Gust

Gust, the brother of Achternbusch’s grandfather, already appeared in his novel, Alexander’s Battle (1971). Here he becomes the protagonist of this theatrical monologue (1979). Gust is an old Bavarian peasant who, lucidly and uncertainly, tells the events of his life to Lies, his dying second wife. The real drama is this dying woman. She is dying like a calf, like a farmyard animal. Gust is by her side, pitiless and cruel. “Let’s let things settle. In any case, there’s nothing to be done for Lies”. He is tender and powerless in his own way: “You’re hot. I’ll open the window, the door, for you... there is the Lord God and you have to pull yourself up and stay straight”. Bees, threshing, tetanus, Hitler and the war make up this puzzle of memories that are shouted out, whispered, and drowned in a simple existence that is tragically unforgettable. If Gust did not talk, he would live in a terrible silence. Immersed in a field of Gerber plants on the platform, Gust tells his story. Lies, his dying wife, lies among the unseen flowers. During the whole performance, we only hear her breathing. The drama is completed in an expressionistic light.