Dolly, Lotte and Maria

Praunheim pays tribute to three legendary stars of the German stage and screen who escaped the Nazi menace and settled in New York. Fantastic tales of the avant-garde, aristocracy, revolution and enduring careers are revealed through interviews with dancer and clown Lotte Goslar, singer, Dolly Haas, and dancer Maria Piscator. Lotte Goslar worked with modern dance beacon Mary Wigman, and after arriving in the U.S., choreographed for fellow ex-patriate Bertolt Brecht. Today, Lotte tours the world with her own company, Lotte Goslar's Pantomime Circus. Dolly Haas, currently married to caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, starred in films in Germany and England but failed to achieve stardom in Hollywood. She appeared on the New York stage in the 1940's. A specialty dancer who performed internationally, Maria Piscator was a choreographer for Max Reinhardt and later married renowned theater director Edwin Piscator. Together, they founded the Dramatic Workshop at the New School. At age 90, Maria remains active, recently opening the Dramatic Workshop II.