A Monologue on Freedom and Despair

A life without limits in the big city, the demand for freedom and the preeminence of one's own life plans – of a life exclusively on one's own terms. At the end of the day, there is very little room for all of this in real life. So the question becomes: Is there such a thing as free will? Is it even possible to live on your own terms? Or are all these things only for the happy few in a world that has long been priced and sold?

In this powerful solo adaptation of Dostoyevsky's existential masterpiece, director Max Lindemann brings the protagonist's inner turmoil to the stage through the commanding performance of Oliver Kraushaar. In a process of both reckoning and rapprochement, the character revisits his life, preaching and raging, always searching for a genuine existence within the abysses of society.

The sparse staging—featuring a shifting set and theatrical snow—mirrors the claustrophobic intensity of the underground man's psychological journey. Kraushaar delivers an impressive tour de force, embodying the contradictions and passions of one of literature's most complex characters. This is intimate, visceral theater that challenges the audience to confront uncomfortable truths about ambition, morality, and human nature.

Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes, no intermission

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