An Austrian Folk Tale Rashomon

Inspired by the narrative structure of Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, this outdoor performance transforms a mysterious incident in the countryside into a satirical folk tale about the construction of truth. A hunter disappears in the forest after encountering a rare white stag, and a series of witnesses, villagers, a foreign visitor, and other unlikely observers, offer contradictory accounts of what really happened. Each testimony becomes a small theatrical scene, accompanied by cabaret-style songs that gradually reveal how rumor, fear, and self-interest shape collective memory.

As the story unfolds, the community begins turning the unresolved event into a local tradition: a festival celebrating the “mystery of the stag.” Through humor, music, and shifting perspectives, the performance explores how societies transform uncertainty into narrative, often through scapegoating, mythmaking, and the invention of heritage. The silent figure of the stag, appearing throughout the performance in different forms, becomes a poetic symbol of the truth that remains just out of reach.

Staged as a moving outdoor performance in which the audience travels from one location to another, the piece blurs the boundaries between theater, folklore, and guided tour. What begins as an investigation gradually becomes a celebration, raising the question: when stories are repeated often enough, do they become history?

The Widow: Susanne Gschwendtner
The Poacher: Tobias Resch
The Foreigner: Anat Stainberg
The Woodcutter/The Medium: Florian Tröbinger
The Guide: Markus Zett
The Filmcrew: Michael Strohmann, Marietta Dang, Sarah Vrabel, Camilla Henrich, Yosi Wanunu, Kornelia Kilga
Music: Michael Strohmann, Didi Kern
Props: Paul Horn, Sarah Vrabel
Assistant Director: Camilla Henrich
Written and directed by Yosi Wanunu
Produced by Kornelia Kilga

Co-produced by Volkskundemuseum Wien