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Die Leiden des jungen Werther

Name: Die Leiden des jungen Werther
Start: 2026-12-12T20:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-12-12T23:59:00+01:00
Location: Rämistrasse 34, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland

Rämistrasse 34, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland
Sat, December 12, 2026 (8:00 pm - 11:59 pm)

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Description

A love heartbreak in the 18th century: On the way to the ball, the young Werther meets Lotte – and falls head over heels immediately. When, on the same evening, sparks are already flying between them, Lotte makes no secret of being 'almost engaged' to the civil servant Albert. However, this does not prevent Werther from focusing entirely on Lotte – on the contrary. From now on, he spends every free minute with her and later even befriends Albert. But soon, the fragile arrangement falls apart, and Werther's emotional rollercoaster of devotion, jealousy, and despair leads to a profound depression. With his early work THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER (1774), the then 25-year-old Johann Wolfgang Goethe became an overnight star. His strongly autobiographical epistolary novel remains one of the highlights of Sturm und Drang – a literary movement that rebelled against the rational Enlightenment with its focus on emotion, subjectivity, and freedom. At its center is a model of masculinity that still seeks its place in Western society today: a sensitive, vulnerable, soft masculinity. With THE SORROWS OF YOUNG WERTHER, co-director Pınar Karabulut continues her exploration of the great questions of love, following Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: Who is allowed to show feelings within social orders – and who is not? ♥ Supported by the Society of Friends of the Schauspielhaus. Cast and additional information: DIRECTOR, STAGE, COSTUMES: Pınar Karabulut
DRAMATURGY: Dominika Široká

Highlights

Stage adaptation by Pınar Karabulut
Emotional rollercoaster of love and jealousy
Engagement with images of masculinity

General Information

The production of Goethe's "Die Leiden des jungen Werther" takes place at Schauspielhaus Pfauen in Zurich. The performance explores the complex emotions and societal norms of the 18th century and sheds light on questions surrounding love and masculinity.