The Broken Jug

Heinrich von Kleist’s classic comedy The Broken Jug is brought to the stage in Georg Schmiedleitner’s production. The play tells the grotesque story of village judge Adam, who, after a night of revelry, must preside over a court session—disheveled and without his wig—on the very day his superior, Walter, is inspecting the province’s legal system.

At the heart of the story is the trial over a broken jug: Marthe Rull accuses Ruprecht, the fiancé of her daughter Eve, of destroying the valuable piece. Yet no one suspects that Adam himself was the intruder that night and is now forced to investigate against himself. Using every means possible, he tries to cover up the truth as the situation grows increasingly absurd.

Kleist’s 1808 play addresses abuse of power, corruption, and manipulation—issues that remain just as explosive in times of judicial scandals and societal debates. A timeless comedy about human weaknesses and the limits of justice.