‘We must make sure to cite all people involved in the production of a work, and call attention to the women used as unpaid assistants on men’s great projects.’

(Kathryn Maude, “Citation and marginalisation”)

 

In Kathryn Maude’s 2014 article, written for the Journal of Gender Studies, she highlights the case of an edition and translation of the medieval text Ælfric’s Lives of Saints, published in 1881. This is the only complete edition of the text, and indeed is the only version accessible without going back to the original manuscript and translating from scratch: it’s the primary (and virtually only) way of accessing a major work of English Literature. The edition is attributed in all forms to Walter W. Skeats, yet in the Preliminary Notice, the following is written by the author:

 

‘The modern English version of the Homilies, though revised by myself, is almost entirely the work of Miss Gunning, of Cambridge and Miss Wilkinson, formerly of Dorking, who with great perseverance have translated not only most of the text as contained in this first part, but nearly all of the remaining Lives belonging to the same series’

 

In short, literally half the work of the edition was done by women, which is not acknowledged at all by any other part of the book, let alone the title page or list of authors. Without the work of these women, our access to the manuscript as we now have it would be non-existent. Yet their names have been lost in history, never to be credited in any academic works, while Skeats’ lives on, cited countless times in countless ways. In Maude’s words, ‘The contribution by these women is never acknowledged in scholarship … Every time this edition is cited, these women are silenced again, and the culture that meant they could not be awarded a degree at that time goes unremarked.’

 

So why is this relevant to The Threepenny Opera? According to Pamela Katz, Brecht ‘may have set a record for the man with the most women to be thought of as "behind" the man, though neither he, nor these women, saw it that way.’ The most important of these women for this show is Elisabeth Hauptmann.

 

It’s not dramatic to assert two things:

-        The Threepenny Opera transformed musical theatre forever

-        Without Elisabeth Hauptmann, The Threepenny Opera would almost certainly not exist

 

Hauptmann not only introduced the source material - John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera - to Brecht, but also translated it into German so they could adapt it (as Brecht barely spoke English), as well as apparently writing a vast amount of the text. Without her, a further three shows under Brecht’s name (Happy End ; St. Joan of the Stockyards ; The Yes-Sayer) would not exist and only do so thanks to her extensive writing, translating, and adapting.

 

However, because of the weight of the names of her collaborators, Hauptmann’s credit often falls to the wayside. As per legal obligations, her name features in the full credits, yet while Brecht’s work is taught in school curriculums, and Weill is heralded as the father of modern music, exceptionally few people would be able to claim knowledge of this woman and her pioneering work.

 

There’s a degree to which some may argue that bringing her name into the light goes against her ethos; her collaborations with Brecht were driven by her beliefs in the promotion of justice within her Marxist principles. This meant that at times, she felt that it was a capitalist approach to art to take credit for work in a collaborative project. At others, that credit was vital for her to make ends meet (particularly while in exile in America). Yet if we promote one contributor, we must acknowledge the work of all of them.

 

At once enigmatic, witty, and cynical, Hauptmann is far too complex to contain within the pages of a programme, just as her relationship with Brecht was, and indeed her relationship with crediting and the spotlight. But whilst women’s voices are scratched from works, or their talents and efforts are attributed to the men in their life, we must continue to champion their names, not just for their sake, but for the generations that look to them to understand their own place in the arts and academia.

 

We may not be able to rewrite history, but we can make sure those who wrote it are given a name and a voice, even if this means one name at a time. We are therefore delighted to present

 

THE THREEPENNY OPERA

A Play with music based upon John Gay's The Beggar's Opera

by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill

in collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann

English Adaptation by Simon Stephens

 

By arrangement with European American Music Corporation as agent for the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc. and Alan Brodie Representation as agent for The Estate of Bertolt Brecht.