ALL QUIET ON THE

WESTERN FRONT
By
Matt Foss
Based on All Quiet on the
Western Front by
Erich Maria Remarque
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 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
By Matt Foss

Copyright © MMXVIII by Matt Foss, All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-61588-478-0

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2 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

By Matt Foss

Based on All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque,

copyright 1929, by arrangement with New York University,
successor-in-interest to the Estate of Paulette Remarque.

SYNOPSIS: A stage adaptation of Remarque’s classic novel, All Quiet on

the Western Front tells the experiences of the Second Company on the
German Front lines during the last year of WWI. Closely following the novel,
the central storyteller, Paul, navigates these perilous trenches while learning
the heartbreak of loss, the shared humanity and necessity of friendship, and

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struggles with the burgeoning awareness of the true reality within the horrors
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of war.

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Employing a diverse cast and theatrical staging, Foss’s adaptation is a feast
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for the eyes, incorporating dance and holi powder for the battle scenes and
seamless symbolism. Championing Remarque’s novel, Matt Foss sinks his
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teeth in to the text and viscerally rips the heart onto the stage.
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DURATION: 100 minutes.

TIME: World War I (1914-1918.)
SETTING: Battle grounds and various locations.
CAST OF CHARACTERS: 10-38 either, extras.

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES

ONE—THE FIRST BATTLE

TWO—MESS TENT
THREE—MEADOW #1
FOUR—HOSPITAL #1
FIVE—THE CAMP AT KLOSTERBERG
SIX—HOSPITAL #2
SEVEN—THE PATROL
EIGHT—ARRIVAL OF HIMMELSTOSS
NINE—FRONT TWO—COFFIN OFFENSIVE
TEN—THE CANAL
 MATT FOSS 3

ELEVEN—HOME AND LEAVE

TWELVE––BACK AT THE FRONT
THIRTEEN—CATHOLIC HOSPITAL
FOURTEEN—LOSS

CASTING NOTE

A full list of characters and line counts appears at the end of the script.

The play can be produced with a wide number of actors. Initial acting
ensembles featured an equitable and diverse group of actors covering the
acting tracks in ways idiosyncratic to that production while providing resonant

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doubling (and in some cases tripling) that aided the storytelling. The below is
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a suggested tracking, based on ten actors, playing all the roles in the play and
allowing for some resonant doubling.

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ACTOR ONE ........................... PAUL BAUMER

ACTOR TWO .......................... KAT, WOMAN #1, RED CROSS NURSE,
an ensemble characters
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ACTOR THREE ...................... KEMMERICH, GINGER, REPLACEMENT,

ANNA, DUVAL, SISTER LIBERTINE,
ensemble characters
ACTOR FOUR ........................ KROPP, MAN #3, ensemble characters
ACTOR FIVE .......................... MÜLLER, MAN #2, CHIEF SURGEON,
ensemble characters
ACTOR SIX............................. LEER, MOTHER, SISTER TEA COZY,
ensemble characters
ACTOR SEVEN ...................... TJADEN, DRILL SERGEANT, ensemble
characters
ACTOR EIGHT ....................... WESTHUS, OFFICER, ensemble characters
ACTOR NINE ......................... DETERING, HIMMELSTOSS,
KANTOREK, ensemble characters.
ACTOR TEN ........................... BERTINK, MAN #1, HAMMACHER,
FIELD SURGEON, ensemble characters

FULL CAST, LINE COUNT, and PRODUCTION NOTES

are found at the end of the script.
4 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

AUTHOR’S NOTE

The following play was written in association with the Erich Maria Remarque
Estate, with the aim of premiering on the 100th Anniversary of World War I.
Though the novel is centered around a small group of men in the very
homogenous environment of the German trenches in the “War to End All
Wars,” the issues of nationalism, economic disparity, and xenophobia that
helped lead to the conflict and form the background for the story unfortunately
run all too parallel to our very contemporary experience today. The play is
created to accommodate a cast representative of the community that is electing
to put it on.

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Though literary in its source material, every attempt is made to translate the
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core of the novel into a dynamic experience on the stage. A transparent brand
of theatricality is suggested throughout. For the initial production—tables

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engineered so they could create vertical walls or inclined planes (for the
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trenches) when stood on either end were built, along with the use of chalk
powder to create almost slow-motion bomb and explosion effects. In the
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professional premieres, unit sets using pianos were used to create the trenches
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of the front. The location so readily changes, that finding an apparatus that
allows for great variation of setting, while tying together the world of the play
is an open question for each ensemble of collaborators to build towards.
Additionally, contemporary music and remixes of Vietnam era music was
used to some effect for the movement sequences and dance used to create
many of the battles.
 MATT FOSS 5

PREMIERE PRODUCTION

Foss’s stage adaptation of Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front

premiered at the University of Toledo in November, 2018, on the 100th
anniversary of the end of World War I. This production was directed by Matt
Foss, stage managed by Addison Toth. Designers included Erin Hamilton
(Dramaturg), Ryan Hieber (Sound), Shaquira Jackson (Choreographer), Kelly
McBane (Costumes), Christopher Montpetit (Production Manager), Stephan
Sakowski (Lights), Kevin Upham (Sets), Nathaniel White (Technical
Direction). The cast and their primary roles included:

PAUL BAUMER ................................................................... Justin Petty

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KAT .................................................................................. Gillian Martin
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KEMMERICH ............................................................... Jackson Howard
KROPP ............................................................................. Austin Rambo

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MÜLLER ........................................................ Alexandria Rayford-West
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LEER ................................................................................. Faith Murphy

TJADEN ............................................................................Imani Hudson
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WESTHUS ........................................ Bailey Flint & Carlos Washington
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DETERING ............................................................. Emily Damschroder

BERTINK .....................................................................Shaquira Jackson
HIMMELSTOSS .............................................................. Bryan Harkins
GINGER .........................................................................Kurt T. Elfering

AWARDS: The play received the Kennedy Center’s 2019 David Mark Cohen
Playwrighting Award and Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre
Festival Certificate of Merit for Production and Performance Ensemble.
6 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

PROFESSIONAL PREMIERE

Foss’s stage adaptation of Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front

premiered professionally in Chicago in August of 2019, in a co-production
between the University of Toledo and Red Tape Theatre Company. Production
team and designers included Max Truax (Artistic Director), Ben Kaye
(Managing Director), Catherine Miller (Casting Director), Matt Foss
(Director), Emily Melgard (Stage Manager), Dan Poppen (Sound), Kate
Staiger (Assistant Director/Dramaturg), Stephen Sakowski (Lights), Nicholas
James Schwartz (Set), Rachel Sypniewski (Costumes), and Leah Urzendowski
(Movement Director/Choreography). The cast and their primary roles
included:

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PAUL BAUMER ..................................................... Elena Victoria Feliz
KEMMERICH/REPLACEMENT/DUVAL ......... Charlotte Mae Ellison

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KAT ................................................................................... Caitlin Ewald
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BERTINK .......................................................................... Ian Maryfield

MÜLLER ........................................................................... Colin Morgan
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TJADEN .................................................................................. Alec Phan
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KROPP ....................................................................... Collin Quinn Rice

LEER .............................................................................. Laila Rodriques
WESTHUS ...................................................................... Joel Rodriguez
DETERING/HIMMELSTOSS ............................... Brenda Scott Wlazlo
2nd COMPANY SOLDIER ............................................. Bianca Canigila
2nd COMPANY SOLDIER ............................................... Austin Rambo

AWARDS: The play received six Chicago Jeff Awards for Best New Work,
Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, Best Choreography, Best Ensemble
and Best Production of the Year.
 MATT FOSS 7

ONE—THE FIRST BATTLE

AT START: Dark. A small rumble of a distant explosion. KAT—a

sergeant and de-facto leader of the company watches for the French
attack, lit by the embers of their cigarette. The members of SECOND
COMPANY are in their trench in a forward position on the frontline of
the Western Front, in Belgium. SOLDIERS huddle in the dark, their
backs to the enemy in their own trenches across No Man’s Land. PAUL
BAUMER—a former student, almost twenty, who has been on the front
for almost two years now—starts to light a cigarette. Just sparks as
PAUL’S fingers fumble with the lighter. As PAUL grows close to lighting
it, their hands start to shake. KAT gives PAUL a light. The light from

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the shells light up the soldier’s faces as they fall in the distance.
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KAT: It’s all right, Paul. Nice fireworks if they weren’t trying to kill us.

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A few more explosions. Then, all goes quiet. The explosions cease.
Silence.
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KAT: That’s it.

KAT puts out their smoke, grabs PAUL’S cigarette and taps it out. KAT
hushes the rest of the line.

KAT: Here it comes.

The space bursts with the light and sound of explosions whistling in.
Music—a cadence of drums—deep, echoing, begins to pound and the
SOLDIERS move in a dance like violence amidst the explosions of
powder they are creating—a marching kind of destruction.
KEMMERICH climbs out of the trench. Enemy machine gunners target
them and they are gunned down.

PAUL: Franz!

Time slows. KEMMERICH creates a burst of red powder in their leg.

Another in their arm. Another in their torso. KEMMERICH falls. Some
time. PAUL begins to speak.
8 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

PAUL: This story is to be neither an accusation nor a confession... and

least of all an adventure... for death is not an adventure to those
who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation
who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were
destroyed by the war.

TWO—MESS TENT

Light and music smashes in. We see SECOND COMPANY lining up

at the mess tent: KROPP, MÜLLER, LEER, TJADEN, WESTHUS,

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DETERING, and KAT.
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PAUL remains in place—caught between remembering and being with

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their friends—speaking underneath and on top of the din. TJADEN
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beats their tin cup against the large saucepan they’ve brought to collect
their rations.
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KROPP: Open up, you carroty headed bastard!

PAUL: We are at rest five miles behind the front. Fourteen days ago
we went up to the line on relief. It was quiet on our sector, so our
Sergeant Cook—
TJADEN: (Overlapping, yelling at the occupant of the hut.) Hey,
Ginger!
PAUL: ––Ginger, remained behind, requisitioning the usual quantity
of rations for a full company—one hundred and fifty soldiers—for
our return.
LEER: Come on, Ginger!
KROPP: We can smell that those beans are done, you damn’d
Prussian.
PAUL: But on our last day—a battery of English heavies tore into us.
KROPP: Don’t they smell done to you, Müller?

MÜLLER, without looking up from their book, gives a nod and a

salute—maybe a thumbs up.

PAUL: Only eighty of us made it back.

 MATT FOSS 9

WESTHUS: Ginger!
KAT: (Yawning.) It wouldn’t be such a bad war if you could get enough
sleep.
KROPP: Do those beans smell done to anybody else?
PAUL: At the head of the queue were my friends from school—the
four of us all joined up from the same class and volunteered for the
war.
KROPP: Ginger—come on.
PAUL: Albert Kropp, the clearest thinker amongst us, and therefore
only a lance corporal. Müller, who to this day still carried his school
textbooks with him and during bombardments mutters propositions
in physics.

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LEER: I got places to go!
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PAUL: Leer. The first of my friends to lose his virginity, so naturally,
he’s our expert on the subject. And me—

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KAT: (Walking towards PAUL.) —hey, Paul?
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PAUL: —Paul Baumer.

KAT: Save your tobacco for me—will you? I’ll trade you my ration of
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cigarettes for it. (PAUL nods.) Done—thanks, Paul.
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A beat.

PAUL: The rest of the Second Company, we met at the training depot
in Klosterberg. And we've been together since.
WESTHUS: What’s with the pot, Tjad?
TJADEN: I’m starving.
PAUL: Tjaden—a former locksmith—the biggest eater in the
company.
WESTHUS: Ginger!
PAUL: Haie Westhus—peat-digger, and the executive arm of some of
our greatest schemes.
TJADEN: Det—can I have your bread?

A beat.

DETERING: No.
TJADEN: No?
DETERING: No.
10 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

A laugh breaks out among the company.

PAUL: Detering—from the country, who only ever spoke of his wife
and his farm. When he talked at all.

KAT pats TJADEN on the back—they return to the line.

PAUL: And—Kat. Stanislaus Katczinsky: the leader of our group and

a remarkable nose for dirty weather, good food, and soft jobs.
KAT: Heinrich, it smells wonderful. Open up, would you, sergeant?
For old Katczinsky?

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PAUL: It’s been us. Together. For almost two years.
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GINGER—a greasy cook bursts through the tent with a massive pot,

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its handles wrapped with rags. SECOND COMPANY converges, as
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GINGER smacks their mess tins back with their spoon.

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GINGER: You must all be here first.
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TJADEN: We are all here, you rotten old Carrot.

GINGER: Doesn’t look it to me, Private Tjaden.

A beat.

GINGER: Where’s everybody else?

DETERING: This is all that’s left.
KAT: ––We’re what’s made it back.
GINGER: But I’ve cooked enough for one hundred and fifty of you—
LEER: (Pushing forward with their mess kit.) Then for once we’ll have
enough.

GINGER smashes LEER away with a spoon.

GINGER: No. No. No. No, no, no, no...

WESTHUS: What do you mean no?
 MATT FOSS 11

GINGER: Eighty soldiers can’t eat what is meant for a hundred and
fifty. (A look from the SOLDIERS.) Fine. I don’t care about the
stew—take it all—but I can only issue single rations of the tobacco
and all the rest. I’m sorry.
KAT: Heinrich. Sergeant. My friend?
GINGER: I can’t Kat—the rules.
TJADEN: Hang your rules.
GINGER: I’ll hang you!

BERTINK enters, MÜLLER is the first to notice.

MÜLLER: Sir.

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ALL snap to attention.

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KAT: (Small salute.) Lieutenant Bertink.
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BERTINK nods to KAT.

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PAUL: Our company commander. Lieutenant Bertink. Came to the

company as a non-com and was promoted through the ranks. So
he knew how things were.

Quiet nods and salutes from the SOLDIERS to BERTINK. BERTINK

inspects the line, slowly smells GINGER’S pot.

BERTINK: Beans look good, Sergeant.

GINGER: Thank you, sir.
BERTINK: Smell good too.

GINGER nods enthusiastically.

BERTINK: Cooked with meat and fat?

GINGER nods again. BERTINK looks at the SOLDIERS, back at

GINGER.

BERTINK: Can I have a taste?

12 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

GINGER: Sir. Yes. Yes, sir.

GINGER takes out a spoon, wipes it on his shirt. BERTINK smiles at

the SOLDIERS—a laugh—takes a bite. It’s terrible and BERTINK
hides it.

BERTINK: Good. It’s very good, Heinrich. Thank you. (BERTINK eats
another mouth full. Managing the hot soup in their mouth.) ...We
had some heavy losses yesterday. (A beat. Another bite, tough to
swallow.) This is very good. You got a full tent back there,
Sergeant—all the rations for the resupply?

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GINGER nods.
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BERTINK: Why don’t we serve out all of it? The company could use

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it, Heinrich. r
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GINGER: Yes, sir.

BERTINK: (Taking final bite.) You’ve outdone yourself. These are
very good.
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BERTINK exits with a smile to the SOLDIERS. TJADEN grabs

GINGER and kisses them on the top of the head. GINGER leaves in
disgust, but smiling.

THREE—MEADOW #1

SECOND COMPANY heads to the meadow—a quiet place with the

sounds of insects and birds. BERTINK begins to hand out mail. PAUL
remains stationary, still reeling from the gruesome injury to
KEMMERICH.

BERTINK: Looks like something for everybody today.

BERTINK hands out the post—letters, journals, small packages to

each as they go around the group.
 MATT FOSS 13

BERTINK: Kropper. Tjaden—there you are. Your paper, Müller—and

this. Kat. Haie. Leer. Detering—sorry. None today.

DETERING nods. BERTINK crosses to PAUL.

BERTINK: Baumer. A few for you, Paul.

PAUL: Is there any news on Kemmerich?
BERTINK: Franz made it to the field hospital. (To PAUL.) They have
him in a bed up at St. Joseph’s. Action report for the day says
intermittent shelling along the front. Should be quiet back here.
Good day, gentlemen. Paul.

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BERTINK gives a small salute and exits. KROPP opens a letter.
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KROPP: Kantorek sends you, his former pupils, his best wishes.

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MÜLLER: Wish he was here.
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TJADEN: And Himmelstoss.

LEER: Both of them—the terrors of Klosterberg.
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PAUL: Kantorek was our schoolmaster. Himmelstoss, our drill
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sergeant at the training camp.

MÜLLER: How is it that the unhappiness of the world is so often
brought on by small men?
KAT: I take it as a point of personal pride I have always taken good
care to keep out of companies with smallish command officers.
MÜLLER: Shout a lot of rules and follow none themselves.
TJADEN: Just like Himmelstoss.
KROPP: And Kantorek.

LEER takes on an impersonation of KANTOREK.

LEER: “Inadequate, Herr Kropp—quite inadequate.”

PAUL: At school, Kantorek gave us long lectures on patriotism and
duty till the whole of our class went to the District Commandant and
volunteered. Anybody who didn’t was called a “coward." Even by
our parents.
KROPP: (Reading the letter.) Iron youth...

KROPP, LEER, and MÜLLER spit. A beat.

14 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

PAUL: The entire generation before had let us down... and let us down
badly. They surpassed us in phrases and clever hot air. They’d
shout how duty to one’s country is the greatest thing. But here, we
could distinguish the false from true. (Some time. Turning from the
audience to talk to their friends.) Let’s go see Franz. (Some time.)
Come on.

KROPP nods. A look to MÜLLER, who nods. LEER makes a small

no.

KROPP: Leer? You coming?

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Nothing from LEER.

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PAUL: Let’s go, Leer.
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LEER still shakes head no. They won’t go. LEER exits.
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KROPP: (Standing with KANTOREK’S letter.) Iron Youth. You feel

young, Paul?

A beat.

PAUL: No.

KROPP throws KANTOREK’S letter. KROPP, MÜLLER, and PAUL

head to hospital. The rest exit.

FOUR—HOSPITAL #1

The meadow transforms into the hospital. KEMMERICH is at center,

beneath a hospital light, a bloody bandage where his leg has been
amputated. He is flanked by other PATIENTS. ORDERLY #1 is doing
the rounds checking on the other injured soldiers.

PAUL: Excuse me.

 MATT FOSS 15

ORDERLY #1 walks past.

PAUL: Franz Kemmerich?

ORDERLY #1 shrugs, busily checking other PATIENTS.

KROPP: —Came in with a thigh wound last night.

ORDERLY #1 jerks their head towards the center bed. KROPP, PAUL,
and MÜLLER carefully approach.

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KROPP: How goes it, Franz?
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KEMMERICH: Somebody took my watch.
MÜLLER: I told you that you shouldn’t have a watch nice as that out

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PAUL: We’ll try to find it, Franz.

KROPP: How do you feel?
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KEMMERICH: Not so bad... my foot hurts. (Reaches for the missing
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limb. A beat.)
MÜLLER: Franz—your leg’s—

KROPP mutters for MÜLLER to stop talking.

PAUL: The good news is you’re heading home now—

A blank look from KEMMERICH.

KROPP: Before you would've had to wait at least three or four months
before you came up for leave. But now...

KROPP signals to MÜLLER, who carried in KEMMERICH'S items, a

tunic and book.

MÜLLER: We brought your things, Franz.

KEMMERICH: Put them under the bed.
16 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

MÜLLER does. MÜLLER discovers KEMMERICH’S pair of fine leather

boots and matches them to the soles of their own boots for size.

MÜLLER: Franz—you think you’ll be taking these with you? (KROPP

shoots a look to MÜLLER.) When you go home?

KEMMERICH doesn’t answer.

KROPP: Remember when we snuck out of the trench to pull them off
that Brit whose plane had crashed?

KEMMERICH nods.

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PAUL: Best boots in the company.
MÜLLER: Why don’t you let us hold on to them for you, Franz?

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KROPP: (Quietly.) Müller.
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MÜLLER: ...don’t want them to walk off like your watch.

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KEMMERICH has a bout of pain. The conversation begins to overlap.
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PAUL: It’s all right, Franz. It’s all right.

KROPP: Easy, Franz.
MÜLLER: Maybe we could make a trade—
PAUL: Franz?
KROPP: Müller! Come on.
MÜLLER: They fit me perfectly, Albert.
KROPP: That’s enough.
PAUL: Doctor?
MÜLLER: They should go to one of his friends, not one of these
thieving orderlies.

KEMMERICH is writhing in pain. PAUL struggles to comfort

KEMMERICH. ORDERLY #1 enters and PAUL tries to get their
attention while comforting KEMMERICH. They all talk overlapping
through the din.

PAUL: Doctor? Doctor!?

MÜLLER: He’s not leaving here, Albert.
 MATT FOSS 17

KROPP: All right.

PAUL: It’s our friend. Something’s wrong—
MÜLLER: It’s not cruel. It’s practical.
KROPP: That’s enough.
ORDERLY #1: What do you want me to do?
PAUL: Can you give him some morphine?
ORDERLY #1: You see it just lying around?
KROPP: I bet you have plenty for the officers.
ORDERLY #1: You think so?
PAUL: Hey—hey—
KROPP: Only attend to the rich boys properly?
ORDERLY #1: (To KROPP.) If you think so, then why did you even
ask?
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PAUL thrusts a pack of cigarettes into the hand of ORDERLY #1.

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PAUL: Hey—do us a favor—just a favor. His name is Kemmerich.

Franz Kemmerich.
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KEMMERICH cries in pain. PAUL pulls out another pack and thrusts it
into ORDERLY #1's chest.

PAUL: Just help our friend.

ORDERLY #1 takes the cigarettes, nods, gives KEMMERICH some

morphine. ORDERLY #1 exits. KEMMERICH subsides.

KROPP: You think he’ll last till tomorrow?

MÜLLER shakes their head “no.”

PAUL: I’ll sit with him.

Silence. MÜLLER turns to go. KROPP nods.

MÜLLER: (Putting down the boots.) Ask him, Paul—will you? (No
answer. MÜLLER exits.)
KROPP: Damned shit. Damn this shit!
18 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

KROPP exits. Some time. PAUL sits next to KEMMERICH.

KEMMERICH: Paul?
PAUL: Yeah, Franz.
KEMMERICH: Paul? Did they take my leg?

A beat.

PAUL: You’ve got to be thankful you’ve come off with only that, Franz.
Besides you’re going home.
KEMMERICH: You think so?

rm fo l
PAUL: Of course.
rfo ot sa
KEMMERICH: Paul. Do you think so?
PAUL: Yes. Once you are over the operation.

ce
KEMMERICH: (Turning away from PAUL.) I don’t think so.
r
pe N ru

PAUL: Shhhh—Franz, don’t... couple of days and you’ll see for

yourself.
an
KEMMERICH: Look at my hands.
Pe

PAUL: That’s just from the operation. You’ve got to eat.

KEMMERICH shakes head.

PAUL: You got to eat—eating is the main thing.

KEMMERICH: Did you know I wanted to study to be a forester? Back
home?
PAUL: You still can—there are these amazing artificial limbs now.
They fix them onto the muscle, so you can—
KEMMERICH: —You remember the river, where we used to catch
sticklebacks?
PAUL: You’ll have to build an aquarium again—just like we used to.

KEMMERICH starts to silently cry—weeping without a sound. A beat.

 MATT FOSS 19

PAUL: Maybe they’ll send you to the hospital in Klosterberg, make you
a drill sergeant like Himmelstoss. You remember Himmelstoss?
(KEMMERICH doesn’t answer.) ...How much he hated us. And
Kropp, Leer. And Tjaden—? Tjaden the most. The terror of
Klosterberg. Remember we used to call him that… Himmelstoss?
(KEMMERICH doesn’t move or respond.) Franz?

There’s a little fall of snow. At first, just a few flakes from one spot.
Then small isolated spots around the stage.

PAUL: Franz?

rm fo l
TJADEN enters, as a cadet, in memory, with a dustpan and small
rfo ot sa
broom. They start to clean up the snow at their spot.

ce
PAUL: What is it, Franz?
r
pe N ru

More snow starts to fall. Music. SECOND COMPANY starts to fill in.
an
Pe

FIVE—THE CAMP AT KLOSTERBERG

HIMMELSTOSS: (Shouting as they enter.) Kemmerich! BAUMER!

HIMMELSTOSS enters in a rage, shouting commands. SECOND

COMPANY runs to try to clean up the snow, and then gets in line.

HIMMELSTOSS: This barrack square was to be cleared of snow by

morning! Kropp!

Unacceptable!

I’ll be damned if I don’t teach you school boys more in this ten weeks
then you ever learned in ten years of that damned school of yours.

Müller! Get in line, Leer!

Stand up!
20 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

HIMMELSTOSS: (Continued.)
Attention!

Line up! Stand up! Line up!

In a flurry, the transformation from hospital to parade ground is

complete. SECOND COMPANY stands at attention in the freezing
cold.

HIMMELSTOSS: We’ll stand here at attention for an hour if we have

to in order to learn the discipline I find altogether lacking in you and
your cohorts here. Recruit Kemmerich—what are the parts of the

rm fo l
98 rifle? (KEMMERICH stammers.) Too slow, Kemmerich.
rfo ot sa
HIMMELSTOSS claps their hands together loudly, making booming

ce
and whistling noises.
r
pe N ru

HIMMELSTOSS: Down, down, down!

an
Pe

TJADEN is a step behind.

HIMMELSTOSS: Get down, Herr Tjaden. Too slow, Tjaden. You’re

dead. You’re dead because you’re lazy.
TJADEN: I—
HIMMELSTOSS: What’s that––Recruit Tjaden—you disagree? You
disagree with my assessment, that you, Recruit Tjaden, are lazy?
Too lazy to get down in the dirt and not die. Too lazy to march
straight and salute sharp, so lazy that every night you treat your
bunk like the latrine.
TJADEN: (Stands up.) I’m not lazy.
HIMMELSTOSS: What’s that, Recruit Tjaden?
TJADEN: I’m not lazy. Sir.
HIMMELSTOSS: Then why can’t you get up at night and use a toilet
like a fully functioning adult? No, you rather piss yourself and soil
my barracks every night.
PAUL: (Stands up.) He can’t help it, sir.
HIMMELSTOSS: What’s that, Baumer? (Silence.) DOWN!
 MATT FOSS 21

TJADEN and BAUMER hit the ground, faces in the snow.

HIMMELSTOSS: I am going to find another piss-a-bed in this god-

forsaken camp, Recruit Tjaden. I’m going to bunk him above you
so each night he’ll baptize you—a holy anointment to cure you of
your slovenly ways.

BERTINK enters, coughs.

HIMMELSTOSS: On your feet—ALL OF YOU. (HIMMELSTOSS

salutes.) Lieutenant Bertink, sir. Second Company at the ready, sir.
BERTINK: How long have these men been outside in this snow,

rm fo l
Corporal Himmelstoss?
rfo ot sa
HIMMELSTOSS: Not long, sir. We just started into training. (Goes to
blow their whistle.)

ce
BERTINK: Corporal. That’s enough. Men, dismissed. Goodnight.
r
pe N ru

As BERTINK exits, HIMMELSTOSS snaps to attention. The

an
SOLDIERS begin to exit.
Pe

HIMMELSTOSS: Where are you going?

MÜLLER: Lieutenant Berti—?
HIMMELSTOSS: Full kit, double time, to the branch line and back, to
reflect on today’s lessons.

A beat. The SOLDIERS reform the line.

HIMMELSTOSS: Let it sink in deep... remember—change at Löhne.

Don’t get lost again—where do you change?
ALL: Löhne.
HIMMELSTOSS: To reach the branch line, take the tunnel at where?
ALL: Löhne.
HIMMELSTOSS: Where, Recruit Leer?
LEER: Löhne, sir.
HIMMELSTOSS: Where, Sergeant Katzinsky?
KAT: That’d be Löhne, sir.
HIMMELSTOSS: Show me, gentlemen.
22 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

HIMMELSTOSS blows a whistle. The SOLDIERS start into

calisthenics, shouting—“Change at Löhne!”

HIMMELSTOSS: Louder, Baumer. Westhus, you lumbering hulk,

move it. Louder, Leer. Louder, gentlemen! Tjaden—go. Faster,
Kemmerich. Change at Löhne—don’t forget it! (Blows a whistle.)
Form up. And move out.

ALL SOLDIERS salute, HIMMELSTOSS begins to exit.

KROPP: Let’s get this over with.

TJADEN: I’m not lazy. I’m not.

rm fo l
KAT: We know, Tjad—we know.
rfo ot sa
HIMMELSTOSS blows a last shrill whistle and exits. ALL SOLDIERS

ce
begin to march. Light changes. Time passes as they march. Four
r
pe N ru

weeks later. It is dark. They settle in a heap in the barracks.

an
KROPP: You think they try to make it so miserable back here to make
Pe

us almost glad to be at the front?

TJADEN: More miserable than marching the branch line every night
for the past four weeks?

BERTINK enters.

BERTINK: Gentlemen. Second Company is being sent to the garrison

in the morning for outfitting before our forward deployment to the
front. Congratulations. I believe you have changed at Löhne for the
last time. See you in the morning.

BERTINK exits to a warm salute from the SOLDIERS.

MÜLLER: Done with Himmelstoss.

LEER: Finally.
WESTHUS: I’m not. (A beat.) A fella in the mess outfit told me
Himmelstoss stumbles home on the same road, from the same pub,
at the same time, in the same drunken way every night.
KROPP: Alone?
 MATT FOSS 23

WESTHUS: (Nods.) I’d like to say goodbye.

TJADEN: —I’d like to join you.
KROPP: Me too.
WESTHUS: Paul? (Look to PAUL—who nods yes.)

WESTHUS, TJADEN, PAUL, and KROPP set off. The others exit.

KAT: (While leaving, with a salute.) Young heroes.

The light changes—it is late, near a deserted road. The friends set
up their ambush for HIMMELSTOSS. They wait.

rm fo l
After a few moments—a whistling is heard, and footsteps.
rfo ot sa
HIMMELSTOSS is whistling and singing—maybe in broken,
drunken German. HIMMELSTOSS stumbles along.

ce
r
pe N ru

As HIMMELSTOSS passes by the friends, a blanket is thrown over

top of their head and HIMMELSTOSS is wrestled to the ground by
an
WESTHUS and KROPP.
Pe

PAUL, KROPP, and WESTHUS get in a few blows, kicks, and

punches.

Silently, they signal to TJADEN to take a turn.

TJADEN slowly approaches and gives the body in the blanket a

kick. Then a second. Then TJADEN straddles HIMMELSTOSS
and begins to rain down blows.

It grows so severe that PAUL, KROPP, and WESTHUS have to

drag TJADEN off.

TJADEN: Get off—

WESTHUS: (Hushed.) Shhhhh! He’ll recognize your voice.
24 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

TJADEN: I hope he does. And I hope he runs right to the

commandant. Because then there will be an inquiry—where we can
tell them all what Himmelstoss has done. But he won’t say a thing.
He won’t risk it. You know why?

Because if the higher-ups make an inquiry, they’ll see how he treats

us, us soldiers heading up to do all the work at the front—and if they
hear truth of what he’s been doing, the corporal knows he’ll be on
the next truck right up there with us...

...and he doesn’t want that.

rm fo l
He wants to hold on to this soft job as long as he can. So he’s not
rfo ot sa
going to say a thing.

ce
A beat. TJADEN turns coldly away, starts a line. SECOND COMPANY
r
pe N ru

enters in darkness at the back of the stage to join the line, leaving
HIMMELSTOSS downstage. PAUL, WESTHUS, and KROPP rejoin
an
the line. HIMMELSTOSS slowly stands, tossing the blanket aside.
Pe

Lights warm to early morning. HIMMELSTOSS inspects them before

they are deployed. TJADEN coughs.

HIMMELSTOSS: What’s that Recruit Tjaden? (Silence.) You were

saying? (Silence.) Maybe you do not understand the gravity of what
awaits you? That is something I cannot let stand... you already know
what this means, gentlemen. (Blowing a whistle.) PREPARE TO
ADVANCE!

ADVANCE!

The SOLDIERS remain motionless at attention. HIMMELSTOSS blows

the whistle.

HIMMELSTOSS: ADVANCE!

Nothing.
 MATT FOSS 25

HIMMELSTOSS: LIE DOWN! LIE DOWN!

LIE DOWN, Damn it!

Slowly, PAUL, steps forward, and defiantly lowers themselves to the

ground. A smirk appears on KROPP’S face. The smirk and the idea
grows around the SOLDIERS, as they all slowly go the ground.
HIMMELSTOSS catches their breath.

HIMMELSTOSS: You’ll drink this. All of you. (HIMMELSTOSS goes

to exit.)
MÜLLER: (From the ground.) Sir.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
Chorus of laughs. The laughing turns to coughing. The hospital is
recreated with only KEMMERICH’S bed during the coughing.

ce
r
pe N ru

SIX—HOSPITAL #2
an
Pe

The light changes. KEMMERICH’S breathing gets labored. PAUL tries

to help them get comfortable. Some time.

KEMMERICH: You can take my boots with you... for Müller... you can
have them after him.
PAUL: No, Franz.
KEMMERICH: Fine. Then Kropp can have them... then you if you want
them.
PAUL: Franz—I…

KEMMERICH starts to whisper. PAUL can’t hear, but does not dare to
get too close. Some time. Then whispering louder to PAUL.
KEMMERICH is struggling, the breaths labored and far apart. PAUL
sits next to the bed, counting the seconds between the breaths, as
each inhalation grows more and more of a surprise. KEMMERICH dies.
Some time. ORDERLY #1 approaches.

ORDERLY #1: Is he done?

26 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

ORDERLY #1 checks KEMMERICH, then snaps for some

STRETCHER BEARERS to carry him out.

ORDERLY #1: You taking those boots with you?

PAUL picks them up.

ORDERLY #1: Do you want his pay book?

PAUL holds out their hand. ORDERLY #1 gives the book to PAUL,
exits. Like a vigil, the SOLDIERS enter. KROPP, LEER, KAT,
TJADEN, and MÜLLER stand at the edges of the stage, just out of the

rm fo l
light, then in their own time and own way, slide into the scene. They
rfo ot sa
are once again in the meadow, awaiting orders.

ce
KROPP: Paul? r
pe N ru

PAUL tosses the boots at MÜLLER. MÜLLER says nothing.

an
Pe

PAUL: (To KROPP.) He said you can have them after Müller.

Some time. PAUL rejoins the group, KROPP and MÜLLER follow.

SEVEN—THE PATROL

Afternoon—a few days later. BERTINK enters with a report and

REPLACEMENT.

BERTINK: Second Company—form up. We’re being sent up on a

patrol—in and out job. Heading up in the trucks tonight and back
before the morning. Battle report has light shelling and no
discernable troop movements as of late, so chances are it will be a
quiet evening.

BERTINK nods. No formality, all familiarity. The SOLDIERS nod.

 MATT FOSS 27

BERTINK: Some replacements have arrived. (Jerking their head to

REPLACEMENT.) Kat—see to it they’re squared away?
KAT: Yes, sir.

BERTINK smiles, salutes, and exits.

KROPP: Look at the new infant.

LEER: Only two years younger than you from the looks of it, Kropper.

The REPLACEMENT gives a salute. KAT waves it away as the rest

hide their laughs.

rm fo l
KAT: It looks like a long time since you’ve had anything decent to eat?
rfo ot sa
REPLACEMENT: Only turnip-bread, turnip stew, these turnip
cutlets—

ce
KROPP: Mostly turnips then?
r
pe N ru

Muffled laughs. REPLACEMENT nods.

an
Pe

KAT: Want some haricot beans? Like what the officers eat?
REPLACEMENT: You’re kidding?
KAT: (Leaning over and pulling out a mess tin from their rucksack.)
You think I’d kid about food, my friend?

REPLACEMENT runs forward, smells it.

REPLACEMENT: How’d you get those?

LEER: How does Kat get anything?
PAUL: How does Kat get everything?
KROPP: Got a magic nose for it, old Kat.
WESTHUS: He’s famous on the front.
MÜLLER: It’s like he’s got a compass in his brain for it—a sixth sense.
TJADEN: Once, we were in a place—even worse than this—
LEER: —way worse—
TJADEN: We pull up in the trucks. All the locals bellyaching how there
isn’t any food.
KROPP: Kat says he’s going for a little explore around.
LEER: Thirty minutes later he walked up with his masterpiece—
28 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

MÜLLER, PAUL, LEER, KROPP, TJADEN, WESTHUS: Four boxes

of lobsters.
DETERING: (Just a little behind, excited at the memory.) ...Lobsters.

KAT takes the beans from REPLACEMENT, wiping off the spoon.

KAT: Good? Now, anytime you need something, you come looking
for Kat. Just bring a cigar or a chew of tobacco for me and we’ll get
you squared right up—you see? (REPLACEMENT nods.) Tell the
other new boys that too, Private Replacement.
REPLACEMENT: It’s—
TJADEN: No—no names.

rm fo l
KROPP: Makes it easier when you’re blown up if we don’t know you.
rfo ot sa
Same gurgle from REPLACEMENT. A beat. KAT comes to the rescue.

ce
r
pe N ru

BERTINK: Time to go.

KAT: Get yourself together and see you on the trucks—tell the
an
others—good?
Pe

They finish preparing and gearing up. Everyone but REPLACEMENT

and BAUMER line up. The sun is going down.

PAUL: You’re alright. You’ll be alright. But you got to change up

there––wake something up in you––like... like this some... this
animal part of you. It helps. Out there, that part of you is faster,
smarter than here—(PAUL taps his head.)––that sounds stupid, I
know. But you got to do it.

Music.

PAUL: You’ll be alright.

REPLACEMENT and PAUL join the rest of the SOLDIERS. It grows

dark. The SOLDIERS transform from the fellows we have seen to
hardened soldiers. The explosions of the front grow louder and closer
as they stare straight ahead, in the fog and haze and dark light.
 MATT FOSS 29

BERTINK: Smokes out. Light discipline, gentlemen.

The SOLDIERS snuff out their smokes. The transformation complete

as the music hits. Sounds of distant rumbles, but mostly quiet.

KAT: We’re in for it tonight.

REPLACEMENT: I thought the report said it’s going to be nothing.

A look from the SOLDIERS.

BERTINK: Listen up—stay low and be careful. We’ll head out past
the communication trenches towards the small wood at the top of

rm fo l
the rise there—next sector over. Once it’s clear, we’ll be back in the
rfo ot sa
trucks and headed to the rear by morning. Good?
REPLACEMENT: GOOD.

ce
r
pe N ru

A beat.
an
BERTINK: Kropp—out front.
Pe

KROPP nods. The SOLDIERS make their way on patrol—almost

dance like, similar to the first battle. There are a few bodies strewn
across their path. The SOLDIERS step across them, looking for
identification.

WESTHUS: They’re ours.

LEER: How’d they get here?

KROPP, at the head of the patrol, kneels down. The line stops.
BERTINK looks off with their binoculars. There’s a whistling of a shell.

KAT: Damn it.

The SOLDIERS take cover. There is an intense barrage. The

SOLDIERS are thrown down. A beat. There is a coughing from the
wounded REPLACEMENT.

BERTINK: Who is it?

30 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

TJADEN: (Crossing to REPLACEMENT.) Didn’t get his name.

KAT: Where’s it got you, friend?

REPLACEMENT can’t talk through the hacking cough, reaches

desperately at their leg.

BERTINK: Easy, son.

REPLACEMENT howls as BERTINK and KAT try to search for the

wound.

BERTINK: Gently, gently. Spread out and find a stretcher.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
TJADEN, DETERING exit to find a stretcher.

ce
REPLACEMENT: Stay here—!
r
pe N ru

KAT: They’ll be right back.

an
The REPLACEMENT cries, whimpering for their mother, repeating the
Pe

word over and over. Some time.

KAT: He won’t even survive us carrying him through this muck. Now
he’s in shock. In an hour it will be terrible. It’d be better to put an
end to it.

STRETCHER BEARERS enter. KAT nods. They pick up the wounded

REPLACEMENT. The REPLACEMENT cries in pain at every bump.

KAT: Such a kid.

EIGHT—ARRIVAL OF HIMMELSTOSS

Light. It is afternoon, back in the meadow, as KAT, PAUL, KROPP,

MÜLLER, WESTHUS, and TJADEN sit on thunder boxes. They are
picking lice off their clothes.

MÜLLER: This is tedious, kill one and find a hundred more.

 MATT FOSS 31

KAT: (Holding one up to the light.) I think I have a particularly fine

brand of louse here, gentlemen—look—doesn’t that look like a
small red cross on its head?

Hands it to TJADEN, who examines, agrees, and throws it away after

pinching it dead. KAT picks another.

WESTHUS: I bet I got these from that hospital at Thourhout.

KAT pinches and tosses away another louse.

MÜLLER: Albert?

rm fo l
KROPP: Professor?
rfo ot sa
MÜLLER: What would you do... if this was all over?
KROPP: Get drunk.

ce
MÜLLER: Talk serious.
r
pe N ru

KROPP: I am serious. What else should I do? What else am I good

for—after all this?
an
WESTHUS: I’d meet somebody real nice—and jump straight into bed.
Pe

I wouldn’t put on pants for a week.

KROPP: I amend my answer. I’d do that too.
MÜLLER: Come on.
KAT: (Pulling out a wallet and a photo.) My family... and kids. If I ever
got to be a non-com, I’d stay with the Prussians—serve out my time.
Be an officer.
PAUL: Are you crazy?
KAT: Got to see that they don’t go hungry.
TJADEN: Nobody is going to starve with you around, Kat.
PAUL: You’d seriously stay in the army?
KAT: Can’t be worse than all I’ve done before this. Regular food, retire
after a few years and become a constable.
WESTHUS: Think of all the drinks you’ll never have to buy—
everybody wanting to be in good with the constable.
MÜLLER: They’ll never make you an officer, Kat.
KAT: And why’s that?
KROPP: Too competent.
PAUL: Make the rest of them look bad.
KAT: Maybe. You're probably right.
32 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

MÜLLER: Tjad?
TJADEN: I’d join the postal service. Become a postman.
KROPP: Why’d you want to do something like that?
TJADEN: Because Himmelstoss is a postman.
PAUL: And?
TJADEN: And, I’d get a transfer to whatever miserable town he hails
from, go there, become his boss and grind him to a pulp every single
day.
DETERING: (Quietly.) I’d see to the harvest.
MÜLLER: What Detering?
DETERING: (Standing. A letter in their hand.) They’ve already taken
two more of my horses. And they haven’t been able to bring in the
hay yet.
rm fo l
rfo ot sa
DETERING walks off, mulling over the letter. Some time.

ce
r
pe N ru

PAUL: I want to live by myself somewhere. Quiet. With a lot of trees.

If this gets over.
an
KAT: I say give both sides the same grub and the same pay and we’d
Pe

get this all finished up today.

MÜLLER: But what’s going to really happen when we go back?
PAUL: I don’t know.
KROPP: Let’s get back first, then we’ll find out. We’re dead already.
What does it matter?
LEER: (Entering in a rush, breathless.) He's here.
TJADEN: Who?
LEER: Himmelstoss. He’s been sent to the front. He was beating on
some magistrate’s son at the camp and got written up.
TJADEN: They sent him here?
LEER: He’s walking this way now.

LEER nods and TJADEN mobilizes his long crafted plan.

TJADEN: All right. All... right. Yes. All right.

TJADEN settles at the ready. HIMMELSTOSS enters. They stand at a

loss, not knowing what to say. Some time.
 MATT FOSS 33

HIMMELSTOSS: Well. (A beat. Turning to KROPP.) So you’re here

too, Kropp?
KROPP: A bit longer than you.
HIMMELSTOSS: You don’t recognize me, Albert?

KROPP stares back coldly, not answering.

TJADEN: I do.
HIMMELSTOSS: Tjaden, isn’t it?
TJADEN: And you know what you are?
HIMMELSTOSS: Tread carefully, private.
TJADEN: Do you know what you are, Corporal Himmelstoss?

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
HIMMELSTOSS is flustered.

ce
TJADEN: You are a chicken shit, pig-eyed dog.
r
pe N ru

A beat.
an
Pe

HIMMELSTOSS: You dirty peasant—salute your superior officer.

The SOLDIERS do their best to keep it together.

HIMMELSTOSS: I’ll have you court martialed for this.

KROPP: That rot doesn’t work out here, Himmelstoss.
HIMMELSTOSS: This is none of your business, Kropp.
KAT: Careful, corporal––this ain’t the parade ground anymore.
WESTHUS: Rules are different out here.
HIMMELSTOSS: You salute me, goddamnit.
KROPP: That’s why we’re losing the war, isn’t it boys—we don’t salute
well enough.
HIMMELSTOSS: Stay right here.
TJADEN: Gladly.

HIMMELSTOSS exits, tripping on the way out. The SOLDIERS

explode with laughter.

KAT: If he reports you... it’s at least five days close arrest.

34 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

TJADEN: (Shrugging.) Five days of arrest are five days not being shot
at.
MÜLLER: What if they send you to the fortress, like a criminal?
TJADEN: Then the war is over for me. You know any French bullets
hitting Germans in the fortress?

BERTINK and HIMMELSTOSS return—HIMMELSTOSS in a huff,

BERTINK annoyed.

HIMMELSTOSS: Him—that one—Tjaden.

The SOLDIERS rush to stand.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
BERTINK: Easy—at ease. At ease. Tjaden?
TJADEN: (At perfect attention.) Sir.

ce
BERTINK: Did you fail to salute Corporal Himmelstoss?
r
pe N ru

KROPP: He did in his own way, sir.

BERTINK: Kropp—(KROPP pipes down.) Did you, Private Tjaden?
an
TJADEN: Yes, sir.
Pe

BERTINK: And act in an insubordinate way?

TJADEN: Insubordinate, sir?
HIMMELSTOSS: I swear to you, Tjaden that I’ll—
BERTINK: (Turning on HIMMELSTOSS.) You’ll what, corporal? Tell
me?
HIMMELSTOSS: This man should be tied to a tree––both of them.
BERTINK: We don’t do that anymore.
HIMMELSTOSS: Then we’ll think of something else. I’ll–I’ll–
BERTINK: You'll what––? You’ll make this man sleep beneath
somebody who pisses themselves in the night, through no fault of
their own?
HIMMELSTOSS: I—
BERTINK: Make them train in the cold till they are sick? Beat them?
Diminish them? Isn’t that the kind of behavior that got you sent up
here?
HIMMELSTOSS: I never did such a thing.
KROPP: You did.
PAUL: Yes, you did.
BERTINK: Kat?
 MATT FOSS 35

After a moment, KAT nods.

MÜLLER: We all saw it, sir.

BERTINK: Tjaden? (TJADEN nods.) Why didn’t you report it?
TJADEN: Never had much use for complaining, sir.
HIMMELSTOSS: I–I–
BERTINK: Enough. Your training camp stunts are of no use up here,
Corporal Himmelstoss. Those days are done. You don’t want to
be looking for a bullet from behind you when there’s more than
enough flying from the front. Am I clear? (HIMMELSTOSS nods.)
Dismissed.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
A beat. HIMMELSTOSS exits.

ce
BERTINK: Tjaden—three days... open arrest. There’s a chicken coop
r
pe N ru

near the orderly tent that’s been cleaned out. You can think about
your crimes in there. Kropp—one day’s open arrest. You can keep
an
him company. Can’t be helped boys. Report straight away—or
Pe

when you finish up here. (BERTINK tries to hide a smile. Gives a

small salute.) Good day, gentlemen. (Exits.)
TJADEN: Damn decent fellow.
KAT: Open arrest––that’s not bad. No bars, open air.
TJADEN: Let’s go you ol’ convict.

KROPP, TJADEN, LEER, WESTHUS, and MÜLLER exit. KAT sits

next to PAUL. Some time.

KAT: Lots of trees... quiet. I could see that.

PAUL: I don’t know if I can see anything at all.

KAT and PAUL share a cigarette. PAUL starts to cry, silently. KAT sees
but doesn’t let on, gives PAUL the smoke to finish.

PAUL: I’ll never forget you, Kat. None of this.

36 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

After some time, we hear the sound of hammers and saws––a few
SOLDIERS are seen building wooden coffins. Light. The rest of
SECOND COMPANY enter, ALL stop, staring at the coffins.

NINE—FRONT TWO—COFFIN OFFENSIVE

MÜLLER: Those are for us.

WESTHUS: Don’t talk rot.
KROPP: You think the army’d make a nice pine box for you? We’ll be
lucky for a rubber sheet in the bottom of some shell hole.

rm fo l
TJADEN: Can’t get us food on time but they can get coffins done
rfo ot sa
early?

ce
BERTINK and HIMMELSTOSS enter.
r
pe N ru

HIMMELSTOSS: Form up.

an
Pe

BERTINK gives a look.

BERTINK: The duty report is... we’re being sent up two days earlier
than we expected. We’re taking up the old concrete dugouts left off
the forward batteries.

The SOLDIERS march to the trenches, then settle into their cover from
the bombs. The bombardment grows—a pulsing kind of metronome
droning in the back. The SOLDIERS sink lower with each drone. It has
been almost a week. A SOLDIER vomits. The bombing grows worse.
There’s an explosion and the creeping sound of gas, as a fog seeps in.
The SOLDIERS put on their gas masks. It grows dark. The SOLDIERS
pull out their pocket torches. They light each other and the trench
hauntingly. The gas subsides. The SOLDIERS take off their masks.
The shelling persists.

BERTINK: This is it.

 MATT FOSS 37

The SOLDIERS start prepping for the attack. HIMMELSTOSS is lost

and afraid. Music begins.

TJADEN: If you find any of those corn beef tins over there—I’ll take
them. (KAT nods.) And some cheese.
HIMMELSTOSS: What?
PAUL: They have better food over there.
KROPP: We sometimes go on raids just to stock up.
LEER: French, English––they feed their sides.
WESTHUS: It’s like shopping.
BERTINK: Shhh... ready now.

rm fo l
The SOLDIERS crouch. They wait.
rfo ot sa
There is the sound of a star shell—the flare that floats beneath the

ce
coveted silk parachutes. It lights up No Man’s Land.
r
pe N ru

As it floats over the SOLDIERS, we hear the French whistle for their
charge.
an
Pe

Like before, almost like a dance, the SOLDIERS break into a battle—
first fighting from their trenches, then the German whistle blows and
they stream up and over.

HIMELSTOSS cowers and PAUL pounds on them, cursing them till

they stand up and continue the charge.

The battle takes them over No Man’s Land and they stream into the
enemy trench—clearing it with bombs and firing SOLDIERS lagging
behind the French retreat.

They return to their trenches, exhausted and repelling the enemy

attack.

Nothing but the sound of their breathing is heard.

LEER: (Pulling out a loaf of bread from their belt. The end crust is
bloody.) Damn it.
38 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

TJADEN: You can cut the bloody bit off.

KAT pulls out two French canteens and takes a huge gulp from thirst,
almost spits it out, then drinks greedily.

PAUL: What is it, Kat?

KAT tosses a canteen to PAUL, finishes and tosses to TJADEN. Both

take a sip.

KAT: Cognac. Honest to god cognac.

rm fo l
Wiping their mouths, they pass around the canteens. BERTINK enters,
rfo ot sa
waving the SOLDIERS down before they can stand at attention.

ce
BERTINK: Gentlemen, we need somebody in the sentry outpost once
r
pe N ru

it grows dark. (PAUL raises a hand.) Thank you, Baumer.

TJADEN: Did the mess companies make it up today?
an
Pe

BERTINK shakes head no.

HIMMELSTOSS: (Stepping forward.) I was able to find this though.

Offers some bread wrapped in oilcloth to TJADEN, who freezes,

refusing. KAT takes it.

KAT: Thank you, corporal.

LEER: (Holding up canteen to BERTINK.) Lieutenant?
KROPP: It’s a fine vintage, sir.

BERTINK drinks. Laughs.

 MATT FOSS 39

BERTINK: Indeed. Thank you. (Hands back the canteen.) Where’s

Haie? (No answer as the SOLDIERS look. A beat.) Where’s
Westhus? (The SOLDIERS notice their friend is missing for the first
time. KAT shakes their head that they didn’t know.) Baumer—
(Checks watch, checks sky.) You have a bit of time before they
finish dinner over there and start firing again—probably a good time
to take up now.
PAUL: Yes, sir.
BERTINK: Night, men.

SECOND COMPANY finds a spot to try to sleep for at least a moment.

Some time as PAUL keeps watch. Then, there is a crying out in No

rm fo l
Man’s Land, unseen.
rfo ot sa
WESTHUS: (Weakly.) ...help... somebody... help. I’m here.

ce
r
pe N ru

PAUL tries to hush the voice.

an
PAUL: Shhh.... shhhh. Quiet. Haie—quiet down or they’ll—
Pe

WESTHUS: (Quietly.) Please. Please.

The SOLDIERS join PAUL, looking out for WESTHUS.

WESTHUS: Paul? Paul? (WESTHUS starts to cry. Not much, but

the breathing is difficult. They cough and moan, grows hoarse.) Can
you get me some water, Paul? … Paul?
PAUL: We’re trying, Haie. We are.
WESTHUS: It’s all up, Paul. It’s all up.
PAUL: Where are you?

Haie?

Where are you?

Haie?

Haie?
40 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Just the sound of small coughs, quiet crying in the distance. KROPP
tries to go. BERTINK stops them, with a shake of their head.
HIMMELSTOSS disobeys and shimmies over the trench.

TJADEN: Where’s he going?

BERTINK lets HIMMELSTOSS go. SOLDIERS line up, watching

HIMMELSTOSS. WESTHUS’ crying continues, then silences.

HIMMELSTOSS appears, carrying WESTHUS back to the trench. As

HIMMELSTOSS gets close, the SOLDIERS break into action and help
get them both into the trench. HIMMELSTOSS lies down, wheezing

rm fo l
from exertion. WESTHUS is in a bad way.
rfo ot sa
TJADEN: Damn...

ce
PAUL: There you are, Haie. There you are, my friend.
r
pe N ru

KAT gives HIMMESLTOSS a nod. So does KROPP. TJADEN can’t.

an
STRETCHER BEARERS enter.
Pe

KAT: Let’s go.

The SOLDIERS gather their gear and tend to WESTHUS. The

STRETCHER BEARERS try to take WESTHUS, but HIMMELSTOSS
takes one end of him, not letting anybody take their place at the head,
bearing most of the weight. WESTHUS is carried off. The stage goes
dim. In half-light, KROPP, LEER, and PAUL gather themselves
upstage. We hear the voices in the dim light as we watch them clean
off the battle.

BERTINK: Second Company, form up.

Second Company, over here!

Is that all? (Silence.)

Number off.
 MATT FOSS 41

SOLDIERS: (Overlapping and exhausted.) One-two-three-four-five-

six-seven–– (The sound of numbering is heard—it continues quickly
but wearily to thirty-two.)
BERTINK: Anyone else? (A little louder.) Anyone else? (Softly, with
difficulty.) By squads... by squads—(Can’t finish.)

Second Company—

Second Company—move out.

The sound of bombs give way to running water of a stream, then

splashing.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
TEN—THE CANAL

ce
Lights up on a sunny day. PAUL, KROPP, and LEER rest and wash
r
pe N ru

and scrub their clothes in the water—a canal. It is cold, but sun is
shining. An optional SENTRY paces back and forth upstage on guard
duty.
an
Pe

The SOLDIERS wash and loaf, taking some time to enjoy being clean
for the first moment in ages. THREE YOUNG WOMEN 1 appear.

LEER: Looky there.

The SOLDIERS wave and roughhouse for the ladies—calling out in

broken French.

KROPP: Hallo!

1
Please note: The women are only identified by hair color in Remarch’s
novel. For our purposes, they are labeled by number, not to diminish them in
complexity or potential but to allow flexibility in casting and not paint any
actor or characterization into a corner through the sole description being their
hair color. Equally, no names are given for the women, nor do the SOLDIERS
ask for any. Again, the labeling of the WOMEN by number is not to diminish
their humanity, and more to preserve the complexity of the SOLDIERS’
interaction with them—intensely engaged yet failing to inquire about their
names.)
42 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

The WOMEN laugh and watch the SOLDIERS.

PAUL: They’re not leaving.

KROPP: It’s working. (KROPP waves—nothing.) Is it working?
PAUL: (Staring at WOMAN #1.) The one in the middle—she’s looking
at me—she’s...
WOMAN #2: Bonjour!
LEER: (Trying to impress the ladies with their limited French.) Bonjour,
mademoiselles.
WOMAN #3: Hello.
LEER: Fancy coming over? Over here.

rm fo l
WOMAN #1: Non.
rfo ot sa
LEER: How about we come there—we come over there?

ce
The WOMEN shake their head no, they start to leave.
r
pe N ru

LEER: We’ll bring food—bread.

an
Pe

PAUL pulls out a loaf of army bread and waves it, offering it to the
WOMEN. At the mention of bread, the WOMEN stop.

WOMAN #1: Bread?

LEER: Yes, bread!
KROPP: We’ll come tonight—when it is dark.
PAUL: We’ll swim. The canal! (Mimics sleeping. Swimming across.)
LEER: And we’ll bring food. Sausages—you see—big sausages—
PAUL: We’ll come over tonight. Tonight.
WOMAN #1: Bread?
KROPP: Of course! Lots of it!
WOMAN #2: (Conferring with the others.) Oui.

The WOMEN exit.

LEER: That must be their house.

The SOLDIERS sit shocked that it worked. After some time.

 MATT FOSS 43

KROPP: Maybe we should take them a few cigarettes too?

LEER: Let’s scrounge up a proper feast—we’ll reconvene here at
sundown. Good? Don’t be late.

ALL nod. LEER exits, saluting the SENTRY. KROPP and PAUL start
to dig through their packs.

PAUL: The one in the middle is mine... I’m not saying—

KROPP: —Fine, Paul. It’s fine.
PAUL: I just wanted to settle that. It’s not that I think I own her, it’s
just that she seemed to show interest in me and I didn’t want
anybody getting ideas that—

rm fo l
KROPP: It’s fine, Paul. Look. (Gathering the supplies.) Got three
rfo ot sa
rations of liver sausage. Tonight’s bread ration will get us at least a
whole loaf. That’s good enough, yeah?

ce
r
pe N ru

There is music heard in the distance, across the canal. Maybe one of
the WOMEN is playing a piano, poorly and out of tune, but it is still
an
beautiful to PAUL and KROPP. They sit, and smoke, listening to the
Pe

music, transported.

PAUL: I bet that’s her. (KROPP nods.) A girl like that...

PAUL stands. Lights change to evening. Some time. The sky has
turned dark—hours later. LEER enters throwing their boots at the
dreaming SOLDIERS.

LEER: What did you get?

KROPP: Three sausages, a loaf of bread.
PAUL: (Taking off their hat.) And a handful of cigarettes.
LEER: We’ll have to swim across. No way the sentries let us across
the bridge. Light discipline boys, we are going on patrol.

The light dims, almost too dark. There is the sound of splashing and
swimming as PAUL, LEER, and KROPP carefully make their way
across the river and up the bank, sounds of cold shivering as they
swim.
44 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

KROPP: What if there is a major or some officer in there with them?

LEER: He can try to read our regimental numbers right here.

LEER smacks their rear end. Takes a breath, fixes their wet hair. The
three SOLDIERS make their way to the WOMEN'S door, arms full of
food to present the WOMEN. They approach the door and knock. The
WOMEN enter. A beat.

PAUL: We brought bread.

A beat.

rm fo l
WOMAN #1: Come in. Come in. Entrer.
rfo ot sa
WOMAN #1 brings the three SOLDIERS in, as the canal is transformed

ce
to a scant living room, with a bench, table, and chairs as needed. A
r
pe N ru

crucifix hangs on a makeshift wall.

an
The SOLDIERS find a place to sit next to each other on the bench.
Pe

LEER: Would you like to... eat? Eat?

LEER offers up the bread. WOMAN #3 stares at them with a laser like
focus. They have a connection. Maybe too much.

WOMAN #3: Bon ami––

LEER: (To Paul.) Bon ami––that means––
WOMAN #3: ––shh camerade.

WOMAN #3 walks up to LEER and drags them off, maybe with LEER
giving an enthusiastic thumbs up to KROPP and PAUL. KROPP tries,
slowly lifting their string of sausages to WOMAN #2, which makes her
laugh, and she takes them off. PAUL and WOMAN #1 are all that is left
in the room. WOMAN #1 walks slowly over to where PAUL is sitting.

WOMAN #1: Parlez-vous français?

PAUL: ...un peu... très peu. (Small laugh.) Your eyebrows—when you
are thinking—they... they... I don’t know the word—they look nice.
 MATT FOSS 45

WOMAN #1: Je ne comprends pas.

PAUL: I know. I––Moi non plus. (Small laugh.)

PAUL takes out a cigarette, and gives it to WOMAN #1. Together they
share an intimate moment with the lighting of the cigarette. After a
moment, WOMAN #1 lays her head on PAUL'S shoulder.

After some time, the light slowly changes. KROPP and WOMAN #2
enter from their door, lovingly. KROPP picks up his boots.

KROPP: Paul? We better be getting back across.

rm fo l
They exit. LEER enters. WOMAN #3 is right behind them. LEER grabs
rfo ot sa
their boots, salutes the WOMAN, and joins KROPP. PAUL says
goodbye to WOMAN #1. The SOLDIERS gather. The air is crisp and

ce
clear with the sounds of night.
r
pe N ru

LEER: Well. That was worth a ration-loaf.

an
Pe

LEER laughs. KROPP and PAUL are still dumb. Music plays from the
house. They stand, silently. They gather their clothes and start to
change. Morning. The light changes and they are joined by KAT,
TJADEN, and DETERING. BERTINK enters. ALL stand at attention.

BERTINK: At ease, gentlemen. No action report today—steady

shelling at the front but it will take time for us to be restored to full
strength, so we’ll be attending to needs at the rear. With the snows
coming, no major movements are anticipated.

Some of you will be going on leave—with the first pass going to—
Baumer. Congratulations, Paul. (Hands PAUL a telegram order.)
You’ll be reporting to the camp at Klosterberg for a course of training
before you return.

Train leaves in an hour.

See you back here safe—but not too soon—yes? Dismissed.

46 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

KAT: Lieutenant. (Salutes as BERTINK exits.)

KROPP: (Grabbing the order from PAUL.) Six weeks away from here?
LEER: Klosterberg—might as well be in our backyard.
KAT: Not bad at all, Paul. You ought to try and get a base job. If
you’re smart, you’ll hang on to it and ride out the war there.
PAUL: But if while I’m gone... if something...
KAT: Don’t worry about that, my friend.

Train whistle. They step forward as the sounds of the train platform
are heard. LEER and TJADEN both have their goodbyes and exit.
DETERING lingers at the periphery and leaves with only a small wave.

rm fo l
KROPP: There it is Paul.
rfo ot sa
KAT, KROPP, and PAUL can’t say anything. Some time. This scene

ce
takes a difficult amount of time.
r
pe N ru

PAUL: All right. Good luck, Albert. Luck, Kat.

an
KAT: Good luck, Paul.
Pe

KROPP: We’ll see you when you’re back.

PAUL nods, unable to speak. There is a whistle from the train. PAUL
sits in a small pool of light beneath a bulb that shakes with the rhythm
of the train.

Explosions mixed in with the sound of the train start to give way to
silence. The light starts to change and warm. A train whistle and the
train stops. Silence. PAUL stands up. For a moment, there is the
sound of birds and no bombs.

It’s PAUL’S home town. PAUL is alone on the platform for a brief
second before the bustling sounds of the train station and crowd smash
the quiet.
 MATT FOSS 47

ELEVEN—HOME AND LEAVE

There’s a flurry of activity as MEN in suits and a RED CROSS NURSE

fill the platform in a din of activity. There is a little snow as it is nearing
Christmas. PAUL stands. The three MEN wave enthusiastically to
PAUL, as he is ambushed by the RED CROSS NURSE with a tin cup.

RED CROSS NURSE: Welcome home. Would you like a coffee? Just
look, I’m giving a real soldier from the front coffee. Did you see
that? Welcome home, comrade.

PAUL gives her back the coffee, and is ambushed by the three MEN.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
MAN #1: Let us buy you a drink, my boy.
MAN #2: Yes, yes—the conquering hero returns.

ce
r
pe N ru

There is a bang from the train leaving. It shocks PAUL and they snap
into action like the front. It takes PAUL a moment to realize they’re not
there.
an
Pe

The three MEN don’t notice as they are too busy congratulating each
other on taking care of this young soldier, har-haring and gesticulating
grotesquely.

MAN #3: In here. Cigar?

The room is transformed into a Beer Hall as a cigar is crammed into

PAUL’S mouth. The three MEN and PAUL sit at a cramped table
beneath a small, smoky circle of light—as beer is added and drained
throughout.

MAN #1: Tell us about the front, young man.

PAUL is drinking, trying to keep up with the beer train and answering
with nods or shakes with a mouth full.

MAN #2: Have you ever experienced hand-to-hand combat?

MAN #1: Or killed somebody?
48 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

MAN #3: Yes?!

PAUL tries to stand to exit. PAUL is placed back in his chair, inside the
cramped circle full of smoke. More beer. It is almost a breakneck pace.

MAN #2: Things must be terrible out there, eh? Eh?

MAN #1: Dreadful, to be sure.
MAN #2: But we must carry on.

Guffaws in agreement.

MAN #3: Naturally.

rm fo l
MAN #1: I hear you do get decent food out there. You look fit.
rfo ot sa
MAN #2: Worse back here.
MAN #3: Yes.

ce
MAN #1: We send all the good things to the front.
r
pe N ru

MAN #2: Only the best for our soldiers, goes without saying.
MAN #3: Naturally.
an
MAN #1: What is the spirit like at the front?
Pe

MAN #2: Excellent, eh? Excellent?

MAN #3: Yes.
MAN #1: Though nobody would be sorry to be back home.
MAN #2: That goes without saying.
MAN #3: Naturally.
MAN #1: I can believe it. But first you have to give the Froggies a
good hiding.
MAN #2: Another beer for our young warrior.

ALL drink, though MAN #3 tries to say “naturally” or a few “yes’s” while
he guzzles. PAUL is trying to drain their drinks and leave. They keep
PAUL prisoner by plying him with full mugs. RED CROSS NURSE
brings in more mugs and sits with them, making it more crowded. She
flirts with PAUL.

RED CROSS NURSE: We really are in your debt. For all you do.
MAN #1: What should we annex first, once we win?
MAN #2: At least the whole of Belgium. And the coal areas of France.
MAN #3: (Drunk.) Naturally.
 MATT FOSS 49

MAN #1: Maybe a slice or two of Russia?

MAN #2 and #3 raise their glasses and drink. They hate Russia.

MAN #3: YES!

MAN #2: If you just shove ahead and get out of your everlasting
trenches, smash through the Tommies—
MAN #1: You know nothing about it, my boy.
MAN #2: You know the details of the battles of course—
MAN #3: Naturally.
MAN #1: But this relates to the whole, and of that you are not able to
accurately judge.

rm fo l
MAN #2: Can’t see the forest for the trees, as it were.
rfo ot sa
MAN #3: Yes!
MAN #2: You see only your little sector so you cannot have any

ce
general survey.
r
pe N ru

RED CROSS NURSE: But we know—from the papers.

MAN #3: Naturally.
an
MAN #1: You do your duty, you risk your life, and you deserve the
Pe

highest honor—deserve the Iron Cross—

MAN #3: Of course.
MAN #2: But not until you’ve broken through in Flanders and roll up
the entire enemy line all the way from the top—
MAN #3: (In rough shape, maybe with a belch punctuation.) Yes!
MAN #2: To Paris!
MAN #3: Naturally.

Big drinks and congratulations.

RED CROSS NURSE: (Privately at the cramped table.) Some things

can’t be talked about. I understand that. Better than they do at
least. Thank you for your service.

PAUL stands up from the table in a crash.

MAN #1: There you are my friend!

MAN #2: All the best. Keep the cigars.
50 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

MAN #3 stuffs them into PAUL’S pocket. Drunkenly salutes.

MAN #3: Yes...

MAN #1: I hope we will soon hear something worthwhile from you…
soon!

They ALL cheer a toast, and the light snaps out, leaving PAUL in the
dark, outside, with a small fall of snow. PAUL starts to walk alone in the
cold.

OFFICER: (Shouts from offstage.) What was that?

rm fo l
PAUL searches for the voice. The OFFICER enters, fussing with their
rfo ot sa
fancy chords and uniform.

ce
OFFICER: Can’t you salute your superior when you walk past him?
r
pe N ru

PAUL: Sorry, Major. I didn’t notice you.

OFFICER: Don’t you know how to speak properly?
an
PAUL: I did not see you, Herr Major. I’m sorry.
Pe

OFFICER: Then keep your eyes open. What is your name?

PAUL: Paul. Paul Baumer.
OFFICER: What regiment, Private Baumer?
PAUL: (Defiantly but compliantly.) Fifteenth Reserve Regiment,
Second Company Engineer Platoon.
OFFICER: Where are you billeted, soldier?
PAUL: Somewhere between Langemark and Bixschoote.
OFFICER: What is that supposed to mean?
PAUL: I don’t know where my company is today, sir. We move around
a lot up on the front and I just arrived here on leave a few hours
ago.
OFFICER: You think you can bring your front line manners here?
PAUL: That was not my intent, sir.
OFFICER: We don’t stand for that sort of thing—we have discipline
here. Try... a... gain.

PAUL marches forward, snaps to attention and salutes.

 MATT FOSS 51

OFFICER: You are lucky I am pleased to put mercy before justice this
time of year... but only once. See to it not happening again, soldier.
Now, dismissed.

PAUL salutes, the OFFICER leaves. PAUL relaxes. PAUL hears the
same music from the Battlefield Benediction (Scene Nine—Front
Two—Coffin Offensive.) The light from the church and the late evening
prayers from the cathedral spill out on the street.

As PAUL walks in, similar to before, sensors smoke the space lit with
candlelight and the dim color of the stained glass. It is Advent, nearly
Christmas. Only a few parishioners are present—heads down in

rm fo l
prayer, as PAUL watches.
rfo ot sa
Some time. As the music reaches a resolve—maybe end of a “Stille

ce
Nacht”––PAUL stands and exits into the dark night. PAUL breathes in
r
pe N ru

the cold air and scant snow.

an
Some time. In the dark, the kitchen of PAUL’S house has been created.
Pe

ANNA enters. PAUL stares for a beat.

ANNA: Paul?
PAUL: Anna?
ANNA: Oh, Paul—it is you. (Shouting off.) Mother—mother—it’s Paul.
Paul’s home.

PAUL freezes. PAUL takes off his helmet. They cannot speak. Tears
appear and run down their cheeks silently.

ANNA: What is it?

MOTHER enters.

MOTHER: Paul?

PAUL can only nod. MOTHER slowly and with struggle makes her way
to him. They are all overcome with emotion, but is only able to touch
PAUL’S face, and after a time, kiss the palm of PAUL’S hand.
52 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

MOTHER: (Continues, with worry.) Are you wounded?

PAUL shakes their head “no.”

PAUL: I’m on leave.

ANNA: Mother, should you lie down?
MOTHER: (Almost overlapping ANNA.) How long?
PAUL: Not long—couple of days then I have to report to the camp.
ANNA: Mother? It’s late.
MOTHER: Not too late for this, Anna.
PAUL: (Opening their pack.) These are for you—can you make some

rm fo l
use of it?
rfo ot sa
They nod—shocked at all the food.

ce
r
pe N ru

ANNA: Of course, Paul. That’s wonderful. Thank you.

MOTHER: Dear boy. (Patting PAUL’S hand.)
an
PAUL: Is it bad back here?
Pe

ANNA shrugs, unable to say “yes.”

MOTHER: Do you get enough to eat?

PAUL: Not always as much as that, but we fare reasonably well.

A beat. MOTHER loses her strength and sits, sighing.

MOTHER: Sit here with me a moment. (MOTHER looks at PAUL.) The

ones who return say it is terrible––
ANNA: Mother.
MOTHER: Worse than you could ever imagine.
ANNA: That’s just talk, Mother.
PAUL: You see how fine I am—don’t I look all right?

She pats PAUL’S hand.

MOTHER: When do you have to go?

 MATT FOSS 53

PAUL: Tomorrow. But not straight to the front. I have to report to the
training camp first.
MOTHER: Why?
PAUL: I don’t know. Those are my orders. (A beat.) You should go
and try to sleep, Mother. You’ll catch a cold walking around this
late.
MOTHER: Are you very much afraid?
PAUL: No Mother. I promise.

A beat.

MOTHER: Paul?

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
A beat.

ce
MOTHER: Look out for French women. They are no good.
r
pe N ru

PAUL: Where I am there aren’t any women, Mother.

MOTHER: Anna. I think I need to lie down. (She stands to go. A beat.)
Paul.
an
Pe

PAUL: Goodnight, Mother.

MOTHER nods and exits. A moment.

PAUL: What’s wrong with her?

ANNA: She’s been in bed for months. One of the doctors said it’s
cancer again. We didn’t want to write to worry you. (Some time.)
You have to leave in the morning?

PAUL nods. ANNA gives a silent goodbye. ANNA exits. PAUL stands
and packs.

There’s a growing sound of marching and drum cadences. The

bedroom disappears. PAUL finishes gearing up downstage as the
shadows of SOLDIERS training appear upstage. PAUL approaches a
solitary figure standing at attention in the snow.

PAUL: Excuse me, I’m supposed to report to the––

KANTOREK: Paul? Paul? You’re back.
54 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

DRILL SERGEANT: (Shouting as they enter.) Territorial Reservist

Kantorek! What do you think you are doing?

KANTOREK tries to explain—but is silenced. They stand at attention.

DRILL SERGEANT: I told you to stand at attention until I returned.

You seem incapable of learning even the most mundane of tasks,
Territorial Reservist Kantorek.
KANTOREK: I’m sorry, sir—it’s just that—(KANTOREK snaps a
salute.)
DRILL SERGEANT: Do you know this soldier, Territorial Kantorek?
KANTOREK: He was my student.

rm fo l
DRILL SERGEANT: What?
rfo ot sa
KANTOREK: I was his teacher, sir.
DRILL SERGEANT: How is it possible that you’d have anything to

ce
teach anybody, Territorial Kantorek?
r
pe N ru

PAUL: (At a sharp salute.) Excuse me, Sergeant––I was told to report
here this morning.
an
Pe

PAUL hands DRILL SERGEANT the faded paper with their orders.

DRILL SERGEANT: Looks like they have you doing some guard duty.
The Russian prisoners are off behind the training grounds. Over
there.
PAUL: Thanks. What am I supposed to do?
DRILL SERGEANT: (A beat. A shrug.) Watch them.... And you
Kantorek––don’t move.

DRILL SERGEANT exits. PAUL stares at KANTOREK.

KANTOREK: You can see I have answered the call myself. I was
drafted with the reserves… last month. I am not proving a good
soldier. But if you are back for good, maybe I could use my influence
so that you can take an emergency exam so you can pick up where
you left off. (Silence.) Or Albert? Müller, Kemmerich too? (PAUL
flinches.) How are they all, Paul? How’s Franz? Paul? How’s
Kemmerich?
PAUL: He’s dead.
 MATT FOSS 55

PAUL leaves KANTOREK, who shrinks in understanding. Upstage, a

line of fence forms. Ghostly forms of RUSSIAN PRISONERS appear.
They are dressed in rags, dirty and unshaven or bearded. They haunt
the line of the fence. KANTOREK exits.

PAUL carefully and slowly approaches the fence. PAUL watches.

PAUL pulls out a few cigarettes, and gives one to each PRISONER.

The weeks at the camp pass by. PAUL stands center, standing guard
for days, doing nothing. A shrill train whistle like before snaps PAUL
out of it. The train trip from before happens again, in reverse.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
PAUL closes their eyes, waiting... and just when it seems like it won’t
come, the first rumble of an explosion is heard. PAUL’S eyes snap

ce
open as another explosion erupts—muffled and distant. Then more.
r
pe N ru

PAUL arrives at the front during a shelling.

an TWELVE––BACK AT THE FRONT
Pe

Explosions are happening left and right—earth flying. PAUL is taken a

bit aback by the explosions from being gone from the front. SOLDIERS
run about, in organized chaos around PAUL. PAUL tries to catch one
asking after SECOND COMPANY.

PAUL: You know where Second Company is? Hey—Second

Company? Anybody knows where Second Company’s at? (PAUL
catches a SOLDIER.) You know where Second Company is?

Huge explosion a little ways off.

SOLDIER: Probably there. (Exits.)

PAUL walks towards the explosions. It is dark. It grows louder, the only
light from the bombs. PAUL looks in the darkness. There is a rustle of
gear and muffled voices in the dark. A flash of flame as a few cigarettes
are lit.
56 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

There is a sound of somebody blowing their nose and then a small

swear of disgust at what is left in their handkerchief—it sounds like
MÜLLER. KAT hushes him.

PAUL approaches carefully, but glad. There’s a snap of a twig. KAT

pulls a flashlight out to light PAUL’S face. The rest snap into action—
afraid it is an enemy.

A beat.

KROPP: Hey. It’s Paul. Hi Paul.

rm fo l
A laugh and the tension eases. KAT, MÜLLER, LEER, TJADEN, and
rfo ot sa
DETERING all draw near—dirtier and bloodier than before.

ce
TJADEN: Welcome back.
r
pe N ru

KAT: How was leave—pretty good?

PAUL: Parts. How goes it?
an
KAT: (Answers with a shrug.) They say we’re going to Russia.
Pe

PAUL: Russia? There’s not much war left over there, is there?
LEER: Don’t think so.
PAUL: That’s good?
MÜLLER: Maybe.

There’s an explosion in the distance. A bombardment starts. BERTINK

enters. PAUL salutes, the other SOLDIERS only stare. BERTINK
tiredly nods. They all get up grimly.

BERTINK: It’s us again... we’ll take up forward positions. Old

trenches—but good ones—so should be some cover. They’re
loading the trucks now.

The SOLDIERS form up the back of a truck. Occasionally, headlights

from the truck behind them catch their faces and jostle from the rough
road. They huddle, smoke, and talk.

KAT: You missed the Kaiser.

PAUL: What? Did you see him? (KAT nods.) And?
 MATT FOSS 57

KROPP: Rather disappointing.

TJADEN: Made us stand stock still for an hour.
LEER: Tough to salute the fella who got us into this mess.
MÜLLER: You think there would have even been a war if the Kaiser
had said no—at the start of all this?
KAT: Probably.
MÜLLER: But like twenty or thirty people, from all over the world—
what if they had said—no, we’re not going to do this.
LEER: Maybe. But they sure as hell all said yes.
TJADEN: I didn’t say yes.
KROPP: It’s not up to you, Tjad.
TJADEN: Who’s it up to then?

rm fo l
LEER: One country offends another and here we are.
rfo ot sa
TJADEN: So a mountain in Germany offended a mountain in France?
KROPP: Don’t be stupid.

ce
TJADEN: I’m not being stupid.
r
pe N ru

LEER: I’m saying one people offends the other.

TJADEN: I don’t feel offended.
an
KROPP: Well it doesn’t apply to tramps like you.
Pe

TJADEN: I can be on my way home then.

MÜLLER: Tjad—he means the state.
TJADEN: Like the police—taxes—that’s the state?
LEER: Clearly.
TJADEN: Well the state doesn’t seem to include me. Nobody from
the state asked me. They ask you, Detering? (DETERING shakes
their head “no.”) I’d never seen a Frenchmen before I was aiming a
gun at a bunch of ‘em up here and I’m betting nobody asked them
either.
KROPP: (Trying to go for TJADEN, but the other SOLDIERS stop
them.) Tjad—
TJADEN: Am I wrong, Albert? Am I?

KROPP concedes TJADEN has won the argument. The trucks come
to a stop.

KAT: We’re here.

The SOLDIERS stream out. BERTINK enters.

58 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

BERTINK: Gentlemen. We need a patrol to discover how strongly the

enemy position is manned. (KAT and KROPP raise their hands in
sequence.) Kat... Kropp... (PAUL raises their hand.) ...all right, Paul.
Be careful. Try to keep your bearings so you don’t jump into the
wrong trench on your way back. Back before it grows light, good?

Explosions continue to grow. BERTINK salutes and exits.

KAT: Spread out, but make sure we can see each other—out and back
as soon as we can.
KROPP: Good. Let's get this over with.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
PAUL nods. KAT, KROPP, and PAUL slide over the top and into No
Man’s Land. A flare bursts overhead, and all three hug the ground, not

ce
moving. It burns out quickly.
r
pe N ru

KAT, KROPP, and PAUL start to crawl, but KAT suddenly stops. KAT
an
motions to KROPP and PAUL to do the same. KAT listens.
Pe

A French patrol creeps up, watching for other soldiers.

Urgently, KAT uses hand signals from what direction they are
approaching. KAT signals for KROPP and PAUL to play dead, to let
the FRENCH SOLDIER and DUVAL walk past. PAUL pulls out their
knife and keeps it in their fist.

KAT, PAUL, and KROPP sprawl on the ground silently, tucking in

amongst the folds of the earth and shell holes. Though their faces are
close to the ground, their eyes stare unmoving—watching each other
and for the oncoming French patrol.

The FRENCH SOLDIER and DUVAL quietly make their way across the
battlefield, above where KROPP, KAT and PAUL are hiding, stock still
and ready to attack. PAUL shifts to be ready to strike and makes a
small noise-stopping the FRENCH SOLDIERS in their tracks.

FRENCH SOLDIER: Silence! Quoi est-il...?

 MATT FOSS 59

DUVAL: Je ne sais pas.

DUVAL shrugs then notices KROPP, KAT, and PAUL hiding.

Suddenly, there is a high-pitched whistle—fast and short—and a huge

series of explosions to the left and the right.

A shell hole is formed and PAUL scrambles into it. PAUL is safe for a
second, then DUVAL falls in as well. PAUL and DUVAL stare at each
other in disbelief.

DUVAL reaches for their pistol or knife in their belt, but PAUL springs

rm fo l
on them quickly, stabbing DUVAL violently in their chest while muffling
rfo ot sa
any cries for help or pain. DUVAL goes limp. PAUL pushes away,
jamming their back against the opposite side of the shell hole.

ce
r
pe N ru

Some time. We hear DUVAL’S ragged breathing. DUVAL is weak but

does not take their eyes off of PAUL—from both fear and an angry self-
an
preservation.
Pe

The slow, gurgling breathing continues for a time. PAUL’S hands are
red. DUVAL’S eyes close. The breathing grows quiet. PAUL waits,
then goes to see if DUVAL has truly died. PAUL crawls carefully across
the shell hole, reaching gingerly towards DUVAL’S coat to check on
their wounds. DUVAL snaps awake.

DUVAL: Aide! Aide—Je suis ici!

PAUL jams their hand over DUVAL’S mouth, muffling their cries.

PAUL: Comrade. (Attempting French.) ...Camerade ...camerade.

Camerade.

PAUL searches for French soldiers behind them.

PAUL: I’m sorry—I just—it’s a bandage. Bandage.

DUVAL shakes his head “no.” PAUL moves to bandage DUVAL.

60 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

PAUL: ...and maybe they won’t shoot me.

DUVAL doesn’t answer but doesn’t push PAUL away. PAUL tries to
open the coat carefully. Inside, the shirt is stuck in the wounds—three
stab wounds around the lungs and heart. PAUL tries to pull the shirt
away, but DUVAL writhes in pain. PAUL nods—tries to wipe away the
blood. DUVAL starts to cough.

PAUL: I’m sorry. We have to wait. Wait. Wait down here.

DUVAL’S breathing grows hoarse.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
PAUL: Maybe someone will come.

ce
Slowly there’s a transition of time. Flares light up PAUL and DUVAL in
r
pe N ru

the middle of No Man’s Land. After some time, DUVAL dies. DUVAL
slumps over.
an
Pe

PAUL: Hey. Hey… I…

PAUL realizes DUVAL has finally died. Some time. PAUL takes the
letter.

PAUL: Is this letter from your wife? I’m afraid she will not know what
happened. She will keep getting the letters you sent before…
before. She will keep getting letters tomorrow. In a week. Maybe
even a stray letter a month from… now. She will read it and it will
be like you are speaking to her still. I wonder what she looks like. I
wonder if she lives by the side of a canal. I wonder if she belongs to
me now… I mean that she’s my responsibility… not that I own... (A
beat.) We always see it too late. They never tell us… (PAUL shakes
their head.) If you’d run a few yards to the left, you’d be back in your
trench, writing a fresh letter to her. If Kemmerich’s leg had been six
inches to the right. If Haie had bent just a little further forward. If
Kantorek was sitting beside me and not you. (A beat.) I did not want
to kill you. Duval. Gerard Duval. Printer. Gerard Duval. Printer. A
printer. I’ll become a printer. …Printer.
 MATT FOSS 61

PAUL whispers this over and over till it grows dark. There’s a few snaps
of gun fire.

KAT: (Offstage, whispered.) Paul? Paul?

A breath. PAUL calls out.

PAUL: Here. Here. I’m here.

KAT slides into the shell hole. KROPP follows. They both see DUVAL’S
body, knowing what must have happened. KROPP offers PAUL some

rm fo l
water from a canteen. PAUL drinks greedily. KAT lights PAUL a
rfo ot sa
cigarette. PAUL’S hand shakes.

ce
KAT: Paul. You wounded?
r
pe N ru

No answer.
an
Pe

KROPP: Paul?

No answer.

KROPP: Let’s get back. Can you walk?

PAUL nods. PAUL, KAT, and KROPP scramble over the top, leaving
the body of DUVAL. Some time.

The shell hole dissolves into a marching column in the rain—KAT,

PAUL, KROPP, MÜLLER, DETERING, and LEER form up to trudge
through the mud. Shelling is heard in the distance.

VILLAGERS, their belongings in their arms, approach.

KAT: We should keep moving.

KROPP: You think they’re going to fire on a village that still has their
people in it?
LEER: How do you know they won’t?
62 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

The SOLDIERS give out what they have to the VILLAGERS and share
a peaceful moment. One carries a bird cage—inside there is the sound
of a kitten meowing. DETERING and the rest peer into it.

DETERING: Hey. They got a cat in here.

KROPP: Hey little cat.

MÜLLER clicks their tongue at the kitten sweetly.

LEER: Not very big.

DETERING: Just a kitten.

rm fo l
KROPP: Just a little fella.
rfo ot sa
Shelling stops.

ce
r
pe N ru

KAT: Shhhh....
an
Silence. Then the whistle of bombs like before.
Pe

TJADEN: Damn! Damn! Damn!

The SOLDIERS and VILLAGERS scatter. Explosions surround them

all. The cage with the kitten is dropped center. KROPP goes to get it.
PAUL tries to stop them. KROPP is hit in a huge explosion, and PAUL
is quickly also hit. PAUL and KROPP appear in the dust—ears ringing.
KROPP begins to cry in pain. PAUL crawls to KROPP as the barrage
continues. KROPP stares into the cage—the kitten is dead.

PAUL: Albert!

KROPP falls. PAUL rushes to their side.

PAUL: Are you hit?

KROPP nods.

KROPP: You’re hit too.

 MATT FOSS 63

PAUL pulls back their hand, discovering a wound in their leg.

PAUL: Get up, Albert—we’ve got to go.

KROPP: I can’t.
PAUL: We’ve got to go before the shock wears off and you won’t be
able to move at all.
KROPP: How bad is it, Paul?

Two STRETCHER BEARERS enter. PAUL doesn’t answer.

PAUL: Over here.

rm fo l
rfo ot sa
The two STRETCHER BEARERS stop and check PAUL and KROPP’S
wounds, then pick them up.

ce
r
pe N ru

PAUL: It will be home for us now, Albert.

KROPP: If they take my leg, Paul—I’m putting an end to it. I’m not
an
going through life like that. I can’t.
Pe

There is a howl of pain. The lights snap dark.

A bright, surgery light descends and swings menacingly. PAUL is

yanked onto an operating table centerstage.

FIELD SURGEON enters—and wipes their hands with a soiled rag as

a body is wheeled away and PAUL is pushed into place beneath the
light. The FIELD SURGEON starts to poke in PAUL’S wound. PAUL
tries not to cry out. FIELD SURGEON pokes more. PAUL cracks and
thrashes about.

FIELD SURGEON: Chloroform the bastard.

PAUL: I’ll keep still. Please. I’ll keep still—

PAUL pulls out two cigars and a pack of cigarettes from their tunic,
hands them to the FIELD SURGEON.

FIELD SURGEON: What?

64 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

PAUL: I don’t want to wake up missing something.

FIELD SURGEON: (Taking cigarettes.) Fine.

FIELD SURGEON mercilessly roots around in PAUL’S wound for the

piece of shrapnel. They find it, dropping it loudly into a metal basin.

FIELD SURGEON: There—a souvenir.

FIELD SURGEON claps PAUL’S wound. PAUL stays silent, despite

the pain. PAUL is carried out. PAUL strains to look at KROPP while
their surgery begins. The lights dim.

rm fo l
A train whistle, and sound of a train starting. Then a Catholic hymn
rfo ot sa
begins—nuns singing.

ce
THIRTEEN—CATHOLIC HOSPITAL
r
pe N ru

A ward in a Catholic hospital is formed, full of PATIENTS and injured

an
SOLDIERS including HAMMACHER, LEWANDOWSKI, KROPP,
Pe

PATIENT #1, and PATIENT #2. SISTER LIBERTINE helps PAUL into
bed.

SISTER LIBERTINE: Can you get in by yourself?

PAUL: Yes. (A beat.) Could you take the sheets off?
SISTER LIBERTINE: What for?
PAUL: It will get.... It’s just that I’m so––I’ll make it...
SISTER LIBERTINE: ...dirty? That’s fine. We’ll wash it and keep
giving you clean ones.
PAUL: No—not that.
SISTER LIBERTINE: If you’ve been lying out there in the dirt, it is the
least I can do to wash a few sheets.
PAUL: It’s only—
SISTER LIBERTINE: Only what, private?
PAUL: ––the lice.

SISTER LIBERTINE, softly, with a touch, helps PAUL into bed.

 MATT FOSS 65

SISTER LIBERTINE: Well, it's only right they get to be comfortable

sometimes, too. Rest now—I’ll check on you in the morning.
(Handing PAUL a small bell.) Ring this if you need anything.
PAUL: Sister?
SISTER LIBERTINE: Yes? (A beat.) Is everything ok?
PAUL: It’s—
SISTER LIBERTINE: It’s all right, private.
PAUL: I—
SISTER LIBERTINE: Yes?
HAMMACHER: (Interrupting.) I think he has to use the facilities.
SISTER LIBERTINE: Ah—you shouldn’t be trying to get out of bed—
you’ll ruin your bandages. What do you want then? (Silence.) Is it a

rm fo l
little one or a big one? (A beat.) Little or big?
rfo ot sa
PAUL: Um...
SISTER LIBERTINE: Do you need a bottle or a bedpan?

ce
PAUL: Oh... a bottle.
r
pe N ru

SISTER LIBERTINE: I’ll be right back.

an
She exits. HAMMACHER laughs.
Pe

HAMMACHER: (Repeating, mocking, laughing.) Little or big one...

um... goodnight.
PAUL: Goodnight, Albert. Albert—?

KROPP ignores PAUL, rolls over in bed. PAUL tries to get comfortable.
There is a loud ticking through the night of the clock in the hall.

As it becomes morning, SISTER LIBERTINE and SISTER TEA COZY

enter just offstage and outside the ward, backs to the PATIENTS,
singing a hymn.

HAMMACHER: Just when you get to sleep, that racket starts up.
Every morning.
KROPP: Be quiet out there...
PAUL: (Ringing his bell.) Sister—

SISTER TEA COZY turns around and enters. PAUL is taken aback,
expecting SISTER LIBERTINE.
66 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

SISTER TEA COZY: Yes?

PAUL: Could you shut the door, please, sister?
SISTER TEA COZY: We’re saying our prayers.
LEWANDOWSKI: But we want to go on sleeping.
SISTER TEA COZY: It’s already seven o’clock in the morning—and
besides, prayers are better than sleeping.

KROPP snorts.

PATIENT #2: Would you please just shut the door?

SISTER TEA COZY: But we are saying the prayers for you.

rm fo l
HAMMACHER: We’re not the ones that need to hear them—isn’t that
rfo ot sa
how prayers work?
SISTER TEA COZY: Heathen! (Turns—starts singing again.)

ce
PAUL: We’re trying to be reasonable and I am just asking you to
r
pe N ru

please—just shut the door. I’m counting to three and—one—two—

three... four—five... SIX!
an
Pe

PAUL throws a metal bottle to the ground. SISTER TEA COZY enters,
with SISTER LIBERTINE.

SISTER TEA COZY: Who threw that?

Silence.

SISTER TEA COZY: Who threw that?

HAMMACHER: (Before PAUL can confess.) I did.

SISTER LIBERTINE and SISTER TEA COZY share a look. SISTER

LIBERTINE picks up the bottle from the ground.

SISTER LIBERTINE: Josef—you need to calm down. No more

throwing... anything.

HAMMACHER nods.

HAMMACHER: Yes, Sister Libertine.

 MATT FOSS 67

SISTER LIBERTINE gives a nod to SISTER TEA COZY and they both
leave.

PAUL: Why’d you do that? Say it was you?

HAMMACHER: Because I wished I had done it.
KROPP: Aren’t they going to come down on you?
HAMMACHER: They think I have a screw loose—I can do just about
anything and blame it on the bump on the head I got out there. Been
having a grand old time ever since. Gave me a doctor’s note that
said I can’t be held responsible for my behavior.
LEWANDOWSKI: We call it his shooting license.

rm fo l
HAMMACHER: (Reaching out to PAUL.) Private-Reservist Josef
rfo ot sa
Hammacher. (Wry salute to PAUL.)
PAUL: And the nun?

ce
HAMMACHER: Sister Libertine?
r
pe N ru

PAUL: No—the other one?

HAMMACHER: I just call her Tea Cozy—Libertine’s the only one
an
worth knowing.
Pe

PAUL: She won’t do anything to you?

HAMMACHER: She wouldn’t dare. Them's the rules with a file like
mine.

There’s a knock—CHIEF SURGEON enters—a quack of the worse

kind.

CHIEF SURGEON: Knock, knock, knock. Guten Morgen. Mail time,

Reservist Lewandowski. (They hand a letter to LEWANDOWSKI.)
Oh—new arrivals in the night! (Crossing to PAUL.) Hello—I am the
chief of surgery here. I’ll just take a—oh, heavens—your feet.
They're flat. How did you ever make it this far with feet as flat as
those?

PAUL shrugs. HAMMACHER is shaking his head “no,” trying to warn

PAUL.
68 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

CHIEF SURGEON: I have a little surgery I do—experimental, but

safe—of course—that will put that right—small operation that
results in perfectly sound feet. After a little healing, of course.

HAMMACHER has continued to shake his head “no.” PAUL

understands.

PAUL: No thank you.

CHIEF SURGEON: Pity. And you—how about you, Private—
KROPP: (Interrupting.) No.
CHIEF SURGEON: Well.

rm fo l
CHIEF SURGEON continues to his rounds, checking PATIENTS.
rfo ot sa
There is mumbling, notes on the clipboard during the quick checkups.
They approach HAMMACHER, who wags a finger, and without pause

ce
and with some fear, CHIEF SURGEON passes right by. CHIEF
r
pe N ru

SURGEON comes to PATIENT #1. It is bad. They ring the bell.

SISTER TEA COZY enters. CHIEF SURGEON gives a nod.
an
Pe

SISTER TEA COZY goes to the bed, reaches beneath and places
PATIENT #1’S uniform jacket across their legs, and PATIENT #1 is
carried out of the ward. CHIEF SURGEON follows, turning with a little
heel click for a goodbye, and exits.

HAMMACHER: Dead room.

PAUL: What?
HAMMACHER: Jacket gave it away. If you’re just going to get a bath,
or some air, they leave your stuff here because you’re coming back.
If they throw your jacket over your bed before they wheel you
away—dead room for sure.
LEWANDOWSKI: So you don’t disturb the rest of us as you finish up.
HAMMACHER: And it’s close to the morgue. Efficient that way.
PATIENT #2: I mean, sometimes people die right here.
HAMMACHER: But usually—they grab your coat and off you go.
LEWANDOWSKI: Nobody comes back.

LEWANDOWSKI starts to open the letter.

 MATT FOSS 69

KROPP: That’s ridiculous.

HAMMACHER: You watch. You’ll figure this place out in no time.
What’d you get?
LEWANDOWSKI: (Reading from their letter.) My wife!
HAMMACHER: (To PAUL.) Been here the longest.
LEWANDOWSKI: She’s sent a picture of my boy.
PAUL: When was the last time you saw her?
LEWANDOWSKI: Two years ago.
PAUL: How old’s your boy?
LEWANDOWSKI: Fifteen months.
HAMMACHER: On the nose.

rm fo l
LEWANDOWSKI laughs. So does PAUL. KROPP stays on their side.
rfo ot sa
The photo is passed around till it gets to KROPP. They sit up and look
at it intently.

ce
r
pe N ru

KROPP: This is your child?

an
The sound of evening vespers—maybe SISTER LIBERTINE singing
Pe

alone, beautifully.

PAUL watches KROPP who still sinks deeper and deeper, and is
looking in poorer and poorer health.

CHIEF SURGEON enters.

PATIENT #2: Look out... here he comes.

CHIEF SURGEON: Guten Morgen.

CHIEF SURGEON turns towards KROPP.

CHIEF SURGEON: Guten Morgen, Private Kropp. How are you today,
Albert?
KROPP: Fine.

CHIEF SURGEON rings the bell. SISTER TEA COZY enters.

70 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

CHIEF SURGEON: (Checking beneath the sheet at KROPP’S

wounded leg.) It looks like we need to change these bandages,
sister. Would you please take our dear friend, Private Kropp, to the
have his dressings replaced?
SISTER TEA COZY: Yes, sir.

SISTER TEA COZY goes to take KROPP, but makes the mistake of
reaching beneath the bed for their tunic and placing it over KROPP’s
legs. The room goes silent—all, including the CHIEF SURGEON
realizing the mistake.

KROPP: No.

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CHIEF SURGEON: No what?
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KROPP: I’m not going to the dying room.
SISTER TEA COZY: We’re just going to the bandaging ward?

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KROPP: Then why do you need my coat? Leave it here.
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CHIEF SURGEON: Sister.

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SISTER TEA COZY starts to push.
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KROPP: No. No. I’m staying here. Stop. Stop. I’m stopping here!

KROPP is pushed out. KROPP continues to call out, dropping

LEWANDOWSKI’S photo. PAUL looks at HAMMACHER, who shakes
his head no—that it is over. CHIEF SURGEON picks up the photo and
examines it closely, and hands it back to LEWANDOWSKI.

CHIEF SURGEON: Oh. Private Baumer. This came for you in the
night. Your orders to the front. We’ll have you back up there in no
time. The rest of you, you should all rest.

CHIEF SURGEON does his turn, clicked heels goodbye, and exits.

HAMMACHER: Paul. Paul. Paul?

After some time, PAUL takes their jacket and starts to put back on their
uniform and limp across the floor. Angry, focused, PAUL begins to walk
better. A week or two has passed. There’s a sound of a quiet knock.
 MATT FOSS 71

SISTER LIBERTINE: Knock, knock, knock.

Entering, with STRECHER BEARERS, carrying KROPP, leg

amputated, but alive.

PATIENT #2: (Still with their eyes bandaged.) Look who’s here.
KROPP: (Directly at HAMMACHER.) What do you say now?

SISTER LIBERTINE exits. PAUL walks over to KROPP’S bed.

KROPP: You’re up. (PAUL nods.) They took my leg. (PAUL nods.) I

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go off for an institute for artificial limbs in a few weeks. If it heals
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well enough.

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PAUL: (Holding up the letter.) I’m being recalled back up to the line.
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Or what’s left of it.
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KROPP doesn’t nod. PAUL turns to HAMMACHER, LEWANDOWSKI,

gives a nod. There are no goodbyes. PAUL waits as long as they can
before turning back to KROPP. PAUL can’t look at KROPP—just
stands next to their friend’s bed. It is terrible. And silent.

PAUL: Albert…?
KROPP: It’s all right, Paul. It’s all right.

Cherry blossoms begin to fall from the sky onto PAUL. The scene
dissolves around them.

FOURTEEN—LOSS

PAUL: It was winter when I was wounded. It is now spring when I

rejoin the company. One of my first days back we marched down a
road flanked by cherry trees—one mighty mass of blossom, almost
glowing in the twilight.
72 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

DETERING reaches down, taking the blossoms into their hands.

PAUL: That night I woke to Detering packing.

DETERING: (Quietly, to PAUL.) I have a cherry tree at home. This
time of year, it looks like this too.
PAUL: When he wasn’t at roll call the next morning, I said nothing to
give him time. They caught him in Germany.

DETERING exits, leaving their boots.

PAUL: Müller is shot point-blank with a flare gun. He lives for half an
hour, fully conscious, as the magnesium burns through his stomach.

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MÜLLER leaves their boots, and exits.

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PAUL: I was next on the list for Kemmerich’s boots, since Kropp was
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no longer here. Bertink—who’s a captain now—falls taking out a

British flamethrower, saving our whole platoon.
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BERTINK exits, leaving their boots.

PAUL: And Leer takes a shell fragment in the hip trying to pull Bertink
back in.

LEER exits, leaving their boots.

PAUL: Tjaden disappears late in the summer of 1918.

TJADEN exits.

PAUL: None of us knows what happened. Us. By fall, it’s just me. And
Kat.

The light changes, turning the cherry blossoms into red poppies.

PAUL: The poppies begin to bloom in the meadows round our billets.
There are rumors of an armistice and peace. It is just starting to
grow colder, when—
 MATT FOSS 73

Crack of gun fire. A beat. KAT slowly crumples to the ground.

PAUL: Kat!

PAUL checks the wound and then bandages it best they can. It is bad.

KAT: Damn it—just at the last of all this mess—

PAUL: Kat—I’ll go get a stretcher.
KAT: No, Paul—there’s not a post anywhere close.
PAUL: I’ll carry you in then.
KAT: Let’s rest for just a moment, Paul.

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They slide into a shell hole. PAUL gets out a cigarette and shares it
with KAT. They both smoke from it.

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PAUL: We have to see each other, when this is over. Give me your
address. I’ll give you mine and we’ll figure it out.
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PAUL takes out a stub of a pencil, begins to write. There’s a huge

boom.

KAT: Let’s keep going.

PAUL: I'll carry you.

A second boom. The shells are getting closer. KAT keeps the cigarette
in their lips as PAUL picks them up. The bombs increase. PAUL calls
out for help amidst the explosions.

PAUL: ...help. ...help. ...help us.

A beat. PAUL collapses, but with care to not drop KAT, who rests on
PAUL’S legs. Finally, ORDERLY #2 enters. ORDERLY #2 attends to
KAT. PAUL stands, panting.

ORDERLY #2: You all right?

74 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

PAUL struggling to catch his breath. ORDERLY #2 gives PAUL a

canteen. PAUL drinks.

ORDERLY #2: Could have spared yourself the trouble.

PAUL doesn’t understand.

ORDERLY #2: He’s stone dead.

PAUL: No—he’s just fainted. Ten minutes ago we were talking.

PAUL rushes to KAT’S side. PAUL’S hands brush KAT’S head and
hair and come back red.

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ORDERLY #2: ...must have caught a splinter in the head on your way
here. You want to take his pay book?

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PAUL doesn’t answer. ORDERLY #2 exits. PAUL remains. There’s

some time. Music. KAT rises, takes off their boots, and exits. PAUL
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does not turn to watch or speak as it is too painful. PAUL stares out.
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PAUL slowly starts to take off their boots. Eventually, PAUL speaks.

PAUL: I fall in October 1918, on a day that when so little occurred

along the whole line that the army report confined itself to the single
sentence: All quiet on the Western Front.

CAST enters, bootless.

PAUL: Soldiers I did not know found me face forward, as though I was
sleeping. From the look on my face, it was clear I did not suffer long,
as it was an expression of calm, almost glad the end had come.
Almost glad.

Lights fade.

THE END
 MATT FOSS 75

CAST OF CHARACTERS
(10-38 either, extras)

PAUL BAUMER .......................................... (176 lines)

KAT .............................................................. (58 lines)
KROPP.......................................................... (93 lines)
MÜLLER ...................................................... (37 lines)
LEER ............................................................ (43 lines)
TJADEN ....................................................... (59 lines)
WESTHUS.................................................... (21 lines)
DETERING................................................... (9 lines)
HIMMELSTOSS .......................................... (43 lines)

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BERTINK ..................................................... (46 lines)
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ENSEMBLE CHARACTERS:

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KEMMERICH .............................................. (13 lines)
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GINGER ....................................................... (11 lines)

CHIEF SURGEON ....................................... (10 lines)
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REPLACEMENT ......................................... (7 lines)
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RED CROSS NURSE ................................... (4 lines)

MAN #1 ........................................................ (16 lines)
MAN #2 ........................................................ (17 lines)
MAN #3 ........................................................ (16 lines)
OFFICER ...................................................... (10 lines)
ANNA ........................................................... (9 lines)
MOTHER...................................................... (14 lines)
KANTOREK................................................. (5 lines)
DRILL SERGEANT ..................................... (7 lines)
SISTER LIBERTINE.................................... (14 lines)
SISTER TEA COZY ..................................... (9 lines)
FIELD SURGEON ....................................... (4 lines)
STRETCHER BEARERS ............................. Two or more. (Non-Speaking)
SENTRY ....................................................... Optional. (Non-Speaking)
WOMAN #1.................................................. (6 lines)
WOMAN #2.................................................. (2 lines)
WOMAN #3.................................................. (3 lines)
ORDERLY #1 ............................................... (7 lines)
ORDERLY #2 ............................................... (4 lines)
76 ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

RUSSIAN PRISONERS ............................... (Non-Speaking)

SOLDIER ...................................................... (1 line)
FRENCH SOLDIER ..................................... (1 line)
DUVAL ........................................................ (2 lines)
VILLAGERS ................................................ (Non-Speaking)
PATIENTS.................................................... (Non-Speaking)
LEWANDOWSKI ........................................ (8 lines)
HAMMACHER ............................................ (20 lines)
PATIENT #1 ................................................. (Non-Speaking)
PATIENT #2 ................................................. (4 lines)

PRODUCTION NOTES

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This text can be staged in a myriad of ways—more than can be explained in a
few simple notes here. More than anything it is written with a hope to

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accommodate almost any need (allowing it to fit any ensemble and space.)
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SET: The design for the set is highly variable to help catalyze a solution that
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best fits each production. The speed and episodic nature of the play not only
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allows—but asks for—a fluid, transparently theatrical approach to most

effectively navigate the breadth and depth of the story. Productions have used
static unit sets or kinetic uses of everyday options like tables and chairs to
create the varied settings of the play.

STYLIZED VIOLENCE: The call for stylized movement or dance like

battles can be handled as the creative teams see fit. It is worth noting that there
is not a single gun in the production, and only one weapon—Paul’s knife—is
used throughout. Using the dance like movement and low tech solutions—
like holi powder—to create stylized violence was helpful in the creation of the
first few productions.

PRONOUNS: Within the stage directions, gender-neutral pronouns are

employed to preserve this space for you and your collaborators, while the
gender specific pronouns from Remarque’s original novel are preserved
within the dialogue spoken by the characters.
 MATT FOSS 77

GENERIC NAMES: The generic names given in the play text, as supplied
from Remarque’s novel, are preserved for most characters. Though not
identified by a specific name, these characters are not represented as
generalizations in order to allow both humanity and flexibility in the casting.

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NOTES:
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT
By Matt Foss
Based on All Quiet on the Western Front
by Erich Maria Remarque

Type: Full Length Play

Genre: Drama, Classics
Cast: 10-38 either (10-38 total cast)

A stage adaptation of Remarque’s classic novel, All Quiet on the Western

Front tells the experiences of the Second Company on the German Front
lines during the last year of WWI. Closely following the novel, the central
storyteller, Paul, navigates these perilous trenches while learning the
heartbreak of loss, the shared humanity and necessity of friendship, and
struggles with the burgeoning awareness of the true reality within the horrors
of war.

Employing a diverse cast and theatrical staging, Foss’s adaptation is a feast

for the eyes, incorporating dance and holi powder for the battle scenes and
seamless symbolism. Championing Remarque’s novel, Matt Foss sinks his
teeth in to the text and viscerally rips the heart onto the stage.