"Miss Else - People's Theater"

Even 100 years after its publication, this novella by Arthur Schnitzler has lost none of its impact and explosive power: the young Else T. is asked by her parents to request urgently needed money from an older art dealer during their summer holiday. However, he intends to exploit his power over the young woman without scruples... Director Leonie Böhm presents Schnitzler's story in her first Viennese production as a solo for actress Julia Riedler – and collectively reinterprets Else's stream of consciousness in the here and now. "But I have never been so reasonable." The young Else T., daughter of a respectable family, is spending her summer holiday in a prestigious spa in Trentino. She passes the time with tennis, mountain hikes, and fine dinners – until an express letter from Vienna changes everything. Her mother writes, pleading. Else is to, no, must save her father's crumbling finances. After he has once again speculated away his fortune on the stock market, he needs 30,000 guilders quickly, or he risks losing his social standing – or even going to prison. Else is now to ask a wealthy family friend for the money: the art dealer Dorsday. He, significantly older than Else, is vacationing in the same spa and constantly compliments her. Although she finds him repulsive, what good does that do? The family's good reputation must be preserved. However, Dorsday recognizes the hopelessness of Else's situation – and uses it for a dark game: he will only transfer the debt amount if he can observe Else naked for a quarter of an hour... First published in 1924, Arthur Schnitzler's novella FRÄULEIN ELSE remains a gripping and multi-layered analysis of abuse of power, double standards, and the commodification of female bodies even a century later – consistently written as a stream of consciousness from Else's inner perspective. For many years, actress Julia Riedler and director Leonie Böhm have carried the idea of bringing this legendary stream of consciousness to the stage in a joint theater project – and to think it further for the here and now. This is precisely what is central to Leonie Böhm's work: canonical texts serve as a reason to engage with them anew and to write in one's own needs and ideas. Through humor, playfulness, and depth, new and empowered interpretations emerge. Now, shortly after the 100th anniversary of the novella, this heartfelt project comes to the stage of the Volkstheater as a solo for Julia Riedler – in Leonie Böhm's first directorial work in Vienna. Cast: Direction Leonie Böhm, Stage and Costume Helena Eckert, Dramaturgy Matthias Seier.