Abstract:
In 1826 audiences in Vienna were entertained by the premiere of native-son Ferdinand Raimund's Der Bauer als Milliondr (The Millionaire Farmer). Raimund, a playwright, director, and actor (who played the title role in the original performance), enjoyed relative success during his lifetime, both in his native Austria and what is today Germany. Deeply immersed in the world of Romanticism, Raimund's works are grand in scale yet simple in essence. They feature extravagant spectacle, merry music, and all the magic, fairies, and ghosts one could possibly ever wish for.In 2004 I came across Der Bauer als Milliondr during a German language study-abroad program in Munich. While many conventions of Raimund's original are no longer as effective as they were in his time, I discovered that the humor and heart of the piece have retained their appeal. I could easily imagine modern American audiences enjoying it as much as I did. That's when the idea struck me. I had been looking for a project I could undertake for my Honors Thesis requirement, and was hoping to find something that would well fit the second German study-abroad program I was going to be participating in during the following school year. After conducting some informal research and finding that no English-language version of this play had ever been produced, I knew what I would do.By translating and adapting Raimund's original work I had not only discovered a way to combine the skills and experiences I have developed through my two majors-German and Theatre, but also to introduce an entirely new audience to a classic and truly entertaining play. While I have made some changes, I have striven to always remain true to the spirit of the original. I hope that through my efforts many people who otherwise would never have heard of Ferdinand Raimund's Der Bauer als Milliondr will come to be enchanted by The Millionaire Fanner.
