The seagull

It is a lovely summer evening when the cheerful country society gathers by the lakeside around the famous actress Arkadina. Her son Kostja has invited them all to his new play: he is seeking new forms for theater and does not want any kitschy, old-fashioned set design. For his revolutionary theater experiment, he only needs the moon and the lake behind the empty stage. The lead role is played by Nina, who hopes for a career as an actress and is Kostja's great love. Friends and relatives sit in the audience. Alongside Arkadina is her lover, the renowned writer Trigorin, who has come to spend the summer in the countryside. The approval of his mother would mean the world to Kostja. Instead, as soon as the play begins, Arkadina starts to mock the performance and the text. Kostja is deeply hurt. Artistic renewal and youthful visions, as well as his love for Nina, have no place in the established world. "The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov is one of the great actor pieces in theater history. The characters share an insatiable longing for life and love. Yet instead of changing anything, they prefer to dwell on their dreams and remain stuck in self-pity. With his fine humor and precise understanding of human nature, Chekhov exposed the emotional states of his contemporaries. Then as now, we discuss the generational conflict, the fear of aging, and the suffering in our relationships. At the end of the play, Anton Chekhov poses the question of how far art can save us from reality. The young, up-and-coming director Max Lindemann, who combines fine psychological character direction with grand imagery in his productions, is at the helm. After working at the Berliner Ensemble and the Munich Volkstheater, he makes his debut in Austria with "The Seagull."

DURATION: 2 hours 20 minutes, including one intermission
AGE RECOMMENDATION: From 15 years old