The Ride across Lake Constance

Ride across Lake Constance, The (Der Ritt über den Bodensee)

    Author: Peter Handke

    First Performance: 1971, Berlin

    Published: 1971

    First English Translation: 1973

    Genre: Drama in 1 act; German prose

    Setting: Elegant room with large staircase at rear, indeterminate period

    Cast: 3m, 6f

Emil Jannings is dozing in a chair, while a woman vacuum-cleans the room and removes dust covers. He is joined by Heinrich George, and the two converse cryptically. Down the staircase comes the beautiful Elisabeth Bergner, followed by Erich von Stroheim and Henny Porten. Jannings and George miscount the steps as Porten and von Stroheim descend, and they stumble. Bergner glides down and takes tea. Von Stroheim treats Porten like a doll. George coughs, and Jannings kicks him. Porten falls forward as...

[The entire page is 344 words long]

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