Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Leon Epp

Spaicol:


Leon Epp (born May 29, 1905, in [[Vienna]], † December 21, 1968, in [[Eisenstadt]]) was an Austrian music director, theatre director and actor.

==The theatre "The Island"==

After working as an actor in [[Teplitz-Schönau]] and on many German stages, Epp founded in 1937 the theatre " The Island " at Parking 6 in Vienna, in a hall of the Palais Eugen, which opened on 20 September 1937 with [[Paul Claudel]]'s ''The Guarantor''. Epp played authors such as [[Aristophanes]] (with Plutos and The Peace ), [[Goldoni]] and even [[Pergolesi]] (The Music Master).
On March 12, 1938, the theatre was occupied by the [[SS]] force and finally closed in June.<ref>Karin Breitenecker: It has to be dared. the direction Leon Epp at the Volkstheater 1952-1968. Vienna 1991 (Vienna, University, Diploma thesis, 1991).</ref>

Afterwards, Epp occasionally directed the Deutscher Volkstheater (alongside director: [[Walter Bruno Iltz]]), where he also appeared as Christopher in 1938 in [[Johann Nestroy]]'s "[[Einen Jux will er sich machen]]".
From 1939 to 1941 Epp became partners with [[Rudolf Haybach]], the head of the "Comedy", a theatre group based in the Johannesgasse 4 (at a later time renamed to Metro cinema). The ensemble of the "Comedy" included [[Elisabeth Epp]], [[Helmut Janatsch]], [[Hans Brand]] and a young [[Josef Meinrad]]. By March 1940, The "Comedy" had released ten world premieres, playing a total of 241 performances and ten guest appearances.
"The Comedy" premiered in February 1940 with [[Heinrich Zerkaulens]] "The Rider" in Epps direction, who also played the role of Rudolf II, "one of the most interesting and impressive theatre evenings of the season" ([[Weltbild]]), in 1941 a young [[Oskar Werner]] debuted in [[Franz Grillparzer]]'s " The golden fleece ", in 1941 "The Comedy" undergone some financial problems, ownership of the group was bought by the German Labor Front. Epp was unemployed until 1944.<ref>Angela Eder: Between avant-garde theater and paper rose. The island in the comedy, 1945-1951. Vienna 2005 (Vienna, University, Dissertation, 2005).</ref>

After the end of the war, Epp wanted to found a teacher called the "island" managed by the members of the "Comedy" in Johannesgasse. City Council member Viktor Matejka granted Epp the concession, the theatre, renamed by Epp to " The Island in the Comedy ", opened on 18 October 1945 with " Uncle Vanya " by [[Anton Chekhov]]. The capacity was 453 seats.
Regarding the theatre Mrs [[Elisabeth Epp]] wrote:

<blockquote>"The theater 'The Island' in the comedy is to be conducted as a stage adapted to the needs of a cosmopolitan city, which clearly places itself at the service of poetry and performs all the dramas of world literature, which for reasons of budget at other Viennese stages does not Performance of which is particularly close to the care of the modern psychological and problematic drama, as an experimental stage for works of modern dramatic literature."</blockquote><ref>Elisabeth Epp : Happiness on an island. Leon Epp, life and work. Braumüller, Vienna and others 1974, ISBN 3-7003-0083-2 .</ref>

In order to finance the demanding schedule, Epp leased the Renaissance Theater in Vienna in 1948 as an additional venue for light fare. However, the expected revenue was missing, and Epp had to give the Renaissance Theater in 1949 to [[Paul Löwinger]].<ref>Historical Museum of the City of Vienna (ed.): Theater The Island in the Comedy (= Historical Museum, special exhibition 236). Museums of the city of Vienna, Vienna 1998, ISBN 3-9500740-1-5 (exhibition catalog).</ref>
Epp then staged as an independent director at the [[Burgtheater]]

==Directorate of the Vienna Volkstheater 1952-1968==

From 1952 to 1968 Epp was the director of the Vienna Volkstheater. His direction was characterized by plays by contemporary dramatists such as [[Albert Camus]], [[Friedrich Dürrenmatt]], [[Sean O'Casey]], [[Jean Cocteau]], [[Thornton Wilder]], [[Tennessee Williams]], [[William Faulkner]], [[Jean Anouilh]], [[John Osborne]], [[Heinar Kipphardt]] and great classical productions as well as many new Austrian literature premiers. The motto of the theatre was "It must be dared"<ref>Dietrich Hübsch: Uncompromising theater against emotional lethargy and lethargy of affluence. Interview with Leon Epp. In: Dietrich Hübsch (Red.): The Viennese "Volkstheater" 1889-1966 (= mask and Kothurn, Vol 13, No. 4, ISSN 0025-4606 ). Böhlau, Vienna et al. 1967, pp. 299-317, doi : 10.7767 / muk.1967.13.4.299 .</ref>

Some of the Austrian premieres caused quite a stir, such as the staging of [[Jean-Paul Sartre]]'s The dirty hands (1954/55), which the author himself tried to prevent with a trip to Vienna, because, in his opinion, it was outdated for the times, In the season 1962/63, the Volkstheater ventured with Mother Courage and her children by [[Bertolt Brecht]], after many years in Austria against the backdrop of the Cold War under the leadership of [[Hans Weigel]] and [[Friedrich Torberg]] in the so-called " Brecht boycott " most theatres were closed.
The press discussed the "blockade breakers" premiere on February 23, 1963, with [[Dorothea Neff]] and directed by [[Gustav Manker]], who also staged in the episode The Caucasian Chalk Circle.<ref>Paulus Manker : Searching for traces. The theater man Gustav Manker . Amalthea Signum, Vienna 2010, ISBN 978-3-85002-738-0 .</ref>

In the next season, the deputy of [[Rolf Hochhuth]] in Austrian premiere even made for fights in the floor. The director of the theatre, Epp, interrupted the premiere in order to go on stage and announce:
<blockquote>"Anyone attending this performance may ask themselves if he was somehow complicit in the things described here."</blockquote><ref>Evelyn Schreiner (ed.): 100 years of folk theater. Theatre. Time. History. Youth and people, Vienna and others 1989, ISBN 3-224-10713-8 .</ref>

1961 was for Jean Genets The balcony first prize at the Festival Theater des Nations in Paris, 1963 Genets The Walls were played for the first time, both times in the decor of the artist [[Hubert Aratym]]. A Wedekind cycle was as much a part of the program as classics from [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] to [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|Goethe]] and [[Friedrich Schiller|Schiller]].<ref>Wiener Volkstheater (ed.): It must be daring. Leon Epp, 1905-1968. National Theater Director 1952-1968. Vienna Volkstheater, Vienna 1999.</ref>

Epp had special care for the Austrian folk play of [[Ludwig Anzengruber]], [[Johann Nestroy]] and [[Ferdinand Raimund]] bestowed for which he and [[Karl Skraup]], [[Hans Putz]], [[Hugo Gottschlich]], [[Fritz Muliar]], [[Walter Kohut]], [[Kurt Sowinetz]] and [[Hilde Sochor]] had the first-class ensemble and all of [[Gustav Manker]] were staged, who was next to Epp, the decisive director of the house, chief stage designer and the ideal complement to Epp. Especially Schiller's The Robber(1959) was groundbreaking on a two-part simultaneous stage in direction and stage design by Manker. Austrian Modernism from Arthur Schnitzler to Ödön von Horváth, Ferdinand Bruckner and Ferenc Molnár and the world premiere of Helmut Qualtinger's The Execution (1965) were in Manker's hands.<ref>Karin Breitenecker: It has to be dared. the direction Leon Epp at the Volkstheater 1952-1968. Vienna 1991 (Vienna, University, Diploma thesis, 1991).</ref>

Epp also discovered many talents such as [[Nicole Heesters]] as Gigi (1953), [[Elisabeth Orth]] (1958) and [[Elfriede Irrall]], who triumphed in 1961 as Lulu. Rare guest appearances were offered by [[Kathe Dorsch]] as Elisabeth of England, [[Marianne Hoppe]] in Strindberg's dream play and [[Hilde Krahl]] as Lady Macbeth and Libussa.<ref>Angela Eder: Between avant-garde theater and paper rose. The island in the comedy, 1945-1951. Vienna 2005 (Vienna, University, Dissertation, 2005).</ref>

Epp founded in 1954 together with the Chamber of Workers and employees the game series "Volkstheater in the outskirts", in the course of which productions of the Volkstheater through the districts of Vienna to bring "culture into the people". After the accidental death of Leon Epp in 1968, [[Gustav Manker]] took over his business and became his successor.
Leon Epp was married since 1936 with the actress Elisabeth Epp. He had three sons with her. Epp is buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery in a grave dedicated to him (Group 40, Number 21) on the side of his wife.<ref>Elisabeth Epp : Happiness on an island. Leon Epp, life and work. Braumüller, Vienna and others 1974, ISBN 3-7003-0083-2 .</ref>

==Filmography==
* 1926: [[The Heart of a German Mother]]
* 1928: Betrayed innocence

==Awards==
* 1962: [[Kainz medal]]
* 1969: [[Karl Skraup Prize]] for Best Director at the Vienna Volkstheater

==References==
<references/>


[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1968 deaths]]
[[Category:Austrian Actors]]
[[Category:People from Vienna]]
[[Category:Austrian teathre directors]]
[[Category:20th-century teathre directors]]
[[Category:20th-century Actor]]


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