The Son at Staatstheater Augsburg: A family drama that hits close to home
Date and Time
Artist
Location
Price
About this Event
Mood
Venue Type
The Son: A touching family drama about closeness, crisis, and hope
When the doors of the brechtbühne at Gaswerk open, an evening of theater with great emotional intensity begins. Florian Zeller's play The Son tells the story of 17-year-old Nicolas, who increasingly withdraws from his daily life, skips school, and loses his way amid family expectations, a psychological crisis, and the desire for stability. The Staatstheater Augsburg brings this compelling story to the stage under the direction of David Ortmann.
A family in a state of emergency
After his parents' separation, Nicolas initially lives with his mother. His father Pierre leads a different life with a new partner and a baby. In hopes of a new beginning, Nicolas moves in with him. However, amid care, overwhelm, and unspoken feelings of guilt, the situation escalates. Zeller's family drama focuses on adolescent depression and the difficult question of how relatives can help when words can no longer reach someone.
Psychological precision and strong acting
The dramaturgy follows the subtle shifts within a family: A glance turns into distrust, a conversation becomes an interrogation, a seemingly mundane moment suddenly gains existential weight. Director David Ortmann approaches the material with great sensitivity and opts for a staging that does not allow the audience to observe from a safe distance but instead leads them into the emotional tension.
The gray box as a space of emotional resonance
The set design by Justus Saretz creates a focused, gray playing space. This reduced environment directs attention to the bodies, voices, and reactions of the ensemble. Light by Ron Heinrich accentuates the changing states between paralysis, overwhelm, and feverish energy. In individual moments, the theater atmosphere intensifies to breathlessness before movement, music, and harsh lighting convey the inner unrest outward.
A play about adolescent depression
The Son is part of Florian Zeller's highly regarded family trilogy and combines social relevance with psychologically precise stagecraft. The production does not reduce depression to a mere explanation of a character but reveals the contradictory experiences of all involved: fear, helplessness, love, anger, and the desperate search for a way out. The age recommendation is 16 years.
Audience talk afterward
After the performance, there will be an audience talk with director David Ortmann, the ensemble, and guests. This opens up the theater evening for exchange and reflection beyond the final applause. Audience reactions to the production have already been described as ranging from breathless silence to prolonged applause.
Conclusion: A theater evening that resonates
The Son awaits its audience as a concentrated, touching, and socially relevant stage experience. The precise direction, intense acting, and clear set design make the familial crisis immediately tangible. Those who experience theater as a place of encounter, reflection, and emotional upheaval will find an evening at the brechtbühne in Gaswerk that continues to resonate long after the last change of lights.
Official channels of Staatstheater Augsburg:
- Instagram: no official profile found
- Facebook: no official profile found
- YouTube: no official profile found
- Website: no official profile found
