Eléonore Bonah and Maria Clara Castioni, resident artists at the Comédie de Genève, have adapted and directed *Chrüsimüsi*, a production in which they engage with the fascinating and still little-known work of the Basel-based writer Adelheid Duvanel.
Chrüsimüsi
Eléonore Bonah / Maria Clara Castioni
© Zoé Aubry
1h15’
14+
Ages 14 and up
Chrüsimüsi
Eléonore Bonah / Maria Clara Castioni
© Zoé Aubry
1h15’
14+
Ages 14 and up
Hypersensitive characters, everyday gestures suspended between the absurd and the grotesque, inner worlds that defy reality: Duvanel’s universe consists of short, incisive texts, written in a poetic prose reminiscent of Kafka and Walser, which recounts, in fragments, the lives of individuals unable to adapt to societal norms, confined to the margins, trapped in cramped spaces. Having quickly fallen into obscurity after the author’s suicide in 1996, her work is now being rediscovered—in part thanks to its translation into French—revealing a significant voice in 20th-century Swiss and German-language literature.
Drawing on the short stories of Adelheid Duvanel, the two artists bring to life a multilingual performance—in French, German, and Italian—that immerses the audience in the author’s sensibility: her humor that borders on despair, her unique use of language, and the joyful and stubborn resilience of those who live on the margins of the world.