{ The Man Outside by Wolfgang Borchert Directed by Katie Farrell Fall 2016
{
The Man Outside by Wolfgang Borchert
Directed by Katie Farrell
Fall 2016
God and Death as the Old Man and Undertaker, respectively, at odds after the end of World War II.
Beckmann is thrown onto shore by the Elbe following his suicide attempt.
The Other One encourages Beckmann to live.
Girl arrives and convinces Beckmann to visit her home for dry clothes and the
promise of love.
The Other One comments on the strangeness of bipeds, cured immediately of depression and suicidal inclinations at the sight of a pretty face.
”eckmann puts on the clothes of Girl’s deceased husband.
Girl and Beckmann talk about the war. Their mutual
loneliness and desire for normalcy overtakes them in
the form of physical passion.
One Leg, Girl’s husband and the personification of survivor’s guilt,
makes himself know to Beckmann, who is dressed in One Leg’s clothes and making love to
his wife.
One Leg refuses to allow Beckmann to forget his past and reinvent himself. It is revealed that One Leg was a soldier who died under ”eckmann’s command.
Beckmann is haunted by guilt.
The Other One convinces Beckmann to visit the Colonel to give him the responsibility for the deaths of 11 men
who died under ”eckmann’s command in
Siberia.
The Colonel and his family are dining and
as Beckmann illustrates his experience of PTSD
through nightmares, the family mocks him
and laughs at him.
Beckmann tries to give over the responsibility for the 11 lives of the soldiers he lost to the Colonel. The Colonel laughs at his trauma and
recommends that Beckmann take his act to the stage.
Beckmann steals the Colonel’s schnapps and
drunkenly postulates on the degradation of the world
and its impending demise.
Beckmann auditions for the cabaret, but is told he must return when he has made a
name for himself. His experience is only war and death—not what the public
wants to see.
Beckmann sings Tapfere kleine Soldatenfrau, a lament
addressing the experiences of returning veterans. The Cabaret
Producer replies that it lacks finesse. “rt has nothing to do
with truth, he states.
Beckmann returns to his childhood home, only to discover that Frau Kramer lives there now. She laughs dismissively at his troubles and kind-heartedly informs
Beckmann that his parents committed suicide when Germany lost the war.
Beckmann returns to the Elbe, grieving the loss of his parents. The Other
One tries to comfort him.
Death takes the form of a Roadsweeper and taunts
Beckmann as he lies in the Elbe. While Beckmann begs Death not to forget him, the
Roadsweeper reminds Beckmann that he forgets no
one—his door is always open.
The Other One attempts to remind Beckmann that humanity is good by revealing to him all the people he has visited on his journey.
Beckmann interviews each person, accusing
them all of murdering him.
They, in turn, dismiss his
allegations and turn their backs on him.
Girl has been
searching for him,
but just as they are about to reunite, One Leg returns and Girl leaves.
One Leg refuses to let Beckmann forget that though he accuses people of murdering him, he has murdered One Leg. When Beckmann drags himself into
the Elbe for escape, One Leg is able to follow him because he has committed suicide. He begs Beckmann to remember him. Beckmann, petrified, vows that he
cannot forget his victim.
”eckmann addresses the audience: “ man comes to Germany… and recounts the anguish of his journey over the 3-day period since he has returned from Siberia.
Defeated at last, ”eckmann calls out to the Other One and to God: Will no one, nobody answer me?
God and Death meet again, as in the beginning of the play, to choose who
will claim ”eckmann’s soul.