Frank Wedekind | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | Benjamin Franklin Wedekind July 24, 1864 |
Died | March 9, 1918 | (aged 53)
Occupation | Playwright |
Relatives | Erika Wedekind (sister) Douglas Adams (great-grandson) |
Family | Wedekind zur Horst |
Signature | |
![]() |
Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the development of epic theatre.[1]
In the English-speaking world, before 2006 Wedekind was best known for the "Lulu" cycle, a two-play series—Erdgeist (Earth Spirit, 1895) and Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora's Box, 1904)—centered on a young dancer/adventuress of mysterious origin. In 2006 his earlier play Frühlings Erwachen (Spring Awakening, 1891) became well known because of a Broadway musical adaptation.