TAGLINE
High art meets anal humour.

LOGLINE
After a burnout, ambitious directress Lara (27) seeks refuge in her hometown’s bizarre theatre, where she is undermined by established structures. Unable to immediately mark the world with her art, she oscillates between self-doubt and vanity, determined to rather numb her pain than close her heart.

SYNOPSIS
After a nervous breakdown caused by work-related stress, Lara (27) tries her luck in her hometown’s outmoded theatre. Studying at a prestigious academy and gaining recognition with her student plays, Lara is convinced that the theatre director Heidrun (60) and her artistic advisor Ernest (50) are eagerly awaiting to give her a chance. Unfortunately, Lara’s dream of fast success is shattered in the first week. Instead of providing her with professional actors and a budget, the theatre administration gives Lara a group of tween children. She is supposed to realise her life’s project with them!
Naturally discouraged, Lara finds shelter in the theatre bar where she meets a quirky ensemble of her own. The open-minded waitress Viridiana (39) introduces Lara to »tough love«, teaching her the method of overcoming stress by laughing at oneself. On the other hand, her experienced colleague, the old actor Oriel (72), is a dictionary example of »weltsmerz« and perpetually invites her to join his pity-party. Gaining a stable circle of allies, Lara’s enemies shift from episode to episode. They are always theatre-related and mostly connected to Heidrun and Ernest. For instance, there is Nina (49), the diva of the ensemble, who is disrespectful of Lara’s age, Ligea (26), Lara’s nemesis from college and Ernest’s protégé, or Peter Celestine (66), the xenophobic priest and Heidrun’s friend. Driven by strong ambition and perfectionism, Lara is aware of cruelty and the unscrupulousness people are capable of, but does not want to change her just methods. She is an insecure equilibrist balancing between idealism and cynicism, over an abyss of self-destruction.
LARA LEAVING LIMBO is a series whose structure is loosely based on the medieval masterpiece, »Dante’s Divine Comedy«. It symbolically (and ironically) mirrors Dante’s descent through hell with Lara’s path of self-exploration. While exploring the darkest corners of her mind, she also faces demons on the way. Lara’s journey is a painfully intimate comedy combining the millennial quirks with dry humour. Focused primarily on the microcosmos of the theatre, its tone resembles Chekov’s quality of »laughter through tears«. The series combines the modern »hang-out« approach to the theatre arena with a deep psychological look into the characters. Dark, sometimes cynical humour contemplates on strong emotions and translates tension into poetic moments.