Rutherford & Sohn

Icon date February - March 2025

Rutherford & Sohn

Icon category Theatre
Icon location Schauspielhaus Graz - Hauptbühne
  • Rutherford & Sohn

    Icon date Thu 27.02.2025
    Time icon 19:30–22:30
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    Tickets
  • Rutherford & Sohn

    Icon date Tue 18.03.2025
    Time icon 19:30–22:30
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    Tickets

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[English below]

John Rutherford is not only the head of the family, but also the boss of the nearby glassworks. When a strike is announced among the workers in the factory, he defends capital as the all-determining and organizing force. One day, the company is to be handed over to the eldest son, but he has his own plans with an invention. The other son wants to become a priest, while the daughter chooses a secret love affair – all decisions that should lead to emancipation from the dominant father.
Father and children argue and wrestle about the value of life. Does this lie exclusively in active doing? Which work is recognized and who owes whom in the succession of generations?

It is a supposedly classic family arrangement that the British playwright Githa Sowerby created in 1912 and at the same time subverts: The female characters themselves reflect critically on the wait for the Paterfamilias at the beginning of the play and it is also they who stubbornly and cleverly drive the plot forward and ensure a consequent showdown.

Sowerby’s drama enjoyed great success at the beginning of the 20th century, but then fell into oblivion. As part of our programmatic expansion of the canon, we have rediscovered the play and are bringing it to the Schauspielhaus Graz for its Austrian premiere. It takes a highly topical look at the themes of origin, heritage and classism. Hungarian director Jakab Tarnóczi and his artistic team are staging the play in a captivatingly contemporary setting.

Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes, no break

[en]
John Rutherford is not only the head of the family, but also the boss of the nearby glassworks. As a strike is announced among the workers in the factory, he defends capital as the all-determining and organizing force. One day, the company is to be handed over to his eldest son, but this son has his own plans with an invention. The other son wants to become a priest, while the daughter chooses a secret love affair – all decisions that lead to emancipation from the dominant father.
Father and children argue over the value of life. Does this lie exclusively in active doing? Which work is accepted and who owes whom in the succession of generations?

It is a supposedly classic family arrangement that British playwright Githa Sowerby both creates and undermines: The female characters reflect critically on the wait for the Paterfamilias at the beginning of the play and it is also they who stubbornly and cleverly move the plot forward and ensure a consistent showdown.
Sowerby’s drama enjoyed great success at the beginning of the 20th century, but was then forgotten. As part of our programmatic expansion of the canon, we have rediscovered the play and are presenting its Austrian premiere. It takes a very contemporary look at the themes of origin, heritage and classism. Hungarian director Jakab Tarnóczi and his artistic team are staging the play in a contemporary setting.

Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes, without break

Translated by Deepl

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