Theater: “I don’t give a damn what others write”

Munich is getting a new "Brandner Kaspar," written by Franz Xaver Kroetz. He speaks—rather reluctantly—about death, writing, and eternal life.

Franz Xaver Kroetz is already waiting on the bench behind his house. His parents built this house in the 1950s, in a typical Munich suburb, Obermenzing. He invites you into the winter garden and serves strong coffee. The reason for the conversation: Kroetz is back in theater . He has written a new "Brandner Kaspar," which will premiere on June 14th in a production by Philipp Stölzl at the Munich Residenztheater. "Brandner Kaspar" is the story of a man who outsmarts death at cards and steals a few more years from him. The actor and author Kroetz, 79, makes no secret of the fact that he is not really in the mood for the conversation, but that will change over the course of the hour.