About the work
Umsonst! is a farce with songs and dance in three acts by Johann Nestroy, premiered on 7 March 1857 at the Theater an der Wien.
Plot
The actor Arthur loves Emma, who is under the guardianship of the factory owner Finster; when Finster travels to Braunau with Emma, Arthur and his fellow actor Pitzl follow. At the inn there, disguises and mistaken identities among the actors become entangled with the innkeeper's daughter Sali's love for the waiter Georg, leading to a double mix-up, until Arthur turns out to be Finster's own nephew and both couples are united.
Cultural significance
The three-act version ran for 13 performances; after audience complaints about its length, Nestroy shortened the play to a single act, which then achieved 25 further performances through 1860. Contemporary critics remained cautious to neutral, though they praised the cast.