Frank Marcus
Frank Ulrich Marcus was a significant figure in British theater, born in Breslau, Germany, in 1928, and emigrating to England in 1939 to escape the Nazi regime. His early interest in theater led him to attend St. Martin's School of Art, where he engaged deeply in various aspects of play production, including acting, directing, and playwriting. Marcus is best known for his adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's play *Reigen*, which he presented in England as *Merry-Go-Round* in 1952, and for his original works such as *The Killing of Sister George* (1965), a groundbreaking play that addressed lesbian relationships and garnered critical acclaim. Throughout his career, he wrote extensively about themes of sexuality, particularly lesbian experiences, and was recognized for his sharp dialogues and plot-driven storytelling. In addition to his work as a playwright, Marcus was a prominent drama critic, writing for publications including *The Sunday Telegraph* and *Plays and Players*. While he was praised for his technical skills and wit, some critics noted a tendency in his plays for characterization to take a backseat to plot development. Marcus's contributions to theater have left a lasting impact, particularly in the exploration of complex social themes during a transformative period in British culture.
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Frank Marcus
Playwright
- Born: June 30, 1928
- Birthplace: Breslau, Germany
- Died: August 5, 1996
Biography
Frank Ulrich Marcus was born in Breslau, Germany, but his parents, Frederick J. and Gertie Markuse (anglicized to Marcus), emigrated to England in 1939 to escape Nazi rule when Frank was eleven. Showing an early interest in theater, he attended St. Martin’s School of Art for the 1943-1944 academic year. He subsequently became involved in every aspect of play production: acting, directing, playwriting, adapting and designing sets, and painting scenery. He clearly understood the possibilities as well as the limitations of staging plays.
Marcus’s first step toward becoming a playwright came when he translated and adapted Arthur Schnitzler’s celebrated play Reigen (pr. 1896/1897) for presentation in England as Merry-Go-Round (1952). He did another adaptation of that play in 1982 for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) as a television drama. His first original West End production, The Formation Dancers (pr. 1964), owes a debt to Schnitzler because it is reminiscent of Schnitzler’s Anatol (pr. 1896), except that Marcus’s lead characters are women.
Marcus’s next play, Cleo (pr. 1965), produced in Bristol by the Old Vic Company, did not play on the West End and was not published. The play that established Marcus’s reputation, The Killing of Sister George (pr. 1965), soon followed and gained immediate critical attention. It was recognized as the best play of the year and given awards by the Evening Standard, Plays and Players, and the London Critics’ Variety.
The Killing of Sister George was considered most daring when it hit the West End in 1965 because the lovers in it are lesbians. The play deals with the BBC’s firing of one of its radio celebrities because of her sexual orientation. Again, one finds echoes of Schnitzler in Marcus’s work. The Austrian playwright was a physician who lived during the time that Sigmund Freud flourished in Vienna. Schnitzler, quite aware of the sexual revolution Freud was spawning, dealt more frankly with sexual topics than any of his contemporaries had. Marcus, throughout his career as playwright, wrote about lesbian sexuality unashamedly.
In 1954, Marcus wrote his first television play, Liebelei, for the BBC, and followed this with four more such scripts, including one for his monologue, Blank Pages, first performed in 1969. He wrote the screenplay for The Formation Dancers as well as an original screenplay, The Snow Tiger, in 1966. His BBC radio play, The Hospital Visitor, was aired in 1979. Marcus was one of Britain’s most respected drama critics, reviewing plays for The Sunday Telegraph beginning in 1968. He also was a columnist for Plays and Players and the London Magazine.
While acknowledging the unique technical competence of his plays, a number of critics have commented on his seeming inability to create characters with whom audiences truly sympathized. Even in his best plays, characterization is subordinated to plot, although his talent at writing witty repartee was a saving grace in his most successful dramas.