Rechnitz [Der Würgeengel]

Author(s):

Responds to the uncovering of the orgiastic massacre of 180 Jews during a party thrown by Countess Thyssen Batthyany at Rechnitz Castle in Austria in March 1945. The play is a modern “text for speaking” written for performer/messengers who mix up the story with language play and haunting stage imagery, by Austrian Nobel Laureate Elfriede Jelinek.
Format: Drama
Cast Size: 5 M or F

Snapshot

Original or Prominent Production: October 2010, Jelinek’s Rechnitz (Der Würgeengel) stirred protests in Dusseldorf.
Original Source Material: Based on the book The Thyssen Art Macabre, it tells of a party in 1945 at the castle of Margit Batthyany-Thyssen in Rechnitz, during which 180 Jews were shot—all in fun, as if it were target practice.
Nationality of Author:
Original Language: German

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