De erfenis Toneelgroep Maastricht / Michel Sluysmans

The Lafayette family struggles

A top cast featuring Wendell Jaspers, Anniek Pheifer, Ali-Ben Horsting and Thomas Höppener tells the tragicomic story of the Lafayette family. This family struggles with hidden secrets, twisted memories and unfulfilled desires. Michel Sluysmans directs the play, just as he did previously with Augustus: Oklahoma. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins wrote De erfenis. His work is being shown in the Netherlands for the first time.

Western world in the crosshairs

The play wittily portrays the tragic downfall of a white, Western family. This happens through the eyes of a celebrated Black writer. De erfenis is set on a family estate in the American South. Three adult children gather with their families. They divide the estate and sell the house. Among their father's possessions, the children make a disturbing discovery.

The legacy of the past

This discovery changes their lives forever. To be able to face the future, the Lafayettes confront their past. The language of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is powerful. The characters are simultaneously horrific, violent and vulnerable. The family problems are harsh and witty. De erfenis is more than a family chronicle. It stands as a symbol for the Western world struggling with the responsibility of children for the actions of their parents.