Thursday, August 20, 2020

285. KASPAR. From my (unpublished) ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE NEW YORK STAGE, 1970-1975

Christopher Lloyd,

note: this entry is out of alphabetical and numerical order.

KASPAR [Drama/Austrian/Period] A: Peter Handke; TR: Michael Roloff; D: Carl Weber; DS: Wolfgang Roth; P: Chelsea Theatre Center of Brooklyn; T: Chelsea Theatre, Brooklyn Academy of Music (OB); 2/6/73-3/17/73 (48)

A controversial experimental work by Austria’s theatrical and literary enfant terrible Peter Handke about a famous 1828 “wild child” case concerning Kaspar Hauser, a 16-year-old Nurenberg boy, who was kept in such extremely close confinement throughout his life that could neither walk nor speak when his existence suddenly became public. Handke uses the story to pursue his own intellectual and artistic aims, exploring within an abstract framework the nature of man’s adaptive processes and the ways in which language controls our behavior through the almost oppressive power of words.

Kaspar’s (Christopher Lloyd) progress from unthinking, puppet-like clown to reasoning, articulate being was presented in a cleverly designed mounting using 15 unsynchronized TV monitors to frame the proscenium, allowing Kaspar to view his own development. His instruction in he use of language came from four Prompters, actors dressed like him and wearing the same transparent plastic mask as he. They stand for aspects of his personality and history. Despite their presence, Kaspar dominates the play in a role that is essentially a monologue.

Christopher Lloyd, early in a fine career specializing in eccentric characters, was impressive. Harold Clurman felt that “His vocal, mnemonic, phonetic and physical achievement (without being devoid of feeling) attains virtuoso proportions.” There were grievances from many about the play’s boring stretches, but the general opinion held Kaspar to be a significant contribution. Loudest of the unconvinced voices was that of John Simon, who jeered at the widespread praise for Handke’s genius: “I say his plays are spinach and the hell with them.”

Kaspar was awarded an OBIE for Distinguished Foreign Play, Lloyd got one for Distinguished Performance, and also copped a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance.