Theatre of Real People ─ Diverse Encounters at Berlin Hebbel Am Ufer and Beyond

The result of numerous forms of collaboration, dialogue, and networking, and institutional support, this book focuses on the way innovative versions of real-people theatre that have emerged from Germany are addressing the current situation of intensified cultural diversity. They consider how one of the most prominent types of socially engaged performance today is representing the complex identities and encounters with the diverse that characterize the intercultural nature of much of ontemporary everyday life. Drawing on Garde’s and Mumford’s combined expertise in Theatre Studies and Intercultural (German) Studies, they spotlight how specific forms of this performance represents cultural diversity and unfamiliar people. One of the main issues addressed in the book is the potential of Theatre of Real People to facilitate encounters with culturally diverse people, in particular what has taken place at the Hebbel am Ufer (HAUI). The Theatre of Real People mode is characterized by: 1) a focus on representing or literally putting contemporary real people on stage; 2) an interest in extending public understanding of these individuals and their social environments; and 3) the utilization of what they call “authenticity effects.” Annotation c2016 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

Dr Ulrike Garde is Senior Lecturer in German Studies at Macquarie University, Australia. Her research interests range across Intercultural German Studies, German literature and the performing arts. Her publications includeBrecht & Co: German-speaking Playwrights on the Australian Stage (2007).
Dr Meg Mumford is Senior Lecturer in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Her research focuses on social engagement, intercultural exchange, and the politics of performing bodies, particularly with regard to theatre from Germany and Australia. She has published extensively on the work of playwright-director Bertolt Brecht, and is the author ofBertolt Brecht (2009).