The Stowaway

"The Stowaway" begins like a crime film. Time: Winter 1938. Place: a Danish cargo ship at a German port. Thick fog still lingers in the morning as the ship prepares to lift its anchor. Suddenly, Carl, the captain's son, spots a man in the icy water. He fishes the man out of the harbor basin and hides him in the cargo hold. Soon, the rest of the crew discovers the clandestine guest on the small ship. When it turns out that the stowaway is a Jewish doctor fleeing from the Nazis, tensions escalate. Rescuing the stranger could put them in grave danger with the German authorities. Thus, the crime story suddenly transforms into a socio-political drama that addresses both individual and collective responsibility. How far would we go to save another life? How strong is the cohesion of our society in the face of an impending catastrophe? It was a sensation when, a few years ago, the long-lost literary work of the Viennese author Maria Lazar was rediscovered in England. Lazar, who is among the most significant authors of Viennese Modernism, emigrated as a Jew to Danish exile in the 1930s. She died in Sweden in 1948. Director Mira Stadler brings this gripping parable about civil courage and humanity to the stage as its Austrian premiere. AGE RECOMMENDATION: From 14 years old.