Zauberspiel (magic play, plural: Zauberspiele) or Zauberstück (magic piece, plural: Zauberstücke) is a German-language work for the stage that has magic characters or magic action, or both.
These plays were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries in the south of the German-speaking area, particularly in Vienna. They drew on earlier traditions including the chivalric romances of medieval and early modern times, the medieval mystery plays, and plays such as Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest. They were notable for their stage effects.[1]
In Vienna, they were among the plays performed in the Theater in der Leopoldstadt, the Theater auf der Wieden, the Theater an der Wien and the Theater in der Josefstadt.[1]
An early such work was Megära, die förchterliche Hexe ("Megära, the witch of the forest") by Philipp Hafner, of 1763.[1] In the 19th century Zauberspiele were written by dramatists including Ferdinand Raimund, Adolf Bäuerle, Josef Alois Gleich, Karl Meisl, Johann Nestroy[1] [2] and Franz Xaver Told, whose play Der Zauberschleier ("The Magic Veil"), of 1842, was particularly successful.[3]