Stationendrama

Stationendrama, or "station drama," is a theatrical style that emerged from Expressionism. This approach fragments plays into a series of self-contained scenes or episodes, drawing inspiration from medieval mystery plays. Meaning is derived from the juxtaposition and accumulation of these scenes rather than a continuous narrative. Consequently, there's no need for consistent settings, and scenes can alternate between reality and dream, as seen in Ernst Toller's Man and the Masses. Characters in station dramas are often impersonal or nameless, serving to illustrate aspects of the protagonist's inner world or societal commentary. This style contributed to modern theatre by influencing stage design and the use of techniques like masks to distance the audience.1