An Opera from The Transcendence Series
Act 1 premiered on July 20-21, 2024 at Concordia University Chicago
Outside the Ring—the Max Schmeling–Joe Louis rivalry that defined two nations and the friendship that defined two men is a new full length opera in our “Tales of Transcendence” series, developed by Bellissima Opera and produced by Working In Concert. The librettist is Christine Steyer and the composer is David Shenton.
Putting Outside the Ring in Historical Context
The story of Max Schmeling and Joe Louis is immense. Whether it be their early years, the 1936 and 1938 fights, their efforts in WWII or the many decades following, their lives were truly remarkable.
Athletes by choice, celebrities by chance and political tools by circumstance, both men were thrust into the geopolitical arena both domestically and internationally on an unprecedented scale. In the build-up to both the 1936 and 1938 fights, everyone had a vested interest in their outcomes, whether personal, ideological, financial or racial. Sometimes these interests shifted from one fight to the next.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of their story is what occurred outside the ring in 1954 when Schmeling, whose conscience demanded he apologize for things said and done in his name by the Nazi Party, initiated a friendship with Louis.
Their 27-year friendship was undoubtedly formed by the mutual love of the sport, but more importantly, the fact that both men were inadvertent representatives of something so much bigger than themselves. As international personalities and as propaganda tools of their respective countries, they had to learn to navigate the tricky path of celebrity and accept the monumental consequences of successes and failures.
Read more on Wikipedia about the fight: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling
Artistic Director’s Note
Outside the Ring deals with strong subject matter. The extraordinary friendship between the two boxers cannot be truly understood if the ugly truth about racism in 1930 Nazi Germany and the US is not shown. Our youth cast engaged in a conversation about it so that they understood the context in which certain words in the story were used.
Outside the Ring – Synopsis of Act 1
© 2024 Christine Steyer
PROLOGUE :1954, Chicago, South Side.
Schmeling approaches Louis’ home.
Scene I : July 17, 1936. Evening of the first fight. Yankee Stadium and Harlem, NY and the Goebbels Residence, Berlin
A crowd files into Yankee Stadium as Louis and Schmeling are in final preparations. Louis is visited by his mother. Schmeling has a call with his wife who is at the Berlin residence of Joseph Goebbels. American and German sports announcers give details of the fight as all listen in.
Scene II: An hour later. Harlem
Children reenact the fight in Round 4 when Louis gets knocked down. A boy sobs.
Isolating himself from the press, an injured Louis, accompanied by his trainer Blackburn, arrive at their friend’s place. Louis tries to comfort the boy, but the boy recognizes and insults him. Blackburn expresses his anger towards Louis for breaking training and being in poor condition. Louis reflects on losing a fight for the first time.
Scene III: A week later. Berlin
Goebbels throws a party with Schmeling as guest of honor. Men from the German Office of Propaganda carefully observe Schmeling engage the others. The Goebbels children enter for a propoganda photo.
Schmeling is asked to explain why he was so certain he would defeat Louis when the odds were heavily against him. He explains that his trainer obtained films of Louis’ fights, and they discovered a flaw in Louis’ technique. However, his words become twisted to appear he believes the flaw to be Louis’ race.
Goebbels’ wife pulls Anny aside and inquires as to how she can be of service to Germany. In private, Schmeling and Anny express uneasiness at the evening’s events. Goebbels expresses the Führer’s distaste for degenerate art. He unveils the vision for a new capital called ‘Germania’— a city that will last for 1,000 years. Magda and an official enter with a document outlining the Nazi party’s views on race.
End of Act I
The story to be continued as funding is secured…