Hamburg National Theatre in the context of "Hamburg Dramaturgy"

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⭐ Core Definition: Hamburg National Theatre

The Hamburg Enterprise (German: Hamburgische Entreprise), commonly known as the Hamburg National Theatre, was a theatre company in Hamburg (now Germany), that existed 1767–1769 at the Gänsemarkt square, and that was led by Abel Seyler. It was the first attempt to establish a national theatre in Germany. It was modelled after Det Kongelige Teater, founded by Ludvig Holberg in Denmark in 1748. Its leading actor was Konrad Ekhof and the theatre employed Gotthold Ephraim Lessing as the world's first dramaturg; Lessing's influential Hamburg Dramaturgy, based on his work at the Hamburg National Theatre, defined the new field of dramaturgy and also introduced the term. The theatre premiered Lessing's Minna von Barnhelm on 30 September 1767.

The Hamburg National Theatre was mainly owned and led by the former banker Abel Seyler, who invested much of his remaining fortune in the enterprise after suffering "a sensational bankruptcy for an enormous sum" shortly before. The Hamburg National Theatre had to close in 1769 when Seyler's money had run out after two years of lavish spending. The enterprise was effectively succeeded by the Seyler Theatre Company. Seyler would also later retain the vision of a "national theatre" during his work in Mannheim.

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👉 Hamburg National Theatre in the context of Hamburg Dramaturgy

The Hamburg Dramaturgy (German: Hamburgische Dramaturgie) is a highly influential work on drama by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, written between 1767 and 1769 when he worked as a dramaturg for Abel Seyler's Hamburg National Theatre. It was not originally conceived as a unified and systematical book, but rather as series of essays on the theater, which Lessing wrote as commentary on the plays of the short-lived Hamburg National Theater. This collection of 101 short essays represents one of the first sustained critical engagements with the potential of theater as a vehicle for the advancement of humanistic discourse. In many ways, the Hamburg Dramaturgy defined the new field of dramaturgy, and also introduced the term.

During the time Lessing wrote the Hamburg Dramaturgy, there was a new movement of German theatre, based on self-reflection. Actors were beginning to perform the inner and outer lives of their characters at the same time. One of Lessing's most famous and renowned quotes from the compilation considers the responsibilities of the actor and the playwright: “The great discernment of the drama critic lies in his ability to distinguish, whenever he feels pleasure or displeasure, to what extent that feeling should be credited to the writer or to the actor”

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Hamburg National Theatre in the context of Dramaturgy

Dramaturgy is the study of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. The role of a dramaturg in the field of modern dramaturgy is to help realize the multifaceted world of the play for a production using information from the script, playwright, and the context in which the play was written. It is a dramaturg's job to assist the director and playwright, especially if the culture of the play is not fully experienced by these people.

The term first appears in the eponymous work Hamburg Dramaturgy (1767–69) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Lessing composed this collection of essays on the principles of drama while working as the world's first dramaturge at the Hamburg National Theatre of Abel Seyler. Dramaturgy is distinct from play writing and directing, although the three may be practiced by one individual. Some dramatists combine writing and dramaturgy when creating a drama. Others work with a specialist, called a dramaturge, to adapt a work for the stage.

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Hamburg National Theatre in the context of Konrad Ekhof

Konrad Ekhof (12 August 1720 in Hamburg, Germany – 16 June 1778) was a German actor, often regarded as the foremost actor of German-speaking Europe in the 18th century. He was noted for his collaboration with the theatre principal Abel Seyler in the 1760s and 1770s, first at the Hamburg National Theatre and then at the travelling Seyler Theatre Company.

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Hamburg National Theatre in the context of Minna von Barnhelm

Minna von Barnhelm or the Soldiers' Happiness (German: Minna von Barnhelm oder das Soldatenglück, pronounced [ˈmɪnaː fɔn ˈbaʁnhɛlm ˈʔoːdɐ das zɔlˈdaːtn̩ˌɡlʏk] ) is a lustspiel or comedy by the German author Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. It has five acts, was begun in 1763 and completed in 1767 – its author put the year 1763 on the official title page, presumably to emphasize that the recent Seven Years' War plays a major part in the play, which is set on 22 August 1763. It is one of the most important comedies in German literature. It was first performed in 1767 by the Hamburg National Theatre, where Lessing worked as a dramaturg.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Dramaturgy ← Hamburg Dramaturgy ← Konrad Ekhof ← Minna von Barnhelm
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
German language → Theatre company → Hamburg → Germany → Gänsemarkt → Abel Seyler → List of national theatres → Det Kongelige Teater → Ludvig Holberg → Konrad Ekhof → Gotthold Ephraim Lessing → Dramaturg → Hamburg Dramaturgy → Minna von Barnhelm → Seyler Theatre Company →