Else Lasker-Schüler's reputation is primarily based on her poetry and, to a lesser degree, on her prose. Her dramatic production has remained fairly unknown. Of her three plays, only two were published and produced during her lifetime; the third remains a fragment, is considered almost incomprehensible by some critics, was not published in its entirety until 1970, and was not seen onstage until 1979. Despite this unimpressive record, the plays deserve attention. Their language is deeply imaginative and lyrical, often disturbingly unconventional. Although the plays are not realistic, they are grounded in Lasker-Schüler's experiences. Despite her apparent indifference to politics, she had a keen sense for social conflict and the danger of anti-Semitism. Her last play is a deeply moving though contradictory attempt to deal both with the catastrophe of National Socialism and with her love of German culture, above all its literary tradition. Despite the...