In the spring of 1966 West Germany's theater scene underwent a major change with the premieres of two plays: Martin Sperr's Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern (Hunting Scenes from Lower Bavaria; performed, 1966; published as Jagd auf Außenseiter: Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern [Hunt for the Outsider: Hunting Scenes from Lower Bavaria], 1971) and Peter Handke's Publikumsbeschimpfung (published, 1966; translated as Offending the Audience, 1971). Each played a major role in moving West German theater away from the prevailing theater of the absurd.

Sperr was born in Steinberg, Bavaria, on 14 September 1944, the son of a teacher. He attended school in Wendelskirchen and a Catholic boys' boarding school in Altgasing. His interest in theater was awakened while he was training for a business career at the Siemens firm in Munich. He took acting lessons and played at the Theater 44 in Munich, then went to Vienna in 1962 to enroll in the Max Reinhardt Seminar. He dropped out...