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Book Review: Backstage Domains: Playing "William Tell" In Two Swiss Communities, Donald G. Tritt

Swiss American Historical Society Review

Written by a folklore scholar, this book is a detailed, behind-the-scenes account of the many aspects required for staging Schiller's play, William Tell. To accomplish this, the author undertakes a comparative approach by studying production of the play in two Swiss communities, Altdorf and Interlaken - communities the author sees as "culturally distinct and each embodying different values of Swiss society." The author notes that Altdorf tends to be the guardian of Tell's memory while Interlaken functions at the forefront of Swiss tourism. Separate chapters on each of these two Swiss communities provides an interesting historical account of the area …