Collective book “Schnitzler’s Reigen – The Next Dance”

Dhe history of Arthur Schnitzler's “Reigen” is notorious. Written in 1896/97, the play was published as a book in 1903, sold eighty thousand copies in the following years, but was not performed until 1920. The reason for this was the open discussion of sexuality in the ten dialogues between alternating interlocutors, even though their respective sexual intercourse was only included as an excerpt in the print. The premiere finally took place in Berlin; Schnitzler's hometown of Vienna, where the action is set, did not follow until February 1921. Both productions were disrupted many times, and lawsuits were filed for immorality, which, however, were decided in favor of the theater. Schnitzler himself banned any further performances in 1922 – a ban that lasted until 1982, when his son released the piece again. By then it had long since made literary history.

Now the matter is being continued: In the Brot und Spiele publishing house, which Max Haberich founded in Vienna two years ago to publish short stories, ten authors from the years 1981 to 1994, six of them women, each wrote a scene to represent the “Reigen “To update: not its plot, but its theme and construction principle. Love in its many forms of expression has been expanded to include homosexual couples, and instead of previously characteristic roles such as prostitute, soldier, maid, “sweet girl” or count, there are now, among others, escort lady, therapist, journalist, ski instructor, plastic surgeon and activist (optionally also written with c). As with Schnitzler, the ten participants alternately give themselves over to each other, although this time the women are no longer just left with a passive role and the whole thing also takes place online. Of course, not only is the actual act as in the original left out, but it is carried out twice in the dialogue between director and therapist.

Alexander Estis took on this scene and it became the most beautiful comedy in its delight in clichés. Stefan Reiser set the appropriate tone for this with the first dialogue between the escort lady and the director, but when, for example, Zarah Weiss and Anna Fercher let a police officer use strong language, or the editor and publisher Haberich, who is also involved as an author, is the only one from the role model that is strictly limited to couple constellations breaks out and offers three guests in supporting roles, whose conversation saves him the otherwise typographically marked omission of sex, other theater traditions come into play: folk plays, for example, social drama, and sometimes even absurdly exuberant theater.

Attractive love discourse

The trigger for the “Reigen” update was a recent archive discovery: ten photos of the first Viennese production from 1921, previously only partially known through contemporary press releases, taken scene by scene, just like the principle of the piece itself The actors captured their innocence – the disruptions to the performances, which once even led to the cancellation of the performance in the ninth scene, only began a week after the premiere – Haberich and his co-editor Thomas Ballhausen asked themselves what had happened in the love discourse since then. “Schnitzlers Reigen – The Next Dance” gives a clear answer: Nothing earth-shatteringly new, but the old theme is still attractive enough to inspire young colleagues. Who approached the matter with humor.

In addition to the five already mentioned, there are Daniela Chana, Katharina J. Ferner, Judith Nika Pfeifer, Lorena Pircher and Gregor Schima – all part of a literary scene, the existence of which Max Haberich confirmed nine years ago with a reference to the Jung-Wien authors group founded in 1891 (which Schnitzler was also a member of) made the circle called “Jung Wien '14” possible. Now he is also reaping the fruits of his initiative as a publisher. And the ten photos from 1921 are included with the result.

Max Haberich, Thomas Ballhausen (ed.): “Schnitzler’s Reigen – The Next Dance”.
Foreword by Manuela Pfundner. Brot und Spiele Verlag, Vienna 2023. 157 pages, 10 illustrations, hardcover, €24.90.