great anarc of 1914 contained such language as the Springs Auvakening is one of the great forces of mode shat is paving the way for the birth ofa free race, Springs Aukening has done rvuch to dispel the mis: envelop. ing the parainount issue of sex in the education of the child, very woid in Spring Auaeningis vividly tue. Evic Heatley ‘More boldly than any other dramatise Frank Wedekind has aid bbuethe shams of moray inrefezence ro se, especially arcing the ignorance surrounding the sex life of che child and its resule ant teagedies But even before Emma Goldman spoke these words in New York, Wedekind himself had complained of the narrowly political sociological interpretations of his play, chiefly, of course, those of regarded as an angey, deadly earnest tragedy, as pha; a8 polemic inthe service of sexeal enlightenment — or whatever the curtene slogins of the fussy, pedantic lower side class may be. es che public to see his play as a humorous he is attacking, b ramaturgy. In 18 childhood. In 1911 he asks us eo cake i¢ a3 a COMEDY. Thus, puting two and two togethes, we can correctly conclude that what ‘we have here is a tragi-comedy. But a label is not an analysis. Let us look furcher. ‘A Wedekind play, such as this, may be in nineteen scenes but is not episodic, if that ceem implies a lack of structuse and indiffer- ence to unity. Cross-references between scenes, persistency of themes chroughoat ate among the Factors that bind together and unify. The over-arching theme of Spring’ Awakenings the collision of Eros and Tharatos. The awakening of spring, alone, would not give us a drama but only a lyre outburst. What happens here, and turns lyric imo a ragi-comedy, is. that when Ten Notes spring awakes ic does not blossom into summer and quietly fade ino autumn, A natural/unnatural catastrophe occurs, Winter attives, ewo seasons early, und nips spring in the bud. Two bud- ding adolescents, Wendl and Mori, are killed. writing, but, in being receptive only to the nary element, they equally missed the tragedy. Did everything promise to come up roses before the crises artived which carried off Wendla and Moritz? On the contrary, both charsceers, from the outset, carry with chem From an equally power- f (premature) death. ving (1) as death Wendla is characterized from the haunted: Ms, BERGMANN: Who knows where youll be when the ocher gis are fully developed? ‘wENDUA: Who knows? MRS. BERGMANN: Chil YwENDLA: They jst come to 0 ep. cers: che pregnancy and di Moritz. Reading the account (above) of the actual suicide of ‘Wedekind’s scheolfellows, one might expect Moritz’s suicide to be the single center of the play. Bue then one would be cxpoct- toward death. We seem headed for a drama which, after such a model 28 Dantors Death—and Wedekind was, with Hauptmann, eric Bender the first playwright to be markedly influenced by Biichner—will bea Melchior’s Deeth. This continues ro be the case right chrough the action up to the final scene and through that very scene up to the enttance of the Man in che Mask. The Man is the agency through which Melchior turns from death to life. Which leaves ‘Moritz isolated, now, as the sole deathly element. This result had been carefully prepared by che playwright, we can confirm by checking back with the firse scenes in which, ities. But none of the other boys cespond as negatively as Moritz, though they all experience the pressures. His oppo: Hinschen Rilow wh ‘They have only got up t0 the Walpu: thet is where Moritz remains, wh shall we say, one of Goethe's Blessed Boys (Fat, Part Tito, Act” 5) aspiring to perfection. The image of a headless queen is lifted from the passage in the Walpurgis Night where Mephisto siys that, now Perseus has aut Medust’s head off, “Sie kann das Haupt auch unterm Arme tragen,” “she can even carry her head under her arm.” MRS. BERGMANN WENDLA BERGMAN RENTIER’ STIEPEL HANSCHEN RILOW? REKTOR SONNENSTICH (51 AFENSCHMALZ (Calflore) KNUPPELDICK (Thicks: HUNGERGURT (tarveling) ZUNGENSCHLAG (Stickytongue) KNOCHENBRUCH FLIEGENTOD (lyk HABEBALD (Ca:chmequicki CHARACTERS her daughters their son his son schoolboys schoolgicls amodel sschoolmasters schoo! porter PASTOR KAHLBAUCH (SI FRIEND ZIEGENMELKER ( UNCLE PROBST (Provo DIETHELM REINHOLD RUPRECHT boys in the reformatory HELMUTH GASTON, DR. PROCRUSTES LOCKSMITH DR. VON BRAUSEPULVER (Fizzpowder) VINTAGERS A MAN IN A MASK ‘THE TIME: 1892 ‘THE PLACE: GERMANY. cennury. Even as of 1891, Wedekind’ language is peculiar. His and his German bas ne single By consequence, it is always « litele abstract and more chan a liule idiosyncratic. Ie addition, his children’s talk is the talk, very often, of children pretending to be grown-up. The awkwardness of adolescent gestures is a familiat enough fect: Wedekind explored the awkwardness of adolescent speech. Adolescents of Germany, 1891, differ from the adolescents of America, 1995, in cacrying a much heavier load of Culture. Some ‘of Wedekind’s children. know more literature than of life. ACTI SCENE 1 A living room. W2NDLA BEGMANN aad her maother WwENDLA: Why have you made my dress so long, Mother? MRS. BERGMANN: You're fourteen today. WENDLA: IFT known you were going to make my dress a long as that Id rather have stayed thirteen, MRS. BERGMANN: The dress ist too long, Wendl, What do you expect? I cankt help it if my daughter is an inch caller every spring. A big gil like you cant go around in a liile-gil dress Adress suits me better than that old sack. — icle longer, Mother! Just for the summer! Idi till my next birth- MRS. BERGMANN: I don't know what to say. Ud like to Keep you exactly as you are, child. Other girls are gawky and gangling ar ‘your age. You're just the opposite. —Who knows what you'll be like when the othess are fully developed? WENDLA: Who knows? Maybe I wonit be around. child, where do you gee such ideas? lease dorit be sad! MRS. BERGMANN: Chil \WENDLA: Oh, Mos MRS. BERGMANN: [Ki'sing her] My little precious \WENDLA: Such ideas come to me in the evening when I can't go to sleep. And I don’ feel sad, either. { know I'll sleep all che bet- ter. -Isit sinful to chink such things, Mother? Spring’s Awatening MRS, BERGMANN: Oh, al must, —When J have tim ‘wanpta: [Hanging the dros ther be ewenty right away! only hope you won't be cold. —~That litee dress was ong enough, but... WENDLA: What, nov, with summer coming on! —Oh, Mother, «a gitl docsn’s get diphtheria in the back of her knees, why so the cold at my age, specially not be any better if I was too hor, SCENE 2 Out of docrs. Sunday evening. MELCHIOR, MORIT2, OTTO, GEORG, ROBERT, ERNST. ‘MELCHIOR: This is boring. I'm going to stop playing. coro: Then the reet of us will have to stop 100! —Have you done che homework, Melchior? Macutor: You dont have to stop. Monrrz: Where are you going? MELCHIOR: For 2 walk. ‘GeoRG: Bur it's getting dark! 6 ACT I Seene 2 ROBERT: Finished your homework alrcady? MELCHTOR: Why shouldnit | take 2 walk in the dark? ERNST: Central America! she Fifteenth! —Sixty lines of Homee! —Seven equat MELCHIOR: This damned homeworkt GxORG: If only chat Latin exercise wasnt for tomoriow! MonrTZ: One can't chink of anything without homework geting in the way. orto: I'm going home. ‘GFORG: Me too. Homework! ERNST: Me too. ight, Melchior. saacuior: G'night. [AU Leave but MORITZ and MatCHIOR] MELCHIOR: [Cont’d] What I'd like to know is: why do we exist? MonrTz: Tad rather be 2 cab hosse than have te go 10 school! — Why do we go? —We go to school co take examis!—And why do they examine us? —So they can flunk us! —They have to flunk seven—the classroom above only holds sixry. I've felt so strange since Christmas... IFie wasnt for Father, damned if I wouldn't pack my bag and heed for Hamburg! MELCHIOR: Let’ alk about something eee. [hey take a walt.) Montz: Did you see that black cat with its cil in the ais? MELCHIOR: You believe in omens? MoRITZ: I'm not sure. —She care over from the other side. Doesnt mean a thing, of course. 7 Sprina’s Awakering aaexceitons Pall fice of the Scyla of religious delasion, and you icim to the Charybdis of superstition! —Ler’s sie under in from the moun- ‘Melchior, that the sease of shame is simply a product of a person's upbringing? MeLcHion: I was thinking about that the day before yesterday. Bot I must say it seems to me rooted in human nature. ine having to uadress—completely—in front of your less he did. —Then again, ie more or Iess a question of fashion, Monrr2: IFT have children, Ul have them sleep in the sa from che start. If possible in che same bed. Boys and| make them help cach othe undress, and i ‘weather boys 2s well as girls will wear nothing but a shore white, woolen tunic with a leather bele. —Broughe up like this, cheyil be, well, Jess disturbed chat we usually ae MELCHIOR: I'm sure you're right, Moritz. —The only question Js, when the gisls have babies, wha: then? Monrrz: How do you mean, have babies? Mexcutor: Wall, if you ask me, [ believe there's some kind of instinct at work. For example, if you took rwo kietens, a he anda she, and shat them up together for life, and never let any other cats in—in shore you left them ently to thei instincts—I believe thet, sooner or lates, the she-cat would ACT Seene 2 become pregnant—even though neither she nor the torn bas hhad any opportunity o lesen by example. MonrTZ: I suppose youte right. by itselé Metcution: Wich humans too! Thats my theory. May 1 ask, ‘Morita, when your boys sleep in the same bed as the gir's, and then suddenly feel .. the fuse strings of theic man- hood, well, I bet anything — sonra: You may be right, Even so... animals ic must’come all nding age exactly che same thing Not that gis are exactly...i¢’s anyway we can cereainly assume... iy can be relied on to play its part! MORITZ: By the way, I have a question. Montz: Will you answer i? MELCHIOR: Of course! monmz: Realy? Mrvernon: Cross my heart —Well, Moritz? MorrTz: Have you done the exercise yer? MELCHIOR: Oh, come ont There's no one to see ac hear us! Monrrz: Naturally, my children will have to work all day eithee in the garden or at the farm or emuse themselves with games that provide physical exercise. Riding, climbing, gymnas- tics... Above all chey mustat sleep on such soft beds 2s we do. Those beds have made us soft. —I don’ believe you dream if you sleep on a hard bed. Spring's Awakening MELCHIOR: From now till afier grape harvest Fll be sleeping exclusively in my hammock. I've put my bed behind the stove, I folds up. Once last winter I dreame Td been flog: ging our dog Lolo so long he couldn't move his legs. Thats the mort hozzible thing I ever dreamt. —-Why aze you look- ing a me like chat? Monst7: Have you fele hem yes? MELCHIOR: What? MeLcHtor: —Cersainlyt MORITZ: Me too. MELCHIOR: I've know for ages. —A year atleast! MoRriz: I fel like 1d been struck by lightning. Mei.curor: Youd had a dream? MORITZ: A short one. . over the lectem. At to do, 1 only caught a glimpse of them. MELCIIOR: George Zitschnitz dreamt of his mother MORITZ: Did he tell you so? MELCHIOR: Out on Gallows Lane. ‘MoRIT?: Ifyou only knew what I've been through since that night! MELCHTOR: The prickings of conscience! re and in-what follows, the wanlaor has retained ss a¢ points where feeling goes beyond verbal exp ake ofthese signals fs up to them. shes Webi What actors 1» ACT I Some 2 ickings of conscience? “The fear of deceh! MEtcmIOR: Good God! MontTZ: | thought there was no hope for me. | was sure I muse be suffering fiom some internal complaint. —In the en calmed down, but only because I began to write my meme oirs. Yes, my dear Melchior, the last three weels have been my Gethemane, MuLctton: When it happened tome | was more or less prepared for it. I was a bie ashamed, —Bue that was all. Moritz: And yet youre emose a year younger than me! Metcuton: I wouldn't worry about that, Moritz, in my experi= ence, theres no fixed time for the arrival of these... phan- toms. You know the big Lammermeicr boy with the stcaw- colored hair and the hooked nose? He's three years older than me. Hanschen Rilow says that he sill dreams of noth- ing bue pound cake and apricot jelly, montt7: New how can Hainschen Rilow know that? encuron: He asked hit Moniz: He asked him? I'd never dare ask anyone! MELCHIOR: You asked me ‘Monrrz: Se I did—Ie wouldnt surprise me if Hiiaschen had even made leeme sleep quicely on till everytbing had calmed down again? My dear parents could have bad a hundred better children than ime, Yet here Lam, I doritknoy hove I got here, and Im sup- posed to answer for not havi ever wondeced, Metd actually? Spring's Awakening Mexceton: You still don't know, Morie? Moatrz: How should I know? I see that hens lay eggp. and hhear that Mama carried me under her heart. Is that enough? And can remember, even as a child of five, feeling embar- rased if anyone turned up the queen of hearts: she wore décolleté. That hhes gone. On the other hand, today I can scarcely talk to any git] with something dis- gusting—though, T swear (© you, Melchior I donit know what. MELCEHOR: Pll cll you everything, —I got it partly from. books, partly from pictures, parly from observing nature. Youtl be ‘made an atheist of me fora time. —L told George . Georg wanted c@ tell Hinschen Rilow bot Hinschen lecrae i all from his governess when he ws a kid, ‘MoRrTZ: I've been through Meyer's Lexicon from A to Z. Words Nothing but words! Not one simple explanation. Oh this, sense of shame! —Whats the good of an pedia that doesn't answer the most pettinent question in che wo: MELCHIOR: Have you, for instance, ever seen ewo dogg cunning togecher across the street? ‘MoRITz: No! - - -- Dor any more today, Melchios. J still have Central Amesica and Louis the Fifteenth 10 eake care of And on top of thar the sixty verses of Homer, the seven equations, the Latin exercise. only funk everything zgain. tomorrow. To get anywhere with my studies, I'll have «© develop 2 thick hide. MELCHIOR: Come back co my soom. In three-quarters of an we'll have a nice relaxed talk about reproduction. ACT Scene 3 MontTZ: I can't. —I cant relax on a subject like reproduction. Tf do me favor, give me your explanations in White d 1 know. Make i as brief and c —Bar juse as you say. (c's quite an inceresting assignment. —One question, Moritz. MBLCHIORI —Have you overseen gil? MORIEZ: Yes, I have! MevcHOR: All of her? (one node [Contd] Me too. —Then illustrations won't be Moxrr2: During the Shooting Contest. In Lelich’s Anatomical Museum. if they ever found out, they have thrown me ‘out of school, —Beauciful ax sunlight! And quite naturl! MELCHIOR: Last summer J was with mother in Frankfort and— Do you have to be going, Mo: Morrrz: Homework! —G'nighe. MELCHIOR: So long. SCENE 3 THEA, WENDLA, asd MARCUS come tp the sieet arm in arm. Spring's Awokeing MARTHA: How the water gets into your shoes! ‘WwENDLA: How the wind ‘rea: How your heare be ENDLA: Let's go out wo the bridge. Uke says che river's sweeping plants and trees along. The boys have a rafe on the water ‘They say Melchi Gabor neatly got drowned last night. ‘THEA: Oh, he ext: swim. Mana: I should say so! been able to, he'd have drowned. WENDLA! If he ha -rwiea: Your braid’ coming undone, Marthe, your braid’s coming undone! heaven's sake, Wendla! Papa would beat me black and Mama woold lock me in the coalhole three wENDLA: What docs he beat you with, Marcha? sareritas I somecimes think eheyd feel something was missing if they didn’: have a litde mess lke me for a daughter. ‘rea: But Martha! MAMTHA: Some of you were allowed to thread a blue sibbom shrough the yoke of your nightdress, werent you 4 Opening words of Pa | inthe Bhi. 4 ACT E Seene 3 satin! Mama mainains that pink suits me— s with us every evening... ave nin away long, age. that's what you have in mind! she THEA: Oh, won't you? ‘MARTHA: Can you imzgine what mother meant by ‘rina: I can't, —Can you, Wendla? in. I had co spend the as long as I ive maria: Your head sticks out. You tie the sack under your chin. ‘Tax: And then they best you? Masri: No. Only when there's something special. Spring's Awakening WENDLA: What do they beat you with, Marthe? Marra: Ob, I dorit know. Anything. — Does your moths ies indecent to eatin bed? and they'te 50 those beds — all walk in front of me. —Wihat about you, Wendla? ‘WENDLA: You both know iff you're going to have some? ‘THEA: Why shoulda’ we have some? want Euphemia hast't go: any. ‘THEA: Because she’s not married, silly. ‘WENDLA: My Aune Bauer’s been marred three times and hastie got single one. MARTHA: Ifyou have some, Wendla, which would you rcther have, boys or gi WENDLA: Boys! Boys! ‘THEA: Boys for me too! Magri: Me too! I'd rather have wwenty boys than three Is arc boring. hadn't heen a git up co now Iceresinly wouldnt want 9 become one. ACT I Scenes WENDIA: I chink that’s @ matter of taste, Martha! I give chanks Believe me, I wouldnt change places with a king’s son, — I want to Azze sons! THEA: That’ 2 lor of nonsense, Wendl, just nonsense! be @ thousand times more joved by « man than by a girl ‘mean to tell me Forestry Commissioner Pfille foves Melitta more shan she loves him? ‘WENDLA: I certainly do, Thea. — Piille is proud of being Foresuy Commissioner, he doesn’t have money. Melitta is radiancly ‘nappy because she gets ten thousand times more than she gives, MARTHA: Arent you proud — of yourself Wendla? WENDLA: That would be foolish MARTHA: How proud /4/be in your shoes. THEA: Just see how she places her feet, how ahead, how herself Martha! — py to be a gid. Td kitl myself —s0 that the next time... [oteichior passes and greets them. ‘THEA: Oh Lord, Greck history! All I can remember is how Socrates lay in che barrel when Alexander sold him the ass’ shadow. Spring's Awakening ‘WENDLA: He's supposed to be thied in his class. “THA: Professor Bonebreaker says if he wanted ca he could be fest. NaRTHA: He has a lovely forchead, but his friend has a more spisitual look. ‘THEA: Morita Stiefel? —Hell never be anybody! MARTHA: I get on with him quite well. “THEA: He always does something embarrassing, At the children’s parry the Rilows gave he offered me some chocolates. Just imagine, Wendla, they were soft and warm! Isn't that... ? He said he'd had them too long in his crouser pocket! ‘WENDLA: Just think, Melchi Gsbor told me that night he didn’t believe in anyehing: God, an afterife, or anyching 2c all. SCENE 4 A park in front of school. MELCHIOR, OTTO, GEORS, ROBERT, HANSCHEN RILOW, LAMMERMETER, meercitior: Can any of you cell me where Morisz Sciefel’s hiding? GroRG: Hes headed for trouble. Oh, he’s headed for trouble! ‘matt’ shoes! RoRERT: Whar a nerve! —What absolute gall! MELCHIOR: Wha... wha @xORG: What do we know? —Well, lets see LAMMeRMETER: I'm not calking. orto: Nor me. Good God 18 ACT ISeene 4 MeLcHton: If you dont tell m: Ropers In short: Morice Sticfel got MELCHIOR: The Faculty Room? orro: The Pacuky Room, Right afer Lat GEORG: He stayed behind on purpose. Livanunsenrens As [ turned the osmner I saw him open the door, MELCHIOR: The devil eake it LammenatereR: If only the devil doest' take Aint ‘GeORG: The Rektor must've forgorcen eo take the key avay, OBERT: Or else Morice Stifel bas.a skeleton key, ‘Orror I wouldnt put it past him be kept in on Sunday aftemoon, is report card! O10: Provided he isn't kicked oue—with the report hell get. HANSCHEN RILOW: There he is. MELCHIOR: White as a sheet [Enter Montv2, greatly agivated| LAMMERMBIER: Moritz, Morita, what you have done! Montr7: —With happiness—bliss—jubilation, OTTO: Did they ca:ch you? Monza: I've got my promotion! —Melchics, Tve got my pro- motion! Now the world can come to an end! —I've got my promotion! —Who would have choughe Id get my promo- 19 Spring's Awaicening go strange—athe groune’s going up and down ‘Melchior, if you knew what I've been throught HinscitEn sTLOW: Congratulations, Moritz, —Be glad you gor away with i. Moriv7: You're no idea how much was at stake, Hansd ‘could you? For the past three weeks Ive been thar door as ificwas the jaws of Hell. And coda unlocked. I think if someone had offered me a million—no, nothing could have stopped me! —So chere I am in the id= die of the zoom, 1 open the register, carn the pages, find the plice—and the whole time... ie makes me shudler— ezcmior: ... The whole time what? Monrz: The whoie time the door was standing wide open ‘behind me. How I got cur... how I got down the stairs 1 donte know. MANSCHEN sow: —Has Ernst Rabel got his prometion too? onrrz: Ob, surely, Hiinschen, surely! Benst Robel is up toot opents Thar just shows you must have read the ching wrong. ‘Not counting the dunce’s bench, with you and Risbel we come to sixty-one, and the classroom upstairs wont hold more chan sixty. wontye: J read Emnst Rabel it going up jus: ike me. But ies only provisional. The frst term decides which of us must give up his place to the other, Poor Rébel! —Heaven Tenows Uno longer fear for myself Pe been locking too deep Ineo things for chat! ‘oro: I bet you five marks youll give up the place. 20 ACT I Scene 5 MonrT2: You haves a penny, and I wouldnt want to 0b you. God, how Ill gind fom now on, Now {can tell you all—whethe? you believe it or not—nothing matters any more—I-] know how tus icie if did get my promotion [was going to shoot my ROBERT: Show-off! to see you shoot anything boot you a smack in the eye. MEE.CHIOR: [Giver hint one.) —Come on, Moritz. Ler's go 10 enon in iz, Let's go 10 the GEORG: You don't believe that stuff? MELCHIOR: Mind your business, Let them gab, Morita, Let's get out! [nto cownt [PROFESSORS STARVELING and BONEBREAKER past by] BONEBREAKER: That my best student should feel himself ateract- cd vo my wore i ute incomprehensible ro me, dear ol league. STARVELING: ‘To me dso, dear colleague. SCENE 5 A sonny afiernioon. MELCEIOR and WENDLA meet in the weads Lot Mena —Whet are you doit —l've been roaming through the woods for the las theee hous without meeting a soul and suddenly ‘you pop out of the thickest thicket! “WENDLA: Yes, ir's me. Spriag’s Awakening MatciroR: [fT didn’ know you were Wendl Bergmann I'd take you fora dryad froma the branches! ‘WENDLA: No, no, Ym Wendla Bergmann, —What are you doing here? ametcttion: Having my own thoughts. wenn looking for woodruff. Mara wants to make May vine, At fest she wanted to come too, but st the last mesnent ‘my Aunt Bauer paid us a visit, and she doesnt like co walk, uphill. So I came by myself MELCHIOR: Did you find your woodraffe WENDLA: A basketful. Over there unde as clover. —As a matter of fac, I'm locking for seem to have got lost. Can you tell me what time MELCHIOR: Just after half past three. —When are they expecting you? WENDIA: I thought it was later. I lay 2 long time in the moss by che stream, just dreaming, The time went so fast. l was afraid evening might be coming on. MELCHIOR: If theyre not expecting you yet, ed, The ground is sull bees wanting to ask ‘WENDLA: T must be home by Bve. MELCHIOR: We'll go together. I'll carry the basket, we'll take the path chrough the gully, and in tex minutes welll be on the ‘bridge! —V7hen you lie here with your head in your hands you have the strangest thoughts... ACT Scene 5 [Both lie down tender the oak] WENDLA: What did you want to ask me, Melchior? MELCHIOR: I heard thet you often visit the poor, Wendla. That you take them food and clothes and money. Do you do it of your own accotd, or does your mother send you? WENDLA: Usually mother sends me. They'te poor day laborers ch a mob of children. Ofien the man car’t find work, and -y go cold and hungry. At home we've got all sons of ings in closets and chests, chings we done use, that are just ing up... Buc what made yeu chink of it? MELCHIOR: When your mother sends you somewhere like that do you like to go or not? WENDLA: 1 love to go, of course! —How can you ask? ‘MELCHIOR: The children ate dirry, the women are ill, their hous- es ate fall of vermin, the men hate you because you don't work. ‘WenptA: Thats not troe, Melchior And if ie wa, all the more reason for me to go MELCHOR: What makes you say chat, Wendla? WENDEA: —It would make me even happier be able to do something for them. MELCHIOR: Se you visit the poor for your own pleasure? ‘WANDLA:I visi chem because they're poor Spring's Awakening ‘month, —Can a man help it if es closefisted and ie docs’ give him pleasure wo visi diy, sick children? WENDLA: I: would certainly give you 2 lor of pleasure! MELCHIOR: He's supposed to die an eternal death because it doesn’t. —I shall write a weatise and send ie to Pastor Skinnywumn, Hes the c1use oft all. How he drools about the e! —If he cant answer me I shall scop ‘going to catechism cles, [shall refuse to be confiemed, WENDLA: Why hure your parents like chat? Go through your confirmation. Ie wont: cost you your head. for cur horrid white dresses and your Jong pant ‘even be something to get excited about. sacrifice! No such thing as rejoicing and the wicked I feel like an outlaw! —What were you dreaming of just now, Wendla, in the geass by the stream? ‘WENDLA: —Nonsense—foolishness— Mexcrion: With your eyes open? I dreamt 1 was a poor, poor beggar child. I was sent fing as much money as my father expect- about chat, Wendla, You have those st ies co thank for it. Believe me, such brutal ACT I Scene 5 WENDLA: They do, Melchior, youre wrong—Martha Bessel gets beaten night after night. Next day you can see the welts, Whar she must have to suffer! Ie makes your blood hear her talk about it. I pity her so, Toften ery into my pil- low in the middle of the night. Fve been wondering for months how we could help her. I gladly take her place for a week or so. MELCIIOR: Someone should report her father, They'd take the girl away from him. a shuddery sensation. MELCHIOR: I don’ believe a child is ever the berter for it. WENDLA: Better for what? MELCHIOR: For being beaten. ‘WENDLA: —With this switch for instance? —Pheve, its thin and. tought MELCHIOR: It would draw blood. WENDLA: Wouldnt you like te hit me with ie once? MELCHIOR: Hit who?" \WENDLA: MeLcHtoR: What got into you, Wendls? WENDLA: I bet there's nothing to i. ie me. n't worry. I want hi you. let you? Metcamon: Never, gal. ‘WENDLA: Not if I ask you to, Melchior? MELCHIOR: Are you out of your mind? \WENDLA: I've never been bearen int my life. Mezcuton: You care ask for 2 thing like that... ‘WENDLA: Please! Please! MELCHIOR: I'll teach you co say please! [He beats her] WENDLA: Oh deat. I don’t feel a thing? MELCHTOR: | believe you. With all thoce skirts on. ‘WENDLA: Then hie me on the legs ‘MELCHIOR: Wendlal He hits her harder) wenpra: You're just stroking me! —Voutte stroking me! Metcrtion: Just wait, you lite witch, I'l beat che kell out of you! [fe throws the branch assay and pommel: her with bis fits till te breaks out in fear yelling. Not in the leas detered, he les fy as er ica rage, wile bis vars run doson his checks. Suddenly dhe springs upright, clasps his vemples swith both ‘rand, and plunges into the wood sobbing pitifully and rom the depshs of his soul} ACT IT Seene 3 actu SCENE 1 Exening in soeicun0n’s study. The window is open. There is lighted lamp on the sableMELCHIOR and MORITZ. on the sofa. MonrrZ: Now I'm quite cheerful again, only a litdle excited, — Bur in Greek class slepe like the drunken Polyphemus. Pm surprised old Stickywongue didnie pull my ears. —This ‘morning I was within an inch of being late. —My Bist thought on waking wes of the verbs in md. Christ Almighty, Hell and Damnation—all during breakfist and on the way to schoo! I was conjugating till my head swam. —I muse have dropped off just after three. On top of everything, my pen had made a blot on the book. The lamp was smoking when Mathilda woke me, The cheushes were rwitcering - E put my collar on and Bur you feel so good a victory over yourself ‘MELCHIOR: May I roll you a cigarette? Monurzs Thank you, I don't smoke. If only I can go on like chis! 1 mean to work and work sill my eyes pop out head. —Emst Rabel has already He can be a mercenary tor a cowboy. IF Lon’ get theaugh, Papa will have a stroke and Mama will go to the madhouse. 7 Spring’s Awakening ‘That's more than a fellow could bear. —Before the exam T asked God to make me consumptive so that the cup might pass from me, Ie has passed. But even now it kind of glim- mers at me from a distance, so I don'e dare to raise my eyes, ig taken hold of the pole L'il hoist the inescapable Fact MELCHIOR: meaner than one could ever have expected. 1 wouldr't mind hanging myself fiom a branch, —Where can ‘Mama be wich the tea! ‘MELCHIOR: Let's we | we've had our tea. Monrrz: —The leaves are whispering so by ful as che sun, more be country. Only shed head. She couldn’ eat or couldr’e kiss. She was able co communicate with her ants only by means of her soft litde hand. With her ccate feet she tapped out declarations of war and sentences of desth. Then one day she wat conquered by a king who hag- pened to have two heads that got in each others hair all che than any other ick to be born without a could’ s2e or laugh, she ACT If Scene 1 year round and quarreled so excitedly that neither let che other get a word in edgewise. So the chief court magician took the smaller of the ewo heads and placed it on the queen. “And Jo! I became her passing well” Whereupon the lips, and lived many years in happiness and joy... What damn nonsense! Since the vacation 1 can’ get the headless queen out of my head. IFT see a beautiful ‘owe a head, then suddenly | myself seem co be a headless queen ... Pethaps Ill get me another head, though, (Enter vats. GAR with the seaming tea, whieh she places on the table in front of MORETE and MELCHUO! Rs. GasOR: Here you are, boys, } hope you enj how are you? MorrrZ: Fine, chanks, Mes. Gaboe. —{ was just listening ro the i. Hallo, aS. GABOR: You don’ look se all well. —Ate you feeling Morrrz: Ie doesn’t metn a thing, Ive been to bed rather late the tase few times. ‘MELCHIOR: Just chink: he worked Mes. GABOR: But you shouldn't do such things, must fook after yourself School is not a substitute for health, Plenty of walks in the fresh air! At your age that’s more important han accunicy in Middle High German! MoRrT7: I'll rake plenty of walks. You'e right. And one can work while walking. Why didnt I dhirk of chat mysel® —Even so, PA have the writen work to do at home. MELCHIOR: You cun do che writeen work with me: thae will make ie easier for us both. —Did you kaow Max von Trenk has 29 i | Spring's Awakening died of brain fever, Mama? —This morning Hiinechen Rilow came to Rektor Sunstroke from Teen's deathbed. To report that Max had just died in his presence. —"Really?” said Sunstcoke, “donie you sill have evo hours’ detention to do from lest week? —Here's the ticket for the school porter. ‘See «0 it that the matter is finaly settled! ‘The whole class ‘ill arend the funeral!"—Hainschen was stunned. es, Gabon: What’ that book you have there, Melchior? MELHOR: Fast ‘ans, Ganon: Have you read it? MELCHIOR: Nor 10 the end. Monrrz: Wee in the Walpurgis Night. sans. Ganon: If I were your age, 1a have waited another year or wo. MELCHIOR: I never found so much in a book before, Mama. Is beautiful. Why shouldnt | read i? tanderstand it. MRS, GABOR: —Because you dor ‘eLc#ioR: You can't know that, Mama. I realize Tm in no posi- tion co get all the. . grandeur of it— ‘MonurTz: We always read together. Amazing how much more you understand. as, GABOR: Youte old enough to know whats good for you ‘Melchior. Do whatever you can answer to yourself for, bbe che Firse to welcome the time when you give me no Furr ther reason t0 hold things back. —T only wanted to point ‘out that even the best can be dangerous when one lacks dhe mnataiey co interpret it correctly. —Bur Vd always rather put fay tras: in you than in “disciplinary measures.” —IF either of ACT Scene 1 you need enything ese, come over and call me, Melchior. 111 be in my bedroom. [Bxie) ‘Morrrz: —Your mother means the business with Greichen. ‘MELCHIOR: Why, we only spent half a second on it. MoniTz: Faust himself couldn't have dismissed ic more cold- bloodedly! MELCHIOR: After all, artistically speaking, this outrage isn the high poinc of the play. —Suppose Faus: just promised to masty the gic] and then left her: as I see it he wouldn't be a bir less co blame. As far as Fm concerned, Gretchen could dic of a broken heart. —To see the frantic way everyone always fastens on to the subject, you'd chink the world revol- ved around penis and vagina. MORITZ: To be quite fiank, Melchior, since I read your essay, 1 feel chot it does. —It fell at my feet in the first days of the vacation. I had Pleea’s History in my hand. —I bolted the door and skimmed throughout che flickering lines as a frightened owl flies theough a burning forest. —I chink I ed like a series of dim recollections, like a song thst one had bummed haprity 0 oneselfas.a child and then heard on the of another as one lay dying. Heartbreaking! —I was most affected by what you wrote abou : undergo a sweet wrong undeservedly seems to me the essence of earthly bliss. MELCHK { don't wane my bliss given to me as chatty! Monrtz: But why not? Spring's Awakening ‘MeLcHton: I done want anything | haven't had to fight for nature is sel-protect ‘Keeps herself fize of everything bieter iil dhe last moment. She then has che pleasure of secing, all heaven break over her, She bast't stopped fearing hell when. suddenly she notices paradise in full bloom, Her feelings are 2s fresh as water springing from the rock. She takes up a chalice, agoblec of nectar, which no eardhly breath has yet blown upon. fand ~ even at is flickers and flares ~ she drains itt By compar- json, a man’s satisfaction seems to me shallow, stagnant. Mexctitore Think of it as you hike, only keep it co yourselt. — 1 SCENE 2 A bing room. MRS, BERGMANN: [Bler hat on, shawl around her shoulders and & ‘basket on her arm, enters throxgh the center door with a beaming {face Wendliat — Wendlal MRS, BERGMANN: You're up already, child? —Thav’s a good WENDIA: Have you been out already? MRS. BERGMANN: Be quick and get dressed, you must go down 10 Tna’s, You must sake her this bask MENDLA: [Dresing herself completely in dhe couase of what follow: ‘You were at [na’s? —How is Ina —still no better? ACTH Scene 2 MRS, BERGMANN: Just think, Wendla, the stor paid Ina a visie last night. Brough heralirde boy. WENDLA: A boy! —A bs ceaplains the never-endi Oh, thats wonderfull —Thas jnfluenza’t MRS. BERGMANN: A spleadid boy! WENDLA: I must sce him, Mather! —So I'm an aunt for the third time—aunt (0 a girl and ewe boys! MRS, BERGMANN: And what boys! —Thats what comes of living, ‘0 near the church! —Ies only wo years since she went up the altar steps in her muslin dress, WENDLA: Were you there when the stork brought him? 1s. BERGMANN: It had just fown away, —Wouldn' you like ro pin arose on your dress? WENDLA: Why didn’t you gee there 4 little sooner, Mother? ns aaa 1 think he brought something for you too—a sock or something. wEnpLat It’s 2 real shame. srs. neReMAnn: Bur I'm calling you he brought you a becocht ‘WENpLat I have enough brooches... MRS. BERGMANN: Then be satisfied, child. Wha: else do you ke to know whether he flew through the window or dovn the chimney. Mps, BERGMANN: You must ask fne, Uh, hub, you must ask Ina, dee hear na wil give youll the dei Ina edn him a solid hal WENDLA: I shall ask her wl Spring's Amakering MRS. BERGMANN: Mind you don't forget, my angel! I should like

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