Die Logenbrüder

Die Logenbrüder is a German farce in three acts by Carl Laufs and Curt Kraatz .

The original text

Termed a "Schwank in drei Akten", the play tells of two non-Masons who attempt to convince others that they are Freemasons. It was first performed in German at the Residenz Theatre, Berlin, 4 December 1897 and published by R. Boll.

Translations and adaptations

The German play has been adapted a number of times, including one by Hugo Wiener called Die Blaue Maus ("The blue mouse") and another known as De Schummelbröder by Gerd Meier.

Adapted into English as Are You a Mason? by the Hungarian-American writer-director Leo Ditrichstein. (The latter name is also written "Leo Dietrichstein" in some South African sources). First staged in English at Wallack's Theatre, opening April Fool's Day 1901, starring William Collier, Sr. and also featuring a young Cecil B. De Mille. In England it first played at the Theatre Royal, Woking on 9 September 1901 and was then presented at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London three days later. Published in New York by E. Lederer and C. Herrmann, 1901. Also by Samuel French, 1901.

Made into a silent film called Are You a Mason? by Adolph Zukor (Famous Players Film Company) and Charles Frohman, directed by Thomas Heffron and starring John Barrymore, distributed through Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Thomas Heffron and stars John Barrymore in his third feature length film.

Translated into Afrikaans as Is Jy 'n Bokryer? ("Are you a goat rider?") by Dirk Mostert, published as a performance text by Dalro, Johannesburg 1969.

South African productions

1904: Performed in English as Are You a Mason? at the Good Hope Theatre on 4 April 1904, featuring George Giddens, brought from England by the Wheeler Theatre Company.

1940: Performed in Afrikaans as Is Jy 'n Bokryer? by the André Huguenet company on a tour of South Africa, featuring Huguenet himself, Pierre de Wet, Johann Nell and others. The play was greeted with enthusiasm in rural towns, but in the cities, this comedy was boycotted due to Huguenet’s refusal to donate funds to the Governor-General's Fund for the war and he was marked as unpatriotic.

October 5, 1940: Performed in Port Elizabeth at African Consolidated Theatres Ltd's Opera House, the farce was part of the nation-wide tour.

1982: Performed in Afrikaans as Is Jy 'n Bokryer? by students of the Drama Department of the University of the Free State, directed Elsa Steenkamp. It opened on 14 October at the Scaena Theatre.