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🇦🇹 Austria /Culture & Society

Jelinek's 'Unter Tieren' in Salzburg Features Possible Peter Thiel Appearance

From Der Standard · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Elfriede Jelinek's play "Unter Tieren" is premiering at the Salzburg Festival, directed by Nicolas Stemann.
  • Director Stemann has invited US billionaire Peter Thiel to participate, possibly via a video link.
  • The production explores themes of fables, the absence of humans due to AI, and the remnants of a broken system.

Elfriede Jelinek's text "Unter Tieren" (Among Animals) is set to premiere at the Salzburg Festival, brought to the stage by director Nicolas Stemann. Stemann has extended an invitation to US billionaire Peter Thiel, suggesting his potential participation through a video transmission.

How can Elfriede Jelinek's text Unter Tieren even be staged? It is a challenge, director Nicolas Stemann gave insights into the plans on Wednesday before the media.

— Nicolas StemannDiscussing the directorial approach to Jelinek's text.

Stemann described the staging of Jelinek's work as a significant challenge. He views the text as open to interpretation, potentially as a fable. Another possibility explored is that the animals speak because humans have disappeared, replaced by artificial intelligence, and they stand amidst the ruins of a collapsed system.

The text can be read as a fable. But it is also possible that the animals speak because there are no more humans, AI has taken over and they are standing on the ruins of a broken system.

— Nicolas StemannExplaining potential interpretations of the play's themes.

The director characterized the upcoming production as a "big text happening," hinting at an experimental and multifaceted approach to Jelinek's complex material. The Salzburg Festival is known for its avant-garde programming, and this production appears to align with that tradition.

It will be a 'big text happening' in any case.

— Nicolas StemannDescribing the nature of the production.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Der Standard in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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