GWISSEN

The farmer Grillhofer, now old, ill and alone, is plagued by the worm of conscience. As a young man, after an extramarital fling, he abandoned the maid who was expecting his child. His brother-in-law, the Dusterer, even persuades him that only through his penitence can everyone's salvation be secured. He ought to renounce all worldly possessions and, ideally, hand everything over to him – the brother-in-law. Then young Lies turns up at the farm and proves, with a letter from her foster mother, that she is Grillhofer's illegitimate child. For the farmer it is like the beginning of a new life.
Ekkehard Schönwiese: “My anger at the vulgarisation and loss of the ‘rural comedy’ was what prompted me to attempt to define the types in Anzengruber’s ‘Gwissenswurm’ as characters – that is, contradictory in their behaviour, capable of learning, and without condemning the Dusterer as an evil clown. Practically all the figures have a ‘guilty conscience’ and are therefore not free, and through purification (enlightenment) they go, to a greater or lesser degree, through a process of liberation from the fears fuelled by that guilty conscience.”

PRESS AND STATEMENTS

TIROLER KRONE
THE NEW "GWISSEN" OF THE OLD "GWISSENSWURM"

"Oh dear, here begins another dreadful day": this line comes right at the start of the original play, and to some degree it can also be applied to the production in Stumm – at least as far as the first part of Schönwiese's adaptation is concerned. It is rather confusingly structured and makes it hard for the audience to get into the plot. Ekkehard Schönwiese moves the action from the turn of the century to a period that could be the early 1930s or the 1950s. Among the rural youth, the "depraved Negro music from America" is all the rage, as they secretly dance to these sounds while mutually exploring the opposite sex. After the interval Schönwiese fortunately gives Ludwig Anzengruber dramaturgical precedence, and the whole package becomes clearer and far more entertaining.

Production scores with excellent performers

Here the acting talents can shine – among them Heinz Tipotsch, in his role as an old farmer now in pangs of conscience over a youthful sin. Christina Wurm gives an excellent "maid Rosl", convincing through her authenticity. Fritz Gasser as "Poltner": deeply frustrated at first, over the course of the play he wins back his wife, the "Poltnerin" (Susanne Schartner), and his zest for life. Great commitment from the "young guard", too. Cheeky, slightly frivolous and ultimately faithful: "Lies" (Chiara Rohrmoser), "Annemirl" (Elisabeth Kreidl). Their male counterparts, "Naz" (Bernhard Eberharter) and "Wastl" (Simon Keiler), are just as a non-Zillertaler imagines a true Zillertaler.

Verdict: anyone who loves rural theatre in an unusual setting, or would like to experience it for once, is warmly recommended one of the remaining performances. (Hubert Berger)


TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG
SECRETS REVEALED; PURIFIED LAUGHTER

Ekkehard Schönwiese's Anzengruber adaptation only becomes convincing
in the second half. Why Schönwiese inserted loose scenes of young farmers jealously snapping at each other remains unclear.

Feather-light truthfulness and a pale villain

This is mainly thanks to Heinz Tipotsch, who as a Grillhofer reeling out of the world moves to the centre of the play. He carries his fellow actors with him: Christina Wurm as the resolute maid and Chiara Rohrmoseras Lies, who – dea ex machina – always knows more than everyone else, gain in contour. Fritz Gasser and Susanne Schartner – playing an ageing couple – are even granted fine moments of silence by this often hopelessly over-texted play. (Joachim Leitner)

"I'd like to quote Anzengruber: "exemplary. very good! There's a lovely atmosphere, people are having a whale of a time and the actors on stage are absolutely brilliant, clear and easy to understand. They really throw themselves into it and I'm genuinely delighted." (Martin Leutgeb, actor)

"The production is very good. 'It's a wonderful idea of Ekkehard Schönwiese's to take the skeleton of the Gwissenswurm and turn it into a new and very handsome play. (Roland Silbernagl (actor, director, founding member of Stummer Schrei)

"To be honest, I find the production incredibly fascinating, because it shows the past and present of rural life. It's very rare to see these two things integrated. That's something I'm very preoccupied with in my own films. Stummer Schrei have really succeeded with this play. The set is magnificent, too. It fits the place and makes you really want to watch.(Anita Lackenberger (Austrian filmmaker)

"It's a terrific production, the Dorfbäck-Stadl is alive and rocking. I hope it will be well attended throughout the run, because it deserves it."(Thomas Gassner director, actor, cabaret artist)