Winterreise. Und sind wir selber Götter

Abstract:
Following Schubert’s Die Winterreise, the play deals with the journey of Schubert (or several Schuberts) in a mental institution. He finds out about the betrayal of his muse and, in the end, attempts to escape.

Details:
The actors sit at a long table and shred paper, then scrunch it up. They stand up, hug each other, and read letters. They scrunch up the letters and throw them through the room. They take each other’s hands and, upon “Now!”, jump from the stage in the background.
An actor wrapped in paper rolls onto the stage. He discovers that the documents on the ground are his letters and songs. He and Another actor read the letters aloud. The first actor, reciting, pins letters to a door. He presents himself as Franz Schubert. The other actors in the background say they are Schubert, too. They discuss which of them is Schubert, which one, and when. The man who first claimed to be Schubert gets agitated. He says that it has become colder and holds a monologue about the continuous snow. Finally, the actors crawl out from beneath the table. They frolic and roll across the floor, throw snow, and dance with paper garlands.
Schubert sings. He bows once he is done, and the crowd does not respond. They return to their places at the table.