Ostermeier

Thomas Ostermeier is one of the most renowned European theater makers and is considered by many to be the face of modern German theater. His major productions of Ibsen and his Hamlet with Lars Eidinger tour across all continents; the Berliner Schaubühne, which he has artistically directed since 1999, is celebrated internationally. The question of why Ostermeier receives significantly more recognition as a director abroad than in his own country delves deep into the aesthetic discourses of German-speaking theater: Ostermeier's politically engaged realistic theater, which aims to reveal insights about the reality of human coexistence, faces reservations from the post-dramatically oriented German critics. In a conversation with Gerhard Jörder, Ostermeier shares his journey to theater, formative encounters with directors and teachers, and his early experiences.