Thomas Ostermeier

Thomas Ostermeier was born in 1968 in Soltau. In 1992-96, he studied directing at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst “Ernst Busch”, Berlin. In 1990-91, he worked as an actor in Einar Schleef’s Faust-Project at the Hochschule der Künste, Berlin, and in 1993-94, he was assistant director and actor with Manfred Karge in Weimar and at the Berliner Ensemble. From 1996-99, Ostermeier was artistic director of the Baracke at the Deutsches Theater, Berlin. Since 1999, Ostermeier has been resident director and member of the Artistic Direction of the Schaubühne. He has also directed several productions as a guest at other German theatres and, in November 2004, he was appointed curator (“artiste associé”) for the Festival d’Avignon, to which numerous of his productions have been invited since, most recently Richard III in 2015.In addition to numerous awards for individual productions, such as the Friedrich-Luft-Prize (Measure for Measure), the Grand Prix de la Critique for John Gabriel Borkmann (2009) and the Barcelona Critics Prize (Hamlet, 2009), Thomas Ostermeier received the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale for the entirety of his life’s work in 2011. His ongoing success with French audiences and the frequent presence of his plays in France have been rewarded by the French Ministry for Culture and Communication, most recently in February 2015, when he was named Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.


Constantin Chiriac:
"An artist at the height of his career who is coveted by the great stages of the world, Thomas Ostermeier receives a star on the Sibiu Walk of Fame for his exceptional creations performed alongside other famous artists from all over the globe with whom he has developed a new theatrical practice – Emotion in Motion – and for the excellent leadership of the Schaubuhne Theat."