Act I, Part I Summary

The playwright sets the scene and provides background information in a lengthy introduction. The setting is the sanatorium called "Les Cerisiers" owned by Fraulein Doktor Mathilde von Zahnd. She is famous throughout Europe, not only for her deep family history and aristocratic background, but for her reputation as a celebrated psychiatrist. Her sanatorium houses wealthy people from all over Europe suffering from mental disease.

The surrounding town is unnamed, but is said to be a crumbling, sleepy little town. Old World buildings and architecture are giving way to the "hideous edifices" of insurance companies and other signs of contemporary corporate Europe. Despite this, the surrounding landscape is said to be peaceful and pretty, and so the sanatorium has a reputation for being relaxing and a sanctuary away from the "hurly-burly of modern life."

Most of the mental...