ABSTRACT
Hauptmann’s second play, Das Friedensfest, was first performed on 1 June 1890, bringing to an end the first season of the Freie Bühne. There was no repetition of the scandal which had accompanied the first performance of Vor Sonnenaufgang, but once again the dramatist had reason to be unhappy with the performance of his leading actor, the celebrated Josef Kainz, who arrived for the performance without having memorized his part.1 Critical response to the play ranged from lukewarm to hostile, and it is only in recent years that it has come to be regarded as a key work in Hauptmann’s oeuvre.
