Squeaky Wheel: Thomas Bernhard and A Party for Boris

Abstract

Though productions of his plays are extremely rare in North America, Austrian Thomas Bernhard (1931-1989) is one of the pillars of the European repertory, especially in theatrically progressive Germany. His bellicose, radically composed comedies teem with a discontentment tempered by sophisticated humor and astonishingly realistic relationships, all within the framework of a vehement non-Realism. This document chronicles my research into geo-political events and societal elements that shaped Bernhard, and my inquiries into the subject matter and style of his play A Party for Boris (Ein Fest fr Boris), which I have chosen to direct as my thesis production at York University.