FOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUS—A CONVERSATION

 

By Carl Djerassi

 

Performance Schedule

 

2006

 

Aug. 5: Salzburg: Dramatic reading (in German) of ŇKlee SceneÓ at exhibition opening (11:00AM) of ÓFour Jews on Parnassus through the eyes of Paul Klee and Gabriele SeethalerŐs Klee variationsÓ at Galerie Heike Curtze, Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse 2:

 

WALTER BENJAMIN                              Carl Djerassi

GERSHOM SCHOLEM                           Helga Rabl-Stadler

THEODOR ADORNO                              Wolfgang Unterzaucher

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG                          Bernd Jeschek

 

Oct. 22: Berlin: Walter Benjamin Festival. Scenic reading (11:00 – 13:00) from ŇFOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUS—a play in progressŇ directed by Isabella Gregor in Einstein Saal of Brandenburger Akademie der Wissenschaften (JŠgerstrasse 21/23):

 

 

WALTER BENJAMIN                              Carl Djerassi

GERSHOM SCHOLEM                           Max Hoffmann

THEODOR ADORNO                              Martin Molitor

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG                          Thomas Wehling

DORA SOPHIE BENJAMIN                    Isabella Gregor

ESCHA SCHOLEM                                 Isabella Gregor

GRETEL KARPLUS ADORNO                Isabella Gregor

 

 

2007

 

Jan. 26: Madison, WI: Univ. of Wisconsin Theatre Department dramatic reading (5:30PM: Margaret H'Doubler Performance Space, Lathrop Hall) of excerpts from ŇFOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUSÓ directed by Norma Saldivar (asst. director, Talish Barrow).

 

 

WALTER BENJAMIN                  Jesse Michael Mothershed

GERSHOM SCHOLEM               Josh Krevsky

THEODOR ADORNO                  Steve Wojtas

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG              Andy Rice

DORA SOPHIE BENJAMIN        Clare Arena Haden

HANNAH ARENDT                     Clare Arena Haden

 

 

 

 

June 14: London: Freud Museum (7:00PM): Dramatic reading of ŇPornography in the age of technical reproductionÓ scene from FOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUS.

 

WALTER BENJAMIN                  Michael Fenner

THEODOR ADORNO                  Nick Rankin

GERSHOM SCHOLEM               Carl Djerassi

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG              John Forrester

HANNAH ARENDT                     Diane Middlebrook

 

Sept. 9: Stockholm: Dramatic reading (17:00) of ŇWhen is a ÔJewŐ not a Jew?Ó scene from FOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUS directed by Jurij Lederman at Theatrestudio Lederman followed by panel discussion organized by Jewish Museum.

 

WALTER BENJAMIN                  ThŽrŹse CrŽmieux

THEODOR ADORNO                  Johan Rabaeus

GERSHOM SCHOLEM               Semmy Stalhammer

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG              Staffan Scheja

 

 

Oct. 19: Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Dramatic reading (19:30 – 20:30) in Spanish of ŇPaul KleeŐs Angelus NovusÓ scene from FOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUS directed by Antonio Navarro at Centro Atl‡ntico de Arte Moderna (Calle Los Balcones 9 y 11, Las Palmas).

 

Oct. 29: Vienna: Dramatic reading (19:00 – 22:00) under the direction of Isabella Gregor of Vier Juden auf dem Parnass: 4 MŠnner – 4 Juden – 4 Wahrheiten under CONSIDERATIO (www.consideratio.at) auspices, followed by panel discussion with Eveline Goodman-Thau, Michael Ley, and Karin Stšgner. Semper Depot - Atelierhaus der Akademie der bildenden Kźnste (Leh‡rgasse 6-8, A-1060 Vienna).

 

WALTER BENJAMIN                  Bernd Birkhahn

THEODOR ADORNO                  Peter Scholz

GERSHOM SCHOLEM               Johannes Terne

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG              Wolfgang Pampel

 

 

Nov. 30: Cambridge: Dramatic reading (directed by Oli Rose) by Cambridge University ADA of ŇGretel & Theodor AdornoÓ scene followed by discussion with Martin Jay (Berkeley) and Staci v. Boeckmann (Munich) on related Adorno material from FOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUS under auspices of Cambridge University Centre for Gender Studies at Old Hall, QueensŐ College (4:00 pm).

 

WALTER BENJAMIN                  Dylan Spencer-Davidson

THEODOR ADORNO                  Tom Yarrow

GRETEL ADORNO                     Bea Walker

 

 

2008

 

April 15: Vienna: Arnold Schšnberg Center (Palais Fanto, Schwarzenbergpl. 6):  Dramatic reading (directed by Isabella Gregor) of Schšnberg auf dem Parnass from VIER JUDEN AUF DEM PARNASS-EIN GESPR€CH.

 

THEODOR ADORNO               Gregor Seberg

WALTER BENJAMIN               Johannes Terne

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG           Hannes Gastinger

MATHILDE SCH…NBERG        Josefin Platt

GERSHOM SCHOLEM                        Gideon Singer

 

April 16: Vienna: Advance presentation (20:00 Radiokulturhaus, Argentinierstr. 30) of ORF Radio play of scenes 1 and 2 from VIER JUDEN AUF DEM PARNASS-EIN GESPR€CH.

 

April 17: Vienna: Dramatic reading (directed by Isabella Gregor) in Heiligen Kreuzerhof (Schšnlaterngasse 5) under auspices of UniversitŠt fźr angewandte Kunst of BENJAMINŐS AKTENTASCHE (Pornography in an age of technical reproduction) from VIER JUDEN AUF DEM PARNASS--EIN GESPR€CH.

 

THEODOR ADORNO               Toni Slama

WALTER BENJAMIN               Johannes Terne

DORA BENJAMIN                    Josefin Platt

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG           Hannes Gastinger

GERSHOM SCHOLEM                        Gideon Singer

HANNAH ARENDT                   Josefin Platt

 

April 22: Vienna: ORF Radio 1 …sterreich broadcast (20:30) of radio play based on chapter 1 and 2 (ŇFour wivesÓ) from VIER JUDEN AUF DEM PARNASS--EIN GESPR€CH directed by Harald Krewer.

 

WALTER BENJAMIN                                       Jšrg Ratjen

THEODOR W. ADORNO                                  Michael Rotschopf

GERSHOM SCHOLEM                                                Toni Slama

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG                                   Karl Markovics

MATHILDE SCH…NBERG-ZEMLINSKY                       Chris Pichler

GRETEL KARPLUS ADORNO                         Sabine Haupt

ESCHA SCHOLEM                                          Andrea Clausen

DORA SOPHIE BENJAMIN                              Maria Happel

ERZ€HLER (Narrator)                                       Carl Djerassi

 

May 7: Vienna: Dramatic reading (directed by Isabella Gregor) in Prunkraum of Albertina Museum (19:30) of PAUL KLEE UND EIN ENGEL from VIER JUDEN AUF DEM PARNASS-EIN GESPR€CH in conjunction with opening of Paul Klee Exhibition.

 

THEODOR ADORNO               Johannes Terne

WALTER BENJAMIN               Carl Djerassi

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG           Klaus A. Schršder

GERSHOM SCHOLEM                        Gideon Singer

 

Aug. 9: Bayreuth: Dramatic reading (directed by Isabella Gregor) in Kunstmuseum im Alten Rathaus (18:30) with Almut Hellwig (Soprano, Musikhochschule des Saarlands) & Sebastian Voltz (Piano) followed by post-performance discussion in conjunction with Cheesefondue Workshop III.

 

THEODOR ADORNO               Silke Gerstmann

WALTER BENJAMIN               Ekkehard Beck

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG           Heinz Gaube

GERSHOM SCHOLEM                        Max Herberhold

MATHILDE SCH…NBERG        Almut Hellwig

 

Nov. 3: Berlin: Neue Nationalgalerie (19:00). Dramatic reading (directed by Isabella Gregor) of excerpts from FOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUS ăPaul Klee und ein EngelŇ with soprano Almut Hellwig and pianist Rainer Oster. Music by Arnold Schšnberg, Claus Steffen Mahnkopf, Erik Weiner, and Egill îlafsson.

 

THEODOR ADORNO               Helmut Rźhl

WALTER BENJAMIN               Lutz Blochberger

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG           Hannes Gastinger

GERSHOM SCHOLEM                        Leopold von Verschuer

 

2009

 

Jan. 31: Vienna: Rebroadcast (13:00 – 14:00) of ORF Radio 1 …sterreich April 22, 2008 broadcast of radio play based on chapter 1 and 2 (ŇFour wivesÓ) from VIER JUDEN AUF DEM PARNASS--EIN GESPR€CH directed by Harald Krewer.

 

March 13: Berlin: Austrian Embassy (Stauffenbergstra§e 1-4/Tiergartenstra§e 12):  Dramatic reading (directed by Isabella Gregor) of ŇSchšnberg auf dem ParnassÓ excerpts from VIER JUDEN AUF DEM PARNASS-EIN GESPR€CH with soprano Almut Hellwig and pianist Rainer Oster.

 

THEODOR ADORNO                  Johannes Terne        

WALTER BENJAMIN                  Lutz Blochberger

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG             Helmut Rźhl

MATHILDE SCH…NBERG          Almut Hellwig

GERSHOM SCHOLEM               Felix Ršmer

 

June 16: London: Austrian Cultural Forum, 28 Rutland Gate, London SW7 1PQ. Dramatic reading (directed by Isabella Gregor) of ŇSchšnberg on ParnassusÓ excerpts from FOUR JEWS ON PARNASSUS, with soprano LorŽ Lixenberg and pianist Oliver Davies.

 

THEODOR ADORNO                  Gerald Davidson

WALTER BENJAMIN                  Carl Djerassi

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG              Michael Fenner

MATHILDE SCH…NBERG          LorŽ Lixenberg

GERSHOM SCHOLEM               Hywel John

 

2010

 

February 6: Stanford: ŇBENJAMIN, ADORNO, SCHOLEM, SCH…NBERG: A DISPUTE ABOUT ART, MUSIC, IDENTITY, WIVES, AND PORNOGRAPHYÓ (directed by Isabella Gregor with soprano LorŽ Lixenberg) at Piggott Theatre (7:00PM), Stanford University under SICa auspices.

 

THEODOR ADORNO                  Ken Sonkin

WALTER BENJAMIN                  Rush Rehm

ARNOLD SCH…NBERG              Bill Wolak

GERSHOM SCHOLEM               Gerry Hiken

MATHILDE SCH…NBERG          Kay Kostopolous

DORA SOPHIE BENJAMIN        Kay Kostopolous

GRETEL ADORNO                     Kay Kostopolous

 

February 7: San Francisco: ŇSCH…NBERG ON PARNASSUS: SCH…NBERG'S CHESS, KLEE'S JEWISHNESS,  BENJAMIN'S OBSESSION, AND OTHER PUZZLESÓ (directed by Isabella Gregor with soprano LorŽ Lixenberg and Gerry Hiken, Kay Kostopolous, Rush Rehm, Ken Sonkin, and Bill Wolak) at Contemporary Jewish Museum (2:00 PM).