Source: Organizer

Thursday, 10/22/2026
at 8:00 PM



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by George Tabori

From September 17, 2026

George Tabori had a fine sense of humor in a context of horror, for the absurd punchline in the realm of evil. In "Mutters Courage," he tells the impossible story of a sixty-year-old Jewish woman who is arrested on the street in Budapest in 1944 and deported to Auschwitz in a cattle car with 4030 others. And she is the only one who survives. The impossible story is a true story. Elsa Tabori lived it. Her son wrote it down. Since then, it has become a part of an oral history – of course only for those among us who believe that one cannot simply "leave history behind." A survey already indicated in 2015 that 81% of Germans would like to do so regarding the Holocaust. “It’s clear: the Germans will never forgive us Jews for Auschwitz,” said Israeli psychoanalyst Zwi Rex.
Tabori's homage to his mother is, in a broader sense, an homage to all mothers whose courage, wit, and will to live gave their children the opportunity to cope with their own trauma. The production has seen over 170 performances in the past 30 years – including in New York and Los Angeles.

Elsa Tabori: Sigrun Schneider-Kaethner
George Tabori: Thomas Bockelmann

Direction: Thomas Bockelmann
Stage: Pia Janssen
Costumes: Ursina Zürcher
Music: Erich Radke
Dramaturgy: Michael Volk

Premiere September 13, 2025

What the press says:

“This bargaining over formulations, which is also a negotiation of truth, is crafted with laconic wit, but above all serves to make the horror behind the story bearable. Wonderful is this play of the two – precise, tender, touching. Great applause.”
Anja Witzke, Theater Critic

“A black comedy that spares neither banality nor horror. But it also allows for loving moments between mother and son Tabori. [...] Beautifully performed by Sigrun Schneider-Kaethner and Thomas Bockelmann.”
Christoph Ströhle - Reutlinger General-Anzeiger

“The play [...] is uncompromising in its core message. [...] And it leaves questions open. In this respect, it is suitable for discussions.”
Peter Ertle - Schwäbisches Tagblatt

Event data provided by: Reservix

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