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The Man Outside by Wolfgang Borchert

Directed by Katie Farrell

Fall 2016

God and Death as the Old Man and Undertaker, respectively, at odds after the end of World War II.

Beckmann is thrown onto shore by the Elbe following his suicide attempt.

The Other One encourages Beckmann to live.

Girl arrives and convinces Beckmann to visit her home for dry clothes and the

promise of love.

The Other One comments on the strangeness of bipeds, cured immediately of depression and suicidal inclinations at the sight of a pretty face.

”eckmann puts on the clothes of Girl’s deceased husband.

Girl and Beckmann talk about the war. Their mutual

loneliness and desire for normalcy overtakes them in

the form of physical passion.

One Leg, Girl’s husband and the personification of survivor’s guilt,

makes himself know to Beckmann, who is dressed in One Leg’s clothes and making love to

his wife.

One Leg refuses to allow Beckmann to forget his past and reinvent himself. It is revealed that One Leg was a soldier who died under ”eckmann’s command.

Beckmann is haunted by guilt.

The Other One convinces Beckmann to visit the Colonel to give him the responsibility for the deaths of 11 men

who died under ”eckmann’s command in

Siberia.

The Colonel and his family are dining and

as Beckmann illustrates his experience of PTSD

through nightmares, the family mocks him

and laughs at him.

Beckmann tries to give over the responsibility for the 11 lives of the soldiers he lost to the Colonel. The Colonel laughs at his trauma and

recommends that Beckmann take his act to the stage.

Beckmann steals the Colonel’s schnapps and

drunkenly postulates on the degradation of the world

and its impending demise.

Beckmann auditions for the cabaret, but is told he must return when he has made a

name for himself. His experience is only war and death—not what the public

wants to see.

Beckmann sings Tapfere kleine Soldatenfrau, a lament

addressing the experiences of returning veterans. The Cabaret

Producer replies that it lacks finesse. “rt has nothing to do

with truth, he states.

Beckmann returns to his childhood home, only to discover that Frau Kramer lives there now. She laughs dismissively at his troubles and kind-heartedly informs

Beckmann that his parents committed suicide when Germany lost the war.

Beckmann returns to the Elbe, grieving the loss of his parents. The Other

One tries to comfort him.

Death takes the form of a Roadsweeper and taunts

Beckmann as he lies in the Elbe. While Beckmann begs Death not to forget him, the

Roadsweeper reminds Beckmann that he forgets no

one—his door is always open.

The Other One attempts to remind Beckmann that humanity is good by revealing to him all the people he has visited on his journey.

Beckmann interviews each person, accusing

them all of murdering him.

They, in turn, dismiss his

allegations and turn their backs on him.

Girl has been

searching for him,

but just as they are about to reunite, One Leg returns and Girl leaves.

One Leg refuses to let Beckmann forget that though he accuses people of murdering him, he has murdered One Leg. When Beckmann drags himself into

the Elbe for escape, One Leg is able to follow him because he has committed suicide. He begs Beckmann to remember him. Beckmann, petrified, vows that he

cannot forget his victim.

”eckmann addresses the audience: “ man comes to Germany… and recounts the anguish of his journey over the 3-day period since he has returned from Siberia.

Defeated at last, ”eckmann calls out to the Other One and to God: Will no one, nobody answer me?

God and Death meet again, as in the beginning of the play, to choose who

will claim ”eckmann’s soul.