ABSTRACT
Neither Schleef’s theatre nor Grüber’s The Bacchae can be regarded as a fusion of theatre and ritual of whatever kind. They did not borrow ritual elements and patterns either from familiar religions (as did the mass spectacles between the wars) or from foreign cultures (as did Dionysus in 69). Nonetheless, they opened up the possibility of transformation for individual spectators by transferring them into a state of liminality – as did all the performances under investigation here. Does this mean that they transgressed the boundary between theatre and ritual as I have stated with regard to Electra, proceeding from the concept of theatre as was common in Western culture at the turn of the century? This conclusion would seem hardly plausible when considering Max Herrmann’s reconceptualization of theatre as performance. He redefined theatre out of the relationship between spectators and performers as well as out of the impact both parties have on each other – i.e. he redefined theatre as a transformative performance. In this, he revived an old idea of theatre for the purposes of modern society.
