by Barbi Marković
Commissioned by the Schauspielhaus Zürich
DIRECTED BY: Christina Tscharyisk
PFAUEN
WORLD PREMIERE: 17.01.2026
1 hour 40 minutes (no interval)
Performance rights schaefersphilippen
The triangle: stable, yet unstable – like a wooden stool that wobbles, but never tips over. It’s no surprise that constellations of three are so fascinating. The same is true for Evelyn, a psychologist who moves into a flat in an old building in Vienna. There, she meets three sisters. Meanwhile, a period of upheaval is brewing outside. A dark comedy with a spooky touch and sometimes not-so-mild horror unfolds, with a sense of humour that hits exactly where it hurts.
In her first commissioned play for the Schauspielhaus Zürich, Barbi Marković explores the bond between three sisters, who are so deeply connected that their closeness turns into a weapon. Without filters, distance or self-control, they play a merciless, strategic game of familial dependence. Strong female characters face life’s struggles, annoyances and joys – with wit, emotion and speed. The allusion to Chekhov is purely coincidental, and entirely intentional.
Marković’s texts are humorous, profound and surreal. Director Christina Tscharyiski stages them with a flair for language and a passion for acting. Alongside an outstanding ensemble, she brings this play to the stage for its world premiere at the beginning of the year.
NOTE
Anyone who wishes may become part of a digital layer of the performance during the show by using their own smartphone. You can scan a QR code in the foyer and at the beginning of the performance by pointing your phone’s camera at it. Participation is voluntary — you can fully enjoy the performance without using your phone.
CONTENT NOTE
This production addresses themes of anorexia/eating disorders and death by explosion.
SENSORY WARNING
This production contains segments of loud noise (approximately 12 minutes after the start of the performance, with increased volume lasting for 3 minutes).
"Director Christina Tscharyiski and her stunning four-woman ensemble bring this to the stage with such brilliance and wicked comedic flair in a crisp, thunderously applauded hour and forty-five minutes, that it doesn't matter that the text only begins to weave many of its threads or merely touches upon many of its themes."
"The actresses’ performances are also highly convincing. This applies, on the one hand, to the virtuoso trio of gossiping sisters, who constantly punctuate their lines with gestural wit and facial verve, occasionally reinventing themselves as a pop-style girl group. On the other hand, Karin Pfammatter once again provides the production’s highlights."
"The entertainment value is immense, and the sisters' wicked but truthful lines hit every viewer right where it hurts—whether they’re an only child, the first-born, or the second-born."
"Much of it is exaggerated to the point of absurdity; don't expect a subtle evening. But it’s precisely this kind of humor and shared laughter that feels liberating in these rather gloomy times."
"An evening that is thoroughly entertaining, occasionally and intentionally over-the-top, and magnificently staged. It is also a pure joy to watch the four actors at work!"
IN ADDITION
Barbi Marković – Writing between Proximity, Comedy, and the Abyss. Two days before the world premiere of 3 SCHWESTERN (3 Sisters), the celebrated author was a guest at Literaturhaus Zürich. In conversation with dramaturg Dominika Široká, she offers insights into her literary craft between prose and the stage.
To the stream of the reading
