Postdramatic Theatre and The Presence of Tragedy: On the Dramatic Theories of Hans-Thies Lehmann and Christoph Menke

Abstract

In this paper, I reconstruct the theatre theories of Hans-Thies Lehmann (1944-) and Christoph Menke (1958-) by focusing on their dialogue - their commentary and argument - with each other. In Postdramatic Theatre (1999), Lehman refers to Menke's interpretation of Hegel's theory of tragedy. He also discusses Menke's theory on the outdatedness of tragedy in Tragödie im Sittlichen (1995) to bolster his claim that drama itself is outdated. What Lehmann does not mention, though, is that Menke argues for the existence of "the tragic" in modernity at the same time.

In Tragic Play (2005), Menke argues that the presence of "modern tragedy" is a manifestation of metatheatre characterized by the failure of attempt, or by the failure to transform praxis through theatrical play. Menke criticizes Lehmann for admitting the possibility of "postdramatic theatre without drama" on the grounds that postdramatic theatre as metadramatic theatre must contain a dramatic moment or layer. Lehmann objects to the criticism, saying that in contemporary society play and reality are so mixed that contemporary theatre cannot remain in a dramatic framework.

I conclude that the dispute between Lehmann and Menke lets us reflect on the fundamental question of the relationship between theatrical play and social practice.