ANNA O.
by Paul Edward Pasulka
In 1880 Bertha Pappenheim, a young Jewish woman, develops a ‘nervous cough’ while caring for her father. She is treated by Josef Breuer, a preeminent Viennese physician. Her symptoms soon progress to include severe visual, motor, speech, and mood problems. When she refuses removal to a sanitarium she and Dr. Breuer embark on an unorthodox protocol, involving sessions of discussion, storytelling, and hypnosis – essentially creating the techniques of ‘talk therapy’ and psychoanalysis. Breuer consults with Richard von Krafft-Ebing, a psychiatrist and psychosexual researcher, whose studies on homosexuality will ultimately result in its decriminalization. The play also includes an homage to Edward Lear. Fraulein Pappenheim subsequently becomes a fierce champion of women’s and children’s rights, until she and her work come under the deadly scrutiny of the Nazis, evocative of modern trends towards fascism. Anna O. depicts an intelligent, passionate, and sensitive woman in a protective but repressive society; a world in upheaval; and the importance of imagination and creativity in overcoming trauma.
- Cast Size: 3W – 8M (2W – 4M with suggested doubling)
- Running Time: 90+ minutes
- Royalty Rate: $75 per performance
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