''Der grüne Kakadu'' is a one act

grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German, as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...

Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. He is considered one of the most significant representatives of Viennese Modernism. Schnitzler’s works, which include psychological dramas and narratives ...

. It was written in 1898 and premiered on 1 March 1899, together with his plays ''

Paracelsus Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance. H ...

'' and ''

Die Gefährtin ''Die Gefährtin'' is a one-act play by Arthur Schnitzler, which premiered on 1 March 1899 at the Burgtheater in Vienna. In the same year, S. Fischer in Berlin published the text edition together with the one-act plays '' Der grüne Kakadu'' and ' ...

'', at the Vienna

Burgtheater The Burgtheater (; literally: "Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater", originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in ...

. The play thematises the indistinguishability of truth and lies, of appearance and reality.

Characters

* Emile Duke of Cadignan * François Viscount de Nogeant * Albin Chevalier de la Tremouille * The Marquis of Lansac * Séverine, his wife * Rollin, poet * Prospère, host, former theatre director * His troupe: Henri, Balthasar, Guillaume, Scaevola, Jules, Etienne, Maurice, Georgette, Michette, Flipotte * Léocadie, actress, Henri's wife * Grasset, philosopher * Lebrêt, tailor * Grain, a thug * The Commissary * Noblemen, actors, actresses * Burghers and burgesses Fotothek df pk 0000005 006 Szenenbilder

Plot

Paris 1789: Prospère, a former theatre director, runs a dive called "The Green Cockatoo". Many unsuccessful actors, Prospère's former employees, are regulars. But the tavern is also frequented by aristocrats. They hope to get the pleasant thrill of being among real street hustlers and other riffraff. So the actors play criminals. They brag to each other about their violent deeds. On 14 July, the day the French Revolution broke out, the real turmoil of the street now enters the scene. Reality and play intermingle, and for the noble spectators as well as for the actors it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish roles from real people and play from truth.

Adaptations

* ''Der grüne Kakadu'', an opera by composer

Richard Mohaupt Richard Mohaupt (14 September 1904 – 3 July 1957) was a German composer and Kapellmeister. Life and career Richard Mohaupt was born in Breslau, where he studied music at Breslau University with Julius Prüwer and Rudolf Bilke. After his ...

which premiered on 16 September 1958. * ''Der grüne Kakadu'', a 1963 film by Austrian director Michael Kehlmann.Der grüne Kakadu
on IMDb

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grune Kakadu #Der Austrian literature Plays by Arthur Schnitzler 1899 in theatre Plays set in the French Revolution Plays adapted into operas Austrian plays adapted into films