From left, Foundation Board Member Thomas Drosta, Secretary of State Andrea Meyer, Designated Arts Director Mary Rotcher, City Councilor for Culture and Science Veronica Kapp-Hassler, Designated Business Director Stephen Mehrens.
Photo: City of Vienna / David Bowman
From the 2026/27 season, the 56-year-old Austrian theater director Marie Rodzer will be the new artistic director of the theater Der Josefstadt and Kamerspiel der Josefstadt.
This was announced on June 24, 2024 by the private foundation Theater in der Josefstadt, under the foundation’s chairman Thomas Drösta, as part of a press conference with the State Secretary for Arts and Culture Andrea Meyer and Vienna’s City Councilor for Culture Veronika Köpp-Hassler.
Marie Rotzer succeeds Herbert Föttinger and will manage the traditional theater at the end of her twenty years as director in Vienna’s eighth district, and – after a short interlude, formal management under Josefa Edel von Scheidlin in the 2025/26 season – is the only woman at the helm in its 230-year history to steer the company’s fortunes. Josephstadt Lead the way. Mary Rodzer’s contract runs for 5 years until 2031.
Stefan Mehrens, new business manager, appointed for five years from September 1, 2026. The 55-year-old German business economist, who spent five years as managing director at the Salzburg Festival, is now managing director at the multi-branch Stadttheater Braunschweig. Since 1999 Der Josefstadt and the Kamerspiel der Josefstadt Theater.
Secretary of State for Arts and Culture Andrea Mayer:
“With Marie Rötzer and Stefan Mehrens, we – the foundation, the federal government and the city – have found the best people for the Josefstadt management team from the 2026/27 season. Marie Rötzer will build on and improve the great success of her predecessor. She will continue to uphold the house’s strong Austrian and Viennese heritage, But with Stefan Mehrens he had already had several changes of director.
(24.June 2024)
