Alexandra Riener

Univ.-Prof. Alexandra Riener (Alex. Riener) holds a dual academic and artistic career. She is a Professor at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK) and teaches at the University of Vienna’s Institute for Theater, Film, and Media Studies. Her work bridges theory and practice, focusing on intermediality, digital performance, and the intersection of art and cultural concepts. She has been active in theater as a director, assistant director, and dramaturge, collaborating with institutions like the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien and the Burgtheater.

Education: She studied Theater Studies at the University of Amsterdam and Theater, Film, and Media Studies at the University of Vienna, where her master’s thesis on fidelity to original works earned scholarships. She also pursued studies at the Austrian Journalism College before prioritizing artistic endeavors.

Research Interests: Riener explores themes such as intermedial translation, theater in digital spaces, and the role of appropriation mechanisms. Her current courses address topics like ‘The Theater Business of the Future’ and ‘Staging as a Cultural Concept.’ She has presented at conferences in Weimar and Amsterdam, discussing topics such as robots in performance and intermedial translation.

• Awards: Lincoln Center Directors Lab Scholarship, University of Vienna Research Scholarship, Austrian Journalism College Scholarship.
• Professional Roles: Member of Paritätische Bühnenprüfung, Co-initiator of ‘dievielen,’ Spokesperson for the Austrian Platform of the Dramaturgical Society.

Her artistic career includes founding a theater group, working with Barrie Kosky, and directing the Nestroy Gala. She actively engages with contemporary debates on power structures in theater and the future of performance in digital spaces.