A Parody of Love
Vicky Baum, Else Lasker-Schüler, and Else Feldmann are among the most significant female authors of the early 20th century and are regarded as pioneers of their time. Their works reflect the diversity of the female experience—ranging from glamour and success to artistic radicalism and socially critical realism. As such, they exemplify the tensions and upheavals of their era and are, at the same time, of timeless relevance.
Centered around these three female writers, audience favorite Gerti Drassl and singer Ethel Merhaut present their musical and literary evening, “Travesty of Love.”
Actress Gerti Drassl brings selected texts by these important women writers to life and paints a vivid picture of their biographies. Ethel Merhaut and her trio accompany the texts with music by Friedrich Hollaender, Kurt Weill, and Georg Kreisler, lending the literary voices an additional, melodious dimension.
The result is a multifaceted evening exploring the tensions inherent in the female experience: between self-empowerment and oppression, between idealization and devaluation, between intimacy and the public sphere.
Cast
Gerti Drassl – Reading
Ethel Merhaut – Vocals
Ilse Riedler – Saxophone & Clarinet
Clemens Gigacher – Double Bass
Belush Korenyi – Piano
Barbara Juch – Dramaturgy
Gerti Drassl, born in South Tyrol in 1978, is an outstanding stage and film actress and has been an integral part of the renowned ensemble at the Theater in der Josefstadt in Vienna for many years. In addition to her stage work, she also shines in film and television productions, including well-known works such as *The Piano Teacher* and *Vorstadtweiber* (now on Netflix). Her ability to authentically bring diverse characters to life has earned her numerous awards, including the German Actors’ Award and the Austrian Film Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress.
Ethel Merhaut is a Viennese singer and chansonnière who, after studying classical voice at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, brings the repertoire of the 1920s and 1930s into the present day—blending chanson, jazz, swing, and cabaret. Her discography ranges from *Out of Sight* to *Süß & Bitter – Lieder der 30er Jahre* to her latest album, *Here & There* (2025). She performs live in a wide variety of ensembles throughout the German-speaking world, including at the Vienna Konzerthaus and Porgy & Bess.
