The coming of peace (A family catastrophe)

Set in a frosty country house on Christmas Eve, the drama opens in a high, white‑washed hall adorned with animal trophies and a chandelier of stag’s horns. The aging patriarch, Dr. Fritz Scholz, gathers his wife Minna and their three adult children—August, Robert and William—while the household’s loyal servant, Friebe, moves among them, his colloquial speech cutting through the formal quiet. The stage is filled with the muted light of fresh candles and the muffled sigh of snow against the windows, creating a sense of both comfort and isolation.

Within this seemingly tranquil setting, the family’s underlying tensions begin to surface. Conversations reveal inherited habits, unspoken resentments, and the weight of expectations that have shaped each member’s life. As old grievances stir, the play balances a somber realism with a hint of optimism, suggesting that the younger generation might yet break free from the shadows of the past.