A torn man, Roth hated the technological advances of his time, such as radio, skyscrapers, and airplanes. Yet, he proved to be a vigilant critic of ideology. “Even religions have only a limited period in which they are valid. And should Marxist theory have eternal lasting value?” he doubted. “Hitler was a danger,” it was said in Roth’s 1923 serial novel “The Spider’s Web” in the Viennese “Arbeiterzeitung”. Soon after, the Nazis’ coup attempt failed in Munich. “They will burn our books and mean us,” he foresaw in 1932.
The theatre evening “Ukrainomania” stems from an invitation extended three years ago by the National Theatre director in Lwiw to Jan-Christoph Gockel. “Lwiw is very different from Kyiv, historically, architecturally, and also in terms of the war situation. In Kyiv, there are alarms four times a day, in Lwiw maybe once or twice a week,” Gockel explained. The access to the air-raid shelter was crucial. During Putin’s “Easter ceasefire,” they were there. The morning after Easter, the bombardment began, even in Lwiw. So, they slept in the hotel’s bunker, a basement with a sofa.
Gockel delved into Roth’s biography, finding resonance with the current situation. Through literary texts, letters, and more, he portrays Roth’s life in the present. “We looked at his texts: Where do they resonate with the present? We asked the Ukrainians in our teams: Does what Roth writes about speak to you?” Gockel explained. And thus, the “Ukrainomania” text was found, offering a reflection of a country under threat.
The play is a quest for Joseph Roth, exploring how his problems mirror Ukraine’s current struggles. Gockel filmed encounters with people like Jurko Prochasko, Roth’s Ukrainian translator, now a therapist working in wartime. The theatrical text was crafted over a seven-week rehearsal period, emphasizing improvisation over fixed recitations. “Ukrainomania” will premiere in Lwiw in July, with a production different from the one in Vienna, mirroring each other like two trains approaching.
With Roth’s wanderlust and inability to settle, the train serves as a poignant metaphor for his restless character. In this way, the play delves into the tragic essence of Roth’s life, capturing the essence of a man constantly on the move, unable to find peace within himself.
