The Theatre of the Bauhaus: The Modern and Postmodern Stage of Oskar Schlemmer (review)

Oskar Schlemmer's contributions to the Bauhaus theatre, often overshadowed by his visual art, are re-evaluated in Melissa Trimingham's study. The book challenges perceptions of Schlemmer's work as sterile or outdated, demonstrating its significant influence on later artists like Allan Kaprow and Robert Wilson. Trimingham employs a phenomenological method to interpret Schlemmer's stage works, emphasizing their focus on states and objects of consciousness. She also highlights the profound impact of Gestalt thinking on Bauhaus theatre, countering the prevailing association with rational modernism. The study provides a comprehensive analysis of Schlemmer's theatrical oeuvre across Weimar, Dessau, and Berlin periods, restoring the richness and complexity of his contributions.

(Ed.). (2012). The Theatre of the Bauhaus: The Modern and Postmodern Stage of Oskar Schlemmer (review). Modern Drama, 55(1), 162–164. https://doi.org/10.1353/mdr.2012.0013