Mrs Stern Wanders Prussian State Library Review

Jenny Lyn Bader's play, "Mrs Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library," which premiered at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, centers on a pivotal moment in the life of the renowned political theorist Hannah Arendt. The narrative unfolds not within the hallowed halls of the Prussian State Library, as the title might suggest, but rather in the confines of a police cell. This setting places Arendt under interrogation by Nazi authorities in the immediate aftermath of the Reichstag fire, a significant event in the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany. The play explores the extended reach of the Nazi apparatus into investigating political crimes, highlighting Arendt's vulnerability due to her intellectual pursuits, her association with a husband described as errant, and her connections to Jewish intellectuals, all of which placed her under suspicion.

The character of "Mrs Stern" refers to Hannah Arendt's married name. Arendt is widely recognized for her seminal concept of the "banality of evil," a phrase she coined to describe the capacity for ordinary people to commit horrific acts, particularly in the context of the Holocaust. This play, however, delves into an earlier, more personal confrontation with the burgeoning totalitarian state. The encounter in the police cell represents a potential turning point, a moment where her life and work could have been irrevocably altered or even ended by the Nazi regime. The review suggests that while the premise offers dramatic potential, the play itself struggles to fully capture or convey the inherent tension and gravity of this historical moment.

The review, published by The Guardian, critiques the dramatic execution of the play, noting that it "has little feel for the dramatic." This implies that the staging, dialogue, or pacing may not effectively convey the high stakes of Arendt's situation. Despite the potentially life-threatening circumstances and the intellectual weight of the protagonist, the play's ability to translate this into compelling theatrical experience is questioned. The review points to the contrast between the expected setting of a library, symbolizing intellectual pursuit, and the actual setting of a police cell, representing state repression and danger. This juxtaposition is central to the play's thematic exploration of how intellectual life intersects with political persecution.

Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) was a German-American political theorist whose work profoundly influenced 20th-century philosophy and political science. Her early experiences in Nazi Germany, including her arrest and subsequent escape, deeply informed her later writings on totalitarianism, revolution, and the nature of political action. The play's focus on her interrogation offers a dramatized glimpse into the personal risks faced by intellectuals and dissidents during this period. Jenny Lyn Bader, the playwright, attempts to dramatize a specific historical encounter, but the critical reception suggests a disconnect between the historical significance of the event and its theatrical representation. The review implicitly calls for a more robust engagement with the dramatic possibilities inherent in Arendt's early life and her confrontation with oppressive power structures.