Overview
Synopsis
In a world of luxury and decadence, a beautiful young woman struggles to find her own unique self in a society dominated by men. Lulu wants nothing more than to be a dancer, to find joy in her own activities, to be independent. Men appear in her life and try to own her, possess her, control her--but for each and every one of these husbands, their attempts end in death. Lulu is a symbol of female power and sexuality, the “Earth-Spirit” who cannot be tamed and inspires destruction around her. Censored in its original 1898 production, Erdgeist is Frank Wedekind’s mediation on the nature of female sexuality and a cautionary tale for any man wishing to control a woman and her identity.
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Context
Frank Wedekind’s Erdgeist (German for “Earth-Spirit”) was first published in 1895, but it was not produced until 1898. In this first performance in Leipzig, Germany, Wedekind himself played Dr. Schon (Wedekind often acted in his own plays). Erdgeist is the first of the “Lulu plays”; in 1904, Wedekind wrote the sequel Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora’s Box). The title Erdgeist is a reference to Goethe’s Faust, in which the Erdgeist
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Prologue
Outside a circus tent, an animal-tamer greets the audience, punctuated by the sounds of drums and cymbals. He poetically proclaims the battle for man and beast within the tent. A stage hand carries in a young woman; it is Lulu, dressed as a Pierrot clown. The animal-tamer tells the audience that she was created to incite sin, and orders her carried away. He teases the audience regarding Lulu’s fate and what might happen to her throughout the course of the play. Finally, to
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Erdgeist.
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress