Burkhard C. Kosminski

Burkhard C. Kosminski is a prominent German theater director and artistic director. He studied directing and acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and the William Esper Studio in New York. After early engagements as a director and dramaturg at various German theaters, he was appointed Director of Drama at the Nationaltheater Mannheim in 2006, where he also serves as the artistic director of the International Schillertage festival. In 2012, on his initiative, the Mannheim Citizens’ Stage was established at the Nationaltheater, introducing an innovative format for participatory theater.

Since 2013, Kosminski has served as Artistic Director and Managing Director of the Nationaltheater Mannheim’s drama division. Alongside his commitment to the reinterpretation of classical works, he places particular emphasis on new writing and the promotion of contemporary playwriting. Under his leadership, the theater’s drama division was awarded the Theater Prize of the German Stage Publishers’ Association in 2009 for its successful integration of classical and contemporary drama.

Kosminski is also a frequent guest director at renowned theaters across the German-speaking world and is recognized for his advocacy of innovative theatrical forms, cultural participation, and opening the theater to new societal perspectives.