Sturm und Drang

Sturm und Drang is a play in five acts by Friedrich Maximilian Klinger, which gave its name to the artistic period known as Sturm und Drang. The play was first performed in Leipzig on 1 April 1777 by Abel Seyler's theatre company, where Klinger then was employed as a playwright. The play's original title was Wirrwarr; it was changed to Sturm und Drang before premiering. Background In the autumn of 1776 Klinger wrote a comedy titled simply Wirrwarr ("confusion", "hubbub"). At that time he was already a well-known playwright; the year before, he had won a prize of 20 Louis d'or from the Ackermannschen Theatertruppe for his tragedy Die Zwillinge (de). Klinger had followed Goethe to Weimar. Christoph Kaufmann (de) suggested the title Sturm und Drang ("storm and urge", "storm and stress") in a letter to Klinger. The piece was created in the year that is commonly seen as the high-water-mark of the Sturm und Drang movement. Klinger brought the piece with him when he joined Abel Seyler's famed theatrical company. Klinger would be employed as a playwright by the company for two years. The company premiered Sturm und Drang in Leipzig on 1 April 1777. Neither the world premiere nor the subsequent performance in Klinger's hometown of Frankfurt were successful. The influence of Shakespeare can be seen in the feud (reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet) between the Berkley and Bushy families. Additionally, the names "Bushy" and "Berkley" are borrowed from the surnames of two minor characters in Richard II; the name "La Feu" ("Lafew") comes from All's Well That Ends Well.