© Gabriela Brandenstein
After studying medicine for three years, I realised that my heart lay in a different career altogether, so I started to study acting in 1993. I studied and performed at the Burgtheater, Theater in der Josefstadt, at the Schauspielhaus Köln and the Salzburg Festival as well as appearing in various German and Austrian TV and cinema films. In 2002, I began to work as an assistant to the director Michael Schottenberg. When he subsequently took over as the artistic director of the Volkstheater, Vienna, I worked primarily as his personal assistant and then took over the programming, booking and day-to-day management of the Volkstheater’s Red Bar venue, with a diverse programme of jazz and pop concerts, poetry and play readings and other interesting small theatre performances. Approximately two and a half years later, I left to work on other diverse projects.
From 2006 to 2014 I was working with the innovator, director and artistic show creator, André Heller, on shows such as „Afrika! Afrika!“ and „Magnifico“ which were performed before diverse audiences in tours of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as playing at London’s O2 and in Amsterdam.
As a production manager I was working for the Salzburg Festival, Wien Modern and the Vienna festival, where I have been part of the permanent team since 2021.
I also coach children and actors for their film and theatre work, whether it be learning lines with them, or helping with role study. I also prepare and accompany children on the set during shooting, supporting the film production and the directors by helping the children to be fully prepared and focused before shooting.
Apart from my work as an production manager and assistant in the theatre and film world, I am a director and I am helping artists on their journey through the film and theatre landscape, offering advice and support as well as help with contract negotiations. I currently live in Vienna and I’m always curious and excited about diverse work, new ventures and travel.