The Origin and Development of Eurythmy 1923–1925

GA 277d — 16 October 1924, Kiel

Eurythmy Performance

From a letter from Rudolf Steiner to Marie Steiner, Dornach, October 18, 1924

M. l .M. I am pleased to hear that everything went well in Bremen despite the lack of lighting, and that Mrs. Hemsoth is taking good care of you. Today you are in Lübeck according to the program. So there will be another performance in Hamburg on October 21. Interest seems to be high, which is very encouraging.

I will continue to follow your work with the best thoughts I can send you.

From a letter from Marie Steiner to Rudolf Steiner, Lübeck, October 18, 1924

Dear E.,

Unfortunately, Clason forgot the last two telegrams in the hustle and bustle of her business. But you will probably have received the letter from Bremen by now. In Kiel, a laboriously achieved lighting solution had been put in place. The hall was better than in Bremen, large and bare, with a neat stage. The hall seats 1,300 people and there were about 800 people there, with a very small number of members. It was well received – during the cheerful parts (in the second half), it seemed as if some of the ladies were giggling unkindly, but that was lost in the applause. When I saw the faded grandeur of this city, which still has a large university, I had some fears. Perhaps it was just as well that we did not have the large theater. Here in Lübeck we have a wonderful theater. One is only anxious about the matinee performance, because even the evening performances are poorly attended, including the Strauss-Pfitzner events.

We are still enjoying beautiful car rides, which are very relaxing after the other stresses and strains. It is always amazing how diverse Germany is. Holstein is so different from the area around Hamburg. There would be a lot to see in Lübeck if one had the time and energy. I allowed myself to be tempted into doing a few things this morning, but I fear the possible consequences of overexertion, and therefore must be briefer in my writing than I would like.

I am so grateful and almost ashamed to find a letter from you everywhere. I am already working a lot with the forms, copying, distributing, and familiarizing myself with them. The quarrel scene will help us a lot with Oberon and Titania. In Kiel, I was able to get the stage of the trade union hall for a rehearsal on Friday morning, and there we were able to draft the second Berlin public program. I don't yet know whether we will be able to manage the scene with Titania, Zettel, and the elves. We would then also need to have mares as Zettel, and it seems risky to me to attempt something like that without your approval. However, I will try. It was so stupid that one page was missing from the book I sent you recently. When I divided the text into the form, the form coincided exactly with the text I sent you. But the last bit seems to me to require something new.

It is fatal to expect you to put up with such a patchwork, but it was really only out of necessity. I would have loved to copy all the forms and send them to you. But where to find the time?

One more piece seems necessary to me, so that the story of the enchantment really sticks. We now have the quarrel scene, the task given to Droll to pick the flower. Droll departs (page 20, Act 2, Scene I) and Oberon should still be able to dance: “Once I have the juice, I will listen in while she sleeps, Titania, [...] She must leave her page with me.”

That seems quite necessary to me. Don't you agree?