Michèle Rohrbach

Michèle Rohrbach is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Performing Arts of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MUK). She holds a degree in Acting from Zurich University of the Arts and is a member of theater collective makemake produktionen. Her work spans theater, film, and interdisciplinary performance, emphasizing collaborative creation and narrative innovation. Rohrbach has received prestigious awards including the Nestroy Prize and multiple STELLA Performing Arts Prizes, and her work has been featured at major festivals like Locarno and Bregenz.

Education:

• Zurich University of the Arts (Acting)

Research interests focus on blending traditional theater forms with experimental techniques, exploring themes like memory, identity, and human connection through site-specific performances, musical theater adaptations, and multimedia collaborations. Her directing debut Forget-Me-Not (2022) premiered at the Bregenz Festival, while Mother Tongue Mameloschn (2018) won the Nestroy Prize for Off-Production. She frequently collaborates with ensembles like Die Schurken and Kosmos Theater Vienna.

Awards:

• Nestroy Prize (2018)
• STELLA Performing Arts Prize (4×)
• Berlin Theatertreffen Nomination (2020)
• Friedl Wald Foundation Award (Student Award)

Labs/Teams: makemake produktionen, Die Schurken ensemble, Dschungel Wien, Bavarian State Opera collaborations. Her work often integrates clowning techniques from Sue Morrison workshops and emphasizes cross-disciplinary storytelling.