In the play, Árpád Schilling and his co-writer Éva Zabezsinszkij ask the question of how we can defend "Western values" which are often invoked in times of crisis, if we do not live according to them. With a black sense of humor and with a sharp-eyed political connotation, Schilling tells the story of a middle-class Austrian family.

Felix has a crisis. The 51-year-old writer has been trying in vain to repeat his first literary success for years – and more recently, suffering from writer's block and absurd nightmares. His much more successful wife Regina, left-liberal deputy mayor of a small Austrian town, currently has other worries then her husband, because a refugee shelter, that she opened years back, has recently been caught in the crossfire by the locals and also by her political opponents. Their daughter, Johanna doesn’t much bother with her parents; she’s living her rebellious early 20s. Felix’s father – the corrupt and always cheery Wolfie – is unconcerned by the problems and would prefer to build a sports centre in place of the refugee home. As Felix seeks desperately to find the causes of thishe creative crisis, and when he comes upon one of the past’s dark secrets, a particularly dangerous game begins.

CAST

Performed by Michael Scherff, Bettina Kerl, Tim Breyvogel, Cathrine Dumont, Helmut Wiesinger

Directed by Árpád Schilling
Written by Árpád Schilling and Éva Zabezsinszkij
German text translation by Anna Lengyel
Dramaturgy by Anna Lengyel, Kai Krösche
Interpreter: Luca Pályi, Oliver Illés
Production manager: Ildikó Ságodi

Read and download the PLAY in Hungarian and in German.
No unauthorized use in full, or part, is permitted without the expressed written permission of the Authors and the Translator. For further enquiries, please contact me in the 'Contact' section.

Photo: Alexi Pelekanos

PRESS

• Margarete Affenzeller: Erleichterung, die unsichtbar mitgeschleppte Schuld. Der Standard, 04.12. 2017.
   
• Norbert Mayer: Árpád Schilling zeigt die Welt in düsterem Grau. Die Presse, 04. 12. 2017.
   
• Martin Thomas Pesl: Alles für die Kunst. Nachtkritik, 01. 12. 2017.
   
• Kovács Bálint: Schilling Árpád keményen beszól, és jól teszi. Index.hu, 06. 12. 2017. 
   
• Martin Thomas Pesl: BERUF: UNGAR – Porträt von Árpád Schilling. (interview) Falter 48/17. 29. 11. 2017.
   
• Egyenes beszéd. ATV, 08. 12. 2017. (TV interview)
   
• Irina Wolf: Quo vadis, Europa? Anatomia di un mondo in declino. Hystrio, 2018/2
   
• Michaela Mottinger: Árpád Schillings Meisterwerk im Stream. Mottingers-Meinung.at, 12. 02. 2021.