“Cornelia Rainer has succeeded with ‘The tale of the olf man’ in creating a timeless children’s play that visibly impressed both young and adult audiences at the premiere.”

“Memory of Future Times”
Autumn has arrived, and in the DSCHUNGEL Vienna theater for young audiences, a remarkable premiere was presented as part of the Wien Modern festival.

The children opera  ‘DAS MÄRCHEN VOM ALTEN MANN’ draws from Georg Büchner’s art fairy tale ‘ES WAR EINMAL EIN ARM KIND,’ integrated into Woyzeck, depicting touching lines about the search of an abandoned child who finds only dead wood instead of the longed-for moon, and a withered sunflower instead of the sun. The production is directed by Cornelia Rainer from East Tyrol. Interwoven into Rainer’s libretto are motifs from Hans Christian Andersen and poems like Rilke’s ‘HERBSTTAG,’ ambitiously performed by the singers, actors, and musicians of Ensemble Lux. Picture elements reminiscent of silhouettes, illustrated on translucent panels by Fiammetta Horvat, repeatedly portray the long silent old man’s search (played by Klaus Huhle) for his past. Initially a frightening disruptor of domestic tranquility, the mysterious stranger becomes familiar and a projection of grappling with one’s own mortality, dreams, and fears. The dedicated ensemble and the music, which blends familiar sounds with ‘new’ tones in an associative manner, have achieved a timeless children’s play (recommended for ages 7 and up) that visibly impressed both young and adult audiences at the premiere.”