Historical dictionary of German Theatre

VIERTEL, BERTHOLD

(1885-1953)
Director. Viertel was a nativeViennesewhose career began at the ViennaVolkstheaterbut later blossomed in Dresden andBerlin. His most significant productions in Dresden were the premieres ofWalterHasenclever'sJenseits(Beyond This Life) andGeorgKaiser'sGas II. In Berlin, Viertel's 1922 productions ofFriedrichHebbel'sJudithandArnolt Bron-nen'sVatermord(Patricide) created sensations. In the wake of the German monetary collapse in 1923, Viertel founded his own company called Die Truppe ("the troupe"), which premiered Robert Musil'sVincenz(Vincent) and Kaiser's comedyNebeneinander(Next Door) at Berlin's Lustspielhaus. Those productions marked a career turning point, as Viertel began working steadily as a freelance director, ultimately emigrating to Hollywood in 1927. He returned to Europe in 1949 and restarted his career, both in Berlin and in Vienna. At Vienna'sBurgtheater, he staged the Austrian premiere of Tennessee Williams'sA Streetcar Named Desire.

  1. viertel, berthold—Austrian writer. He studied in Vienna and in was the founder of an experimental theatre group. He began directing in Germany and Hollywood. In he returned to Germany bu...Dictionary of Jewish Biography