Dmitrij Gawrisch was born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1982. After graduating in Business and Economics at the University of Bern, Switzerland, he wrote his first play “Barren Land” which was staged in several European countries. His plays include “Something Africa”, “Lessons of Leaking” and “All Shall Be Well”. Currently, he’s working on a new play with the working title “The Empty Space” as well as a novel. Dmitrij Gawrisch lives in Berlin, Germany.
WASTELAND
An abandoned construction site in Western Europe. Ivan and Oleg come from the East, “from one of those ex-countries”. They have entrenched themselves between stationary cranes and walls in danger of collapsing and live off what they can get. When Ivan steals groceries from a local woman, Petra, and she follows him to the construction site, the brothers’ hideout is exposed. Petra’s presence changes the relationship between the brothers, Oleg gains trust, Ivan senses betrayal.
Dmitrij Gawrisch talks about situations of upheaval. Against the background of current migration debates, he explores the tension between family and individual, desire and reality, being foreign and being at home.
MAL WAS AFRIKA
Three unsuccessful artists, tired of all kinds of western culture, set off for an African country. Which one exactly is not so important to them. Using local events, they want to get down to the essentials and finally put the ultimate performance on their feet. But the supposedly cosmopolitan and interested mediators between cultures lose all measure of reality in their search for artistic expression. They reveal themselves as narrow-minded and selfish braggarts who will stop at nothing for success, recognition, and money.
With MAL WAS AFRIKA, Dmitrij Gawrisch won the authors’ competition of the Konstanz and St. Gallen theaters.
