Historical dictionary of German Theatre

GOERDEN, ELMAR

(1963- )
Director. Goerden is one of the few German directors to have earned an American graduate degree before beginning his career. His first professional engagement was inBerlinas an assistant director at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz from 1991 to 1994. In 1995 he began the most significant work of his career to date, in Stuttgart. Two of his productions there were invited to the BerlinerTheatertreffen, and he was awarded the Gertrud Eysoldt Prize as one of the German theater's outstanding young directors. Goerden was named chief director of the Bavarian State Theaters in 2001, and beginning in 2005 he becameintendantof the prestigious Bochum Schauspielhaus.