The Visit

The Visit (by Friedrich Dürrenmatt and directed by Joe Phillips) takes place in a once a prosperous Eastern European town named Güllen. Unfortunately time has not been kind and Güllen has fallen into bankruptcy. The play opens while the town is preparing for the arrival of a former resident, Claire Zachanassian, whom has come into money since her departure years ago. The town eagerly awaits her arrival after news of Claire’s promise that she would give the town money to build itself back up. However after her arrival, Claire announces that the real reason for her return to Güllen is of a personal matter -- she has returned to exact revenge upon a former lover by putting a price on his life. Will the town accept Claire’s offer of a billion marks, which would surely revitalize the town, or will they stand up for their most beloved citizen and allow loyalty and friendship to prevail? More than 50 years after it was written, The Visit relates to current economic issues and confronts the audience with the eternal moral question, “How far would you go for money?”