To Timeline
Show all

26 July – 31 August

After 1945, Ernst Lothar and Oscar Fritz Schuh dominated the drama department.

In Oscar Fritz Schuh an artist was engaged after the war who by 1970 had directed no fewer than 30 productions for the Festival and enriched it with contemporary accents, especially in the operatic repertoire. It was through him that works by Frank Martin, Carl Orff, Werner Egk, Gottfried von Einem and Rolf Liebermann received their world premières. He was less successful in straight drama; however, he reinforced the presence of the international contemporary theatre with productions of Eugene O’Neill and others.

In 1959, for the first time since Perchtenspiel/Masquerade by Richard Billinger in 1928, a straight drama world première took place at the Festival. However, Schuh was not able to revive the genre of the mystery play in Fritz Hochwälder’s magic farce ­Donnerstag, which showed influences from Viennese popular theatre, and also of Faust and Jedermann/Everyman. The production was respectfully praised, but no more. Helmut Qualtinger played Wondrak – a role said to have inspired his first ideas for the character of Herr Karl (a famous Viennese sarcastic character).