EMS Schiers Theater: “The End of the World” & “Edi from Lechner”

On September 23, 24, and 25, 2026, the theater troupe at EMS Schiers will stage two extraordinary works by the Austrian writer Jura Soyfer: “The End of the World, or The World Won’t Last Much Longer” and “Edi Lechner Looks into Paradise.” Under the direction of Ursina Hartmann, the students will explore texts that were written 90 years ago yet remain surprisingly relevant today.

Jura Soyfer is considered one of the most important Austrian authors of the 20th century, even though he died of typhus at the age of 26 in the Buchenwald concentration camp. His literary work is marked by resistance to German and Austrian fascism. In his plays, he combines sharp social criticism with humor, biting satire, and great theatrical impact. Both works premiered in 1936 and were subjected to censorship shortly thereafter.

In *The End of the World*, humanity learns of an impending comet impact. In the face of the looming catastrophe, human weaknesses, self-interest, and social ills are laid bare. But when the comet spares the Earth, the question remains whether humanity has learned from the warning.

“Der Lechner Edi schaut ins Paradies” tells the story of an unemployed man who travels back in time in a time machine to find the cause of his misfortune. On his quest, he confronts the big questions of progress, responsibility, and social change.

With enthusiasm, music, and dedication, the theater ensemble of EMS Schiers brings these two satirical plays to life. The performance demonstrates that the themes of war, social responsibility, technological progress, and crisis management have lost none of their relevance even nine decades after the plays were written.

Actors
Fanny Bardill, Lorenz Baumann, Frida Ensmann, Sofia Giger, Jana Hofmann, Sophie Huyssen, Elia Ingellis, Matilda Luzi, Laurin Rupf, and Haneen Wyss.

Credits
Direction / Set Design: Ursina Hartmann
Music: Laurin Rupf, Frida Ensmann, Lorenz Baumann, Sophie Huyssen, Elia Ingellis, Fanny Bardill
Lighting / Sound: Reto Müller
Set Construction: Joel Ritter
Technical Support: Michael Künzler
Graphic Design: Daniel Rohner


Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.