Theater project in Graz

Prisoners in Karlau become actors

Insight into the theater rehearsals in the Graz-Karlau prison

(Bild: Mirza Kahriman)

From Thursday, the Graz-Karlau prison will become a stage: director Julia Gratzer has worked with prisoners on Max Frisch's classic play "Biedermann and the Arsonists". She tells the "Krone" about the often difficult rehearsals and the rewarding result.

"Theater can and should take place everywhere," says director Julia Gratzer. She has already worked on a play with prisoners from the Karlau in the Graz Year of Culture 2022: Due to corona, however, "Lumpazivagabundus" could only be realized as an audio walk - but it was very successful: "We had almost 4,000 listeners," says Gratzer, who is still delighted with the success of the project, which came about on the initiative of Joseph Riedl, the prison's Catholic chaplain.

"There was great interest among the prisoners"
With Max Frisch's classic play "Biedermann and the Arsonists", the Karlau is now being turned into a stage again two years later: "There was a great deal of interest among the prisoners to take part: more than 20 applied, and ultimately nine are now involved in the project," says Gratzer.

Director Julia Gratzer

(Bild: Lex Karelly)

Of course, there were major challenges during the weekly rehearsals, which began in October: Illiteracy, addictions, mental impairments and physical infirmities, for example. "But we got on really well together," says Gratzer, who also sees theater as a good way to do this: "You have to listen to each other, show emotions, conquer the space, but also share it with others - all things that are not a given in prison because life here is very restricted."

I was initially reluctant to work with these men. But I'm also someone who is very interested in spaces and people that are foreign to me. And over time, these men have grown very close to my heart.

Regisseurin Julia Gratzer

Gratzer, who was jointly responsible for the Bürger*innenbühne at the Graz Schauspielhaus for five years and now wants to continue this in the independent scene, sees her work as more than just a social project: "I'm also interested in bringing good, professional art to the stage."

Lack of resistance to extremism
With "Biedermann und die Brandstifter", she has found good material for this - a parable about the lack of resistance of bourgeois society to extremism, which raises a big question: Why do we so often avoid conflict?

One of the actors during rehearsals.

(Bild: Mirza Kahriman)

"The arsonists who take up residence with Biedermann in the play have prison experience. At that point, we were also able to tie in with the actors' biographies. That helped us to delve deep into the text with them," says Gratzer, adding: "It's a prejudice that just because these men are in prison, they don't think about such social issues and the state of the world in general."

After months of intensive rehearsals, the premiere will now take place on Thursday: "Due to the limited number of people who can attend in the Karlau, we are actually completely sold out. But there is a waiting list," says Gratzer. And further projects for her community theater are already being planned.