Kehlmann’s “Pandemieste”: A Fragmented Reflection on Austria’s Corona Years – Breaking News
Vienna – After a long wait, Austrian theater is finally confronting the COVID-19 pandemic. Daniel Kehlmann’s new play, “Pandemieste” (Easter), premiered at the Josefstadt Theater, but the initial response suggests it’s less a sweeping drama and more a collection of pointed sketches followed by a prolonged epilogue. This is breaking news for theater enthusiasts and those following the cultural response to a defining global event, and archyde.com is bringing you an exclusive first look.
Echoes of Kurz and Merkel: The Play’s Genesis
Kehlmann frames the play around pronouncements made during the early days of the pandemic. The title, “Easter,” is taken from a statement by former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz promising a return to normalcy after Easter 2020. He also incorporates a quote from Angela Merkel, declaring “the whole world is now a risk area.” The play’s opening, according to reviews, feels strangely distant, a reminder of a time when the existential threat of the virus was fresh and immediate. The question posed is whether this recent history can be effectively transformed into compelling drama – a challenge many playwrights have faced globally.
“Last Days” Revisited: Kraus and Authoritarian Tendencies
Critics note that “Easter” isn’t a cohesive narrative but rather a series of scenes reminiscent of Karl Kraus’s “The Last Days of Humanity.” The first part, dubbed “Last Days,” satirizes the authoritarian impulses that surfaced during the pandemic. One scene depicts a police officer enforcing strict residency rules, echoing the rigid enforcement of anti-corona measures in Austria. The dialogue, reviewers say, captures a disturbing willingness to sacrifice individual decency in the name of collective safety. This raises a crucial question: did the pandemic normalize a certain level of bureaucratic overreach and a suspension of critical thinking?
Satire and Caricature: Kurz, Söder, and the Vaccinated Neighbor
The play doesn’t shy away from political satire. Julian Valerio Rehrl portrays a slick Sebastian Kurz, while Robert Joseph Bartl embodies a boisterous Bavarian Prime Minister Söder. A particularly biting scene involves neighbors clashing over vaccination status, with one accusing the other of excessive vaccination. This highlights the social divisions that emerged during the pandemic and the often-absurd logic that fueled them. The scenes, while effective, are described as leaning towards cabaret, offering sharp observations but lacking the apocalyptic weight of Kraus’s work. This is a key point for understanding the play’s overall impact – it’s a series of observations, not a grand statement.
Quarantine and Existential Isolation: The “Resurrection” Section
The second part, “Resurrection,” focuses on a self-absorbed actor enduring a twelve-day quarantine in a cramped hotel room. Stripped of internet access and surrounded by Goethe and memories of past glory, he descends into a state of existential isolation. However, the staging reportedly fails to fully convey the claustrophobia, and Raphael von Bargen’s performance, while energetic, doesn’t quite capture the character’s desperation. The play concludes with a dialogue between the actor and two visitors – a homeless man and a dead man – culminating in the bleak refrain: “Wait. Until it is over. Everything.”
The Search for a Definitive Corona Drama Continues
“Pandemieste” is a brave attempt to grapple with a recent and deeply personal history, but it falls short of being the definitive corona drama Austria has been waiting for. It’s a collection of insightful sketches and a flawed second act, leaving audiences to ponder whether the pandemic’s complexities are simply too raw and recent to be effectively dramatized. The play’s fragmented nature reflects the fragmented experience of the pandemic itself, but it lacks the unifying power of a truly compelling narrative. The search for a theatrical reckoning with this era continues, and this premiere serves as a valuable, if imperfect, starting point. For those interested in the evolving cultural response to the pandemic, and for those seeking SEO-optimized Google News coverage of Austrian theater, archyde.com will continue to provide updates and analysis.
