Literary Performance: DAS GEBELL

Das Gebell, 20. 7. 2019

Literary performance based on Ingeborg Bachmann (Simultan). 20th Premiere and 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th of August.

With Irmi Horn, Wera Köhler, Elisabeth Zuparic, Daniel Doujenis.

Irmi Horn (Narrator)
Wera Köhler (Mrs. Jordan)
Daniel Doujenis (Leo, her son)
Elisabeth Zuparic (Franziska, Leo’s wife)

Production/Costumes: Irmi Horn
Assistance: Patricia Gschier

Old Mrs. Jordan has been living in her small flat in a worn villa in Hietzing, Vienna and no one remembers her being something other than “old Mrs. Jordan”. What keeps her going, is the pride she feels for her son Leo, a renowned researcher, who financially supports Mrs. Jordan. Franziska, Leo’s wife, visits Mrs. Jordan more regularly and is shocked by the modest lifestyle of Mrs. Jordan. She also is aware that there is some kind of secret between her husband and his mother. Bachmann draws a fragile portrait of two women: both live in a world of illusion, both idealizing Leo, who in fact is an egomaniac. The symbol for all the repressed feelings is the dog of Mrs. Jordan, Nuri, who used to bark at Leo so much, that Mrs. Jordan had to brokenheartedly give him away.

A fragile, breathtaking piece of literature.

Ingeborg Bachmann writes about places and the people who live there – about the absurdity of “normality”. The play talks about what has to be said, so we can get a grasp of what happened and is still happening: Holocaust, hatred between brothers, sexual harassment …