Die Giehse

Comics Meet Theater!

Intimate theater actress Wiebke Puls and comic artist Barbara Yelin will once again present their staged reading of “Die Giehse: A Life Dedicated to the Theater, 1898–1975” as part of MK:100.

Barbara Yelin, known for her graphic novels—most recently “Emmie Arbel: The Color of Memory” (Reprodukt, 2023) and “But I Am Alive: Four Children Survive the Holocaust” (C.H. Beck, 2022)—has dedicated a comic biography to the great theater artist Therese Giehse. In “Die Giehse – A Life Devoted to the Theater 1898–1975,” Barbara Yelin recounts Therese Giehse’s life through vignettes and flashbacks—with a focus on Munich. But the book also sheds light on the difficult phases in Giehse’s life—emigration, her relationship with and separation from Erika Mann—as well as her political activism; her quotes are also highlighted. And time and again, Yelin brings to the forefront the driving force behind her life: “I must act.”

“Grand theater wasn’t just the domain of the legendary Munich actress Therese Giehse. A comic about Giehse’s life, told by Munich-based illustrator Barbara Yelin, offers that as well.” Andreas Platthaus (FAZ)

Following the staged reading, Christoph Leibold (BR) will speak with Wiebke Puls, Barbara Yelin, Barbara Mundel (Artistic Director of MK), and Anke Büttner (Director of Monacensia) about the artistic approach to historical figures and artistic creation during times sympathetic to fascism.