Alpine Blues

A group of old friends are having a reunion back home. Their hosts, Hannes and Heidi, have something to celebrate: They purchased a spot they all know since childhood to build their house on. The pattern of the floor plan has been staked out; among prospective dining rooms, bedrooms, and children’s rooms they have set up the barbecue and brought out the cake. But before the first hotdogs are ready, old rivalries pop up again. And thus, instead of dessert, the barbecue ends in a pie fight. Hannes and Heidi break up, and in the following year, the same circle of friends must not only prove its resilience to crisis, but each one of them has to negotiate their place between college, job, and becoming parents. Each decision regarding professional career and family planning seems to be connected to the place they call home: Moving up, moving away, moving back? Only Hannes, unperturbed, continues building his house – until he realizes as well that changing layouts and redesigning rooms is not enough. The real question lies in the ground itself.

This play was awarded the Author’s Prize at the Heidelberger Stückemarkt in 2012.