Elfriede Jelinek Day: Theater & Democracy

Image: Martin Vukovits

September 10, 2026 | 5 PM

TICKETS AVAILABLE IN DUE COURSE

Join us for an evening of conversations, performances, and international perspectives celebrating Austrian Nobel Prize laureate Elfriede Jelinek on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Bringing together leading scholars and artists from Austria, Japan, Poland, and the United States, the program explores the role of theater as a space for democratic dialogue, artistic resistance, and feminist intervention.

About the Event

Presented as part of the international series WORLD.AUTHOR.JELINEK (WELT.AUTORIN.JELINEK), this special “Jelinek Day” examines Elfriede Jelinek’s enduring relevance in today’s global debates on democracy, gender, and the performing arts. Centered on the theme Theater & Democracy, the event highlights how contemporary theater can challenge authoritarian and patriarchal structures while creating new forms of artistic and political engagement. The evening features keynote discussions, panel conversations, and artistic presentations exploring Jelinek’s work in dialogue with international theater practices. A special focus is dedicated to Monster’s Paradise, the new opera by Elfriede Jelinek and Olga Neuwirth, including a video conversation on its world premiere at the Hamburg State Opera. Additional sessions examine gender and democracy on stage, women shaping democratic structures through performance, and the relationship between comedy and subversion in contemporary theater.

Program

Please find the full program folder (in German) here.

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