Der Schwierige: Lustspiel in drei Akten

In a well‑appointed Vienna townhouse, the aging patriarch of a once‑great noble line runs his household with a rigid, almost theatrical exactitude. His sister Crescence, her son Stani, the sharp‑tongued Helene Altenwyl, and a parade of servants—including the neurotic new valet Vinzenz—populate the drawing‑room and green salon, each eager to interpret the master’s inscrutable habits. The dialogue crackles with wit as the staff speculate about the lord’s private motives, while the family members silently weigh inheritance and affection.

The first act establishes a maze of expectations: Vinzenz, intent on discovering whether the household will host a new marriage or maintain the bachelor’s solitary reign, interrogates the longtime butler Lukas, whose nervousness hints at deeper undercurrents. Through brisk repartee and subtle power plays, the play sketches a portrait of post‑war aristocracy grappling with tradition, duty, and the ever‑present specter of change—setting the stage for the chaotic comedy to follow.