Kleist on Stage: 1804-1987

Roman S. Struc is a professor in the Department of Germanic and Slavic
Studies, University of Calgary.

This book represents a departure from the usual practice of literary
criticism (i.e., examination of the text). William Reeve, professor of
German at Queen’s University, rightly draws our attention to the fact
that Kleist’s plays were intended to be presented on stage and not
merely read. In seven chapters, he describes in some detail the staging
of Kleist’s plays (with the exception of the seldom-performed fragment
Robert Guisnard). These descriptions, with relatively sparse critical
commentary, are based exclusively on the reviews in the press and
elsewhere, thus recording the professional as well as public reaction to
Kleist’s dramatic oeuvre.

The book requires of the reader a thorough familiarity with Kleist’s
plays; moreover, a fairly extensive knowledge of the history of
German–Austrian theatre is necessary to appreciate the frequent
references to luminaries of the German stage. The book addresses the
nonspecialist in relating Kleist’s theatrical reception; the
specialist can use the book as a possible springboard for reinterpreting
Kleist’s challenging masterpieces.

At a time when theatre is hardly a part of our daily lives, one must
learn about theatre from books rather than going to plays: that is the
built-in irony of this book.