ANNA LĀCIS AMONG THE CREATORS OF THE IDEOLOGICAL CHILDREN’S THEATRE

Abstract

The moral and political coup d’état in West Germany in 1968 brought new ambitions and goals. Women and children were recognised as victims of existing institutions. In order to change their lives, a vision and examples were necessary. This is why the summary of the Programme of the Proletarian Children’s Theatre by Asja Lācis and Walter Benjamin, which appeared in an alternative magazine, and subsequently Asja Lācis’s autobiography, entitled “Profession – Revolutionist”, caused an immediate reaction and became a new organisational strategic basis for work with children and youngsters. In these works, newly established children’s theatres, such as Teater im Märkischen Viertel, Gruppe Spielumwelt, Volker Ludwig’s Reichskabarett (subsequently – Grips) and TAT, found particular inspiration for anti-authoritarian activity. Volker Ludwig saw a way of bridging theatre and emancipation-oriented education in Asja Lācis’s works. The Grips-Theatre, which has existed for over 40 years, has become the most influential ideological theatre for children. Its different kinds of activities are now in use all over the world. The present paper explores the impact of Asja Lācis’s ideas on contemporary children’s theatre, demonstrating how concrete her discoveries were in the context of the theatre of her time.