Selected Presentations & Appearances
My paper examines the role and reception of female dramatists at the Freie Bühne Berlin, a pivotal institution for the development of naturalist theater in Germany. Although literary history has largely focused on canonical male playwrights such as Gerhart Hauptmann, Arno Holz, and Johannes Schlaf, five of the 27 plays staged by the Freie Bühne were written by women—Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Emilie Mataja (Emil Marriot), and Elsa Bernstein (Ernst Rosmer). Through a close reading of these rarely studied works, the paper interrogates gendered notions of genre, authorship, and theatrical innovation within the naturalist movement. It argues that while these plays often diverge from dominant formal and thematic conventions, they nonetheless engage deeply with contemporary discourses on class, gender, marriage, poverty, and diseases. Moreover, the paper highlights the Freie Bühne's function as a gatekeeper and amplifier of dramatic voices—mediating both production and public reception. In spotlighting the complex dynamics of marginalization, intertextual strategy, and aesthetic experimentation, the study calls for a critical reappraisal of female contributions to naturalist theater and the broader literary canon.
In our seminar, we explored the history, culture, politics, and party landscape of South Tyrol, Italy’s northernmost province, where over half a million people enjoy extensive self-governance. We discussed the central role of the South Tyrolean People’s Party and reflected on current challenges to autonomy. As a group of around 15 students from various disciplines, we also engaged with guest speakers and politicians on political, historical, and constitutional law perspectives, and compared South Tyrol with other European regions striving for autonomy.
In a seminar with approx. 20 students from Germany and diverse disciplines, we explored works by Jewish authors who are writing and publishing in German, such as Peter Weiss, Barbara Honigmann, Esther Dischereit, and Dana Vowinckel, reflecting on topics such as memory, Jewish life in Germany, and migration’s impact on identity in their literary works.
I had the pleasure of participating in the 33rd Annual Berkeley Interdisciplinary German Studies Graduate Conference, where I presented on Maryan’s experimental Holocaust testimony film "Ecce Homo" (1975). It was a fantastic opportunity to engage with fellow graduate students and their interdisciplinary research. Many thanks to the organizers, my co-panelists, and Deniz Göktürk (UC Berkeley) for her insightful commentary. I’m also grateful to the German Studies faculty at Duke and UNC Chapel Hill, as well as Duke’s Center for Jewish Studies, whose Perilman Fellowship made this trip possible!
Matti Geschonneck's documentary drama "Die Wannseekonferenz" (2022) commemorates the 80th anniversary of the historic event. Though the film has received wide acclaim and international recognition, I examined how it balances documentary accuracy with fictional elements, raising questions about its influence on collective memory.
The presentation examines Hedda Zinner's drama in the context of antifascism, socialist ideology, and Jewish identity in her "Ravensbrücker Ballade" (1961). The analysis sheds light on the tensions and challenges faced by Jewish intellectuals and dramatists in the German Democratic Republic, thereby contributing to an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts that shaped socialist drama in the postwar period.