The Burgomaster of Stilemonde: A Play in Three Acts

Set on a single, tense August day in 1914, this three‑act drama unfolds in the quiet Flemish town of Stilemonde. The town’s respected burgomaster, his adult daughter, teenage son, and a cast of soldiers and officials find their ordinary lives upended as German forces close in. When a wounded courier bursts into the burgomaster’s study, he brings unsettling news of hidden arms and a startling family connection to the invading army.

The play balances the intimate concerns of a household—marriage, loyalty, and personal loss—with the looming threat of war that hangs over every conversation. As the characters grapple with duty to their community and to each other, the audience is drawn into a delicate web of trust and suspicion. The opening act sets the stage for moral choices that will echo throughout the day, leaving listeners eager to hear how the town’s fate unfolds.