Der gute Mensch von Sezuan

In the organizer's words:

The Good Man of Sezuan - by Bertolt Brecht - music by Paul Dessau in an arrangement by Tobias Vethake - premiere on April 22, 2023 - Schauspielhaus, Großes Haus - Play.

In a fictional city that exemplifies all places where people are exploited, three homeless gods meet the prostitute Shen Te, who is the only one willing to take in the high guests. For her kindness, the young woman is rewarded with a small capital, whereupon Shen Te sets up her own tobacco store. Her modest wealth, however, arouses covetousness. When the requests of her fellow men turn into demands and she sees her willingness to help abused without restraint, she creates a capitalist alter ego for herself: she slips into the role of an invented cousin named Shui Ta, who rigorously enforces her interests. Freed from the claim to act morally, Shen Te alias Shui Ta builds up an exploitative tobacco empire. Here, too, Brecht's parable proves its topicality: the more unscrupulous the actions of the invented cousin, the more painfully the benevolent Shen Te is missed by the people of Sezuan.

The play is directed by head actress Bernadette Sonnenbichler. About "The Good Man of Sezuan" she says: "Brecht is often described as very rational, but I find the play very emotional and, through the music of Paul Dessau, very atmospheric. I'm interested in the parable and the fairy-tale quality of it."