Dominique Horwitz opens Art Carnuntum with fevered Faust

Art Carnuntum opened on Saturday with a solo performance of Goethe’s Faust by Dominique Horwitz, after severe storms forced a one-day delay, ORF reported. Horwitz played a fevered Faust in the Roman amphitheatre at Petronell-Carnuntum, in the Bruck an der Leitha district, in a minimalist production directed by Berlin-based Torsten Fischer.

The festival’s opening had been postponed because storms in Lower Austria passed through the Roman amphitheatre. The performance went ahead under dry conditions on Saturday evening.

Horwitz performed alone, taking on Faust as well as elements of Mephisto and Gretchen. Wearing flamboyant make-up and sometimes absurd costumes, he delivered Goethe’s demanding texts with exaggerated gestures and intense physical energy.

The performance portrayed Faust as delirious, with extreme shifts in emotion. Horwitz used troubled facial expressions and mocking gestures to depict the characters’ tormented inner lives. He also repeatedly undressed while addressing the audience at close range and loudly, an approach that could initially seem unsettling but highlighted Faust’s inner conflicts.

The production presents a rapid version of the drama and may be difficult to follow without prior knowledge. Faust, consumed by a thirst for knowledge and deeply disappointed with life, makes a pact with the devil. Gretchen, the woman he loves, pays with her life. Horwitz moved without warning from one Goethe monologue to another and changed characters abruptly, while the sparse set offered little guidance.

The setting placed the focus firmly on the performance. At first, a chair stood on the grass, but it was removed during the second part. Horwitz used the open space directly in front of the audience and the grass leading up to the hill behind the amphitheatre walls.

Fog machines, illuminated trees, small props and a microphone were used occasionally. Music and sound effects provided restrained technical support for the play’s changing dynamics. Horwitz received a series of standing ovations at the end, despite moments when the story may have left the audience uncertain.