Play revives feminist icon from alpine folklore

The Münchner Volkstheater in Germany staged a new production of “Die Geierwally”, a traditional alpine folk play about a woman who resists a forced marriage and patriarchal norms.

The play centers on a heroine banished to a high glacier by her father for opposing the expectations of her village. Critics see in her character a precursor to modern feminist ideas and a symbol of female empowerment.

The production uses strong language and emotional intensity to tell the story of this early rebel.