''Through the Leaves'' is a 1976 play from German playwright, actor and film director

Franz Xaver Kroetz Franz Xaver Kroetz (; born 25 February 1946) is a German author, playwright, actor and film director. He achieved great success beginning in the early 1970s. ''Persistent'', '' Farmyard'', and ''Request Concert'', all written in 1971, are some o ...

. Developed from one of Kroetz' earlier pieces, ''Men's Business,'' ''Through the Leaves'' premiered in 1981. Critics have described the play as "not pleasant," with Frank Rich of ''The New York Times'' going on to write that "it sticks in the mind" in his 1984 review. In 2010, Naomi Skwama of Toronto's '' NOW Magazine'' described the play as "absorbing, but nearly unbearable in its intimacy – offering the sick pleasure that comes from reading a stranger’s diary." The play marked Kroetz' first venture into stark

social realism Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structure ...

, later followed by the critically successful ''Tom Fool'' (1978). ''Through the Leaves'' follows a lonely butcher, Martha, and her relationship with factory worker Otto. Through Martha's diary and her interactions with Otto, the audience discovers the pains of an unremarkable relationship in which neither party can relate with the other.

Canadian Production

Toronto's

The Company Theatre The Company Theatre is a Toronto-based independent theatre company that produces provocative international plays with Canada's best actors. History The Company Theatre (TCT) was created in 2004 by Canadian actors Allan Hawco and Philip Riccio. The ...

(TCT) staged the play in 2010, starring Canadian actors

Maria Vacratsis Maria Vacratsis (born July 28, 1955) is a Canadian actress. She has been featured in several Canadian television series, including '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'', ''Little Mosque on the Prairie'', ''Tactical Girls'', and '' Rent-a-Goalie''. In ...

and

Nicholas Campbell Nicholas Campbell (born 24 March 1952) is a Canadian film, television and voice actor and filmmaker, who won three Gemini Awards for acting. He is known for such films as ''Naked Lunch'', '' Prozac Nation'', ''New Waterford Girl'' and the tel ...

as Martha and Otto. Directed by TCT's co-Artistic Director Philip Riccio, the production played from September 10 – October 3 at

Tarragon Theatre The Tarragon Theatre is a theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the main centers for contemporary playwriting in the country.

to critical acclaim. ''Through the Leaves'' was nominated for five

Dora Mavor Moore awards The Dora Mavor Moore Award (also known as the Dora Award) is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped es ...

in 2011 in the Independent Theatre division: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction (Riccio), Outstanding Performance Female (Vacratsis), Outstanding Performance Male (Campbell) and Outstanding Set Design (for set, costume and lighting designer John Thompson). Thompson won the award for set design, his first win in that category, and the show received the award for Outstanding Production.

References

German plays 1976 plays {{Play-stub