Das blaue Haus

by Laura N. Junghanns (Winner of the Lenz Prize 2024)

In this world premiere, directed by Merle Zurawski and her team, a house becomes the setting for a family that lives, loves, and argues—and for the entire universe that emerges within its walls.

Moving between fragments of memory and the atmosphere of an early-evening TV drama, the production explores questions of life, coexistence, and living past one another, all under the ever-present shadow of mortality.

How can a community emerge from the fragments of a mother, a father, a daughter, a son who has been absent for a long time, and a grandmother who spends her days sitting in front of the television?

How do collective and individual memories function? And what remains when memories, time, and space begin to blur?

Junghanns’ text unfolds in fragments: shards of family life gradually detach themselves from logic and chronology. Conversations break off, thoughts overlap, and time shifts. Little by little, it becomes apparent that not only the characters but also the house itself becomes a vessel of memory—a shared space of remembrance for the family. At the same time, a mysterious fur begins to spread, slowly overgrowing the house and its inhabitants piece by piece.

The Blue House does not portray a dysfunctional family in the traditional sense. Instead, it presents the image of a system in which language disintegrates, time becomes unstable, and repressed experiences gradually come to light. The house is more than a backdrop; it is a space of memory—a place where past, present, and future converge.

World Premiere: October 15, 2026