33. ‘Who’s the Dumbest?’

Lessons of the 'Troupe 1931' Theater Ensemble

The original author of these essays was Ingeborg Franke von Wangenheim

Theater Program with art by Katha Kollwitz for April 1930 performance of Erwin Piscator’s pro-choice play “Women in Crisis.” (Frauen in Not)

“Who’s the Dumbest?” became a completely different kind of project for us. For the work, we were able to sign-on another actor, Karl Hannemann, whom we’d known for a long time; and Alfred Kurella, leader of a political/philosophical circle, meeting as a seminar.

The ‘setup’ of the play was this: A poor, revolutionary acting troupe (very much like ourselves) arrives at a desperately poor village of weaving mills, located far up in the mountains. The actors check into the Golden Star Inn where they begin playing their game, “Who’s the Dumbest?” among local people gathered at the tavern. (Our Troupe31 audiences willingly take on the role of observers of the actors’ game, or “tavern guests.”)