Krysy

Being a rat is a choice. But for some the only chance.
A bitter tragicomedy from the fringes of society.    Henrietta John has lost a child and cannot have another. A rift has remained in her life that cannot be healed. Until a glimmer of hope shines through the crack: John's path is crossed by a woman trying to get rid of what John has been longing for all along. A vision of a new beginning? Or just another false hope? 

In an apartment building on the outskirts, several such cracks are hidden. Previously, the tenants here felt that they had something to lean on. Today, they resemble shadows that cover a much bigger problem. The latter takes on clearer outlines when he reveals his repressed desires in the attic. Eventually, the very foundations of the house begin to crumble under the onslaught of hypocrisy and manipulation. Short-sighted, perhaps extreme, but at that moment, the only clear solutions will seize the destitute residents. Desire turns into hunger. Hunger in obsession.

The supreme drama by Gerhart Hauptmann (1862-1946), winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, was performed on the Czech stage only once, more than half a century ago. Despite being a fixture in the repertoire of German theaters and Hauptmann's major contribution to modern world theatre.    "Everything here is rotten! And what is not rotten is eaten by rats! They go through the garbage, gnaw on the carcasses, and would eat each other if there was nothing else left. When one drowns, another eats it and the third replaces it. Survival - that's the only thing they care about. Each of us is a bit of a rat..."

Warning: The production focuses on violence, pregnancy loss and child death. During the performance, stroboscopic effects are used and unexpected loud sounds are heard.