Written following the first Gulf War, Dirt was the most frequently performed solo show in Austria, Germany and Switzerland in the 1990s. The influential German theatre magazine Theater heute named Robert Schneider Best New Playwright of the Year (1993) for Dirt. The play centers on Sad, an illegal immigrant from Iraq, who sells roses on the streets to eke out a living. He is charming, cynical, humorous, violent, and sad. Although he loves Western society and its language, his familial and cultural connections to his homeland weigh heavily upon him. As Sad’s monologue continues, it becomes increasingly clear that he has a love-hate relationship with himself, his heritage, and the western world he currently lives in. Haunting and compelling, Dirt is a telling story about racism and the havoc it wreaks on the human spirit. The play is as relevant to today’s America as it was to Europe in the early 1990s.
Dirt (“Dreck”), written by Austrian playwright Robert Schneider, was first performed in its original German version in 1992 in Vienna. The following year the play premiered in Hamburg, Germany at the Thalia Theater and was awarded the Dramatist’s Prize at the “Potsdam Theater Days” after being selected by the jury as the “best contemporary stage work.” Schneider’s first novel Schlafes Bruder (Brother of Sleep) was published in 1992 and immediately became a worldwide success, with translations into 24 languages and a film version. Schneider continues to reside in Austria’s westernmost province of Vorarlberg.
Austrian/American actor Christopher Domig grew up in Salzburg, Austria. His credits include Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, a national tour of Great Expectations, the world premiere of Secrets (Carl Jung) at the Players Club, and regional work at the WaterTower Theatre in Texas and GreenStage in Seattle. He received an MFA from Southern Methodist University.
Paul Dvorak from VCU’s School of World Studies published the English translation of the play in 1996 with Ariadne Press. Professor Dvorak has been teaching German language, literature, and culture at VCU since 1974. He is a frequent traveler to Austria and has published numerous translations and articles dealing with Austrian literature and culture, including such authors as Franz Kafka and Arthur Schnitzler.
PERFORMANCE INFOMATION: The Newdick Theatre is located in the Shafer Street Playhouse on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. For parking information and campus maps, go to http://www.vcu.edu/maps/. Performances: Oct 31, 6:00pm; Nov 1, 12:30 and 7:00pm; Nov 2, 1:00pm; Nov 3, 7:00pm; Nov 4, 3:00pm. Running time is 75 minutes with no intermission. Admission is free. Seating is limited. Financial support is provided by the VCU School of World Studies, School of Mass Communications, School of the Arts, Department of English, and VCU German Club. Special thanks to the Goethe Institute, Washington DC, for its generous support of the project.
Financial support for "Dirt" is provided by the VCU School of World Studies, School of Mass Communications, School of the Arts, Department of English, and VCU German Club. Special thanks to the Goethe Institute, Washington DC, for its generous support of the project.
