The Maze Under The Old Theater

It is on a summer day in Austria in the early 1900s when Elizabeth von Witanovski begins her new historical crime mystery, The Maze Under the Old Theatre.

In the lavish world of a wealthy Viennese family, a young aristocrat, Marcel, promises himself to his lover's daughter, Gerda. Her fatal love for Marcel sets off a chain of secrets, deception, broken friendships, blackmail, love affairs, and murders. Marcel's meeting with the actress Helga Hayden turns into a lifelong obsession, filled with breakups, comebacks, and broken hearts. But Gerda's frenzied fixation leads her to search for revenge, no matter the cost.

The Old Theatre, in Vienna, is the vivid backdrop of the tragic story of a young woman's accidental murder. An underground space beneath the theater, the site of a centuries-old murder, has cemented its history as a site of dangerous encounters. The theater's operetta company is a world of friendships, lighthearted agreements, and ever-present passionate love for the elusive art of theatre. Characters from different social backgrounds fill this story of beguiling human destinies, all brought together by their acute search for love, identity, and belonging. Will love prevail? Or will the dark history of the Maze Under the Old Theatre be repeated?

Auteur

Elizabeth von Witanovski, a member of CID UNESCO and mother of three, graduated with honors from The Prague Conservatory of Music in 1975. The third generation of a family of theatre professionals, she made her mark as a ballerina (a soloist of the National Theatre in Prague), an actress (in leading roles for the theatre, TV, cinema, and radio), an award-winning choreographer, theatre director, pedagogue, mime, and costume designer. She has heard and experienced colorful human stories and tales all over the world, which serve as a never-ending source of inspiration. She resides on the East Coast. She still enjoys reading fairytales.