The Poet and the Monster: A Theatre Tribute to Ingeborg Bachmann’s Centenary

A more prominent theatrical tribute might have suited Ingeborg Bachmann's 100th birthday, but few could be more intimate than “Inge träumt.” Ars ex Machina, a theatre group active in Vienna and Carinthia, is presenting the production at the Kärnten Museum in Klagenfurt through Sept. 16.

Tamara Štajner and Paul-Henri Campbell developed what they call a “Carinthian triptych.” Julia Hammerl plays Inge, described as one half of a consciousness, while Clemens Janout plays her counterpart, Borg. Eva Brunner appears as a mayor named Hans.

Together, the three guide the audience through the museum and, at times, into a distinctly dark world of thought. The production offers the writer an earnest and deeply personal theatrical salute.