Ukrainomania in the People's Theater: Joseph Roth's moving legacy presented

Ukrainomania in the People's Theater: Joseph Roth's moving legacy presented

At the Volkstheater Vienna, director Jan-Christoph Gockel is bringing a revue to the stage that is dedicated to the life and work of the important Austrian writer Joseph Roth. The production is entitled “Ukrainomania” and is a co-production with the Marija Sankovetska National Theater in Lviv. The topic of war is repeatedly brought into focus, which is particularly important in the current political situation. Roth, who was born in 1894 in Brody, in what is now Ukraine, and died as a refugee in Paris in 1939, is known for his works such as the “Radetzky March”. This revue offers an impressive insight into his life, but does not focus on a specific work, but rather reflects his experiences and emotions in a chaotic world.

The character of Roth is portrayed by Bernardo Arias Porras, who portrays the writer as a self-centered, grungy and cartoonishly exaggerated protagonist. In a humorous but also touching performance, visual elements such as live drawings and photographs from the research trip are incorporated, which underline the lostness of the world described by Roth. A refrigerator and a grave for Roth are central visual anchors. The music by Jacob Suske contributes to the emotional background and reinforces the different moods of the performance, which lasts a total of two hours.

A look at Roth's legacy

"Ukrainomania" is based on the 1920 essay "Ukrainomania. Berlin's Latest Fashion" in which Roth speaks about the fate of nations that lose their state independence. The production addresses the audience's interest in threatened states and is inspired by Roth's trip to his old home of Brody and Lemberg in 1924, which changed the political framework several times. Gockel and his team also looked at historical sites in Ukraine and show how these places shaped Roth's life, while at the same time reflecting on current developments in the country. Roth's texts flow into the dramaturgy in order to find resonances with the present and to build a bridge between the past and the present.

A particularly powerful moment in the production is an interview by Arias Porras, in which Roth's importance to Ukraine and the challenges the country is currently experiencing are highlighted. What is interesting is that during a scene change, the power goes out in the café, which indicates the war situation and makes the audience think about the reality.

The challenges of staging

The production not only shows Roth's literary legacy, but also the challenges of the current situation in Ukraine. Gockel and his team reported that during their rehearsals in Lviv, the electricity is often turned off to save money and they often rehearse by candlelight. These aspects are integrated into the performance and enhance the emotional impact of the piece. The theater artist's trip to Ukraine was marked by fear of rocket attacks, so the production is also described as a kind of “revue against war, against gloom and despair”.

“Ukrainomania” is scheduled to premiere in July in Lviv, with different casts in Vienna and Lviv providing fresh perspectives. Roth's birthplace, which is the subject of the production, and the associated discussion about the name "Szwaby", the neighborhood in Brody where he was born, show the connection between Roth's individual fate and the larger historical context.

The piece ends impressively with authentic tones that are reminiscent of the current threats in Ukraine. This mixture of past and present, art and reality, ensures that “Ukrainomania” is not only a homage to Joseph Roth, but also a distorting mirror of current social challenges. So reported The German stage about the profound impact of the piece, while The press illuminates the connection between Roth's works and the current zeitgeist. Furthermore, lifts profile highlights the importance of Roth's literary legacy for today's understanding of identity and belonging.