Biografia
Adriana Altaras was born in Zagreb, Croatia, and raised in Italy and Germany. After finishing high school, she studied at Berlin's Academy of Dramatic Arts and later completed her education at New York University. She co-founded Berlin's prominent off-theater, Theater zum Westlichen Stadthirschen, where she worked for several years as an actress, director, and author. Her stage roles include performances in 'Der Frosch' (Achternbusch), 'Die Nächte der Cabiria' (after Fellini), 'Clara S.' (Jelinek), 'Sommernachtstraum' (Shakespeare), the original production of Matthias Zschokke's 'Elefanten können nicht,' and the first German staging of Leona Carrington's 'Penelope.' Additionally, Altaras appeared at Berlin's Maxim-Gorki-Theater and Freie Volksbühne, as well as city theaters in Basel, Constance, and Stuttgart. She wrote and performed the solo piece 'Jonteff' in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Brazil.
As a director, Adriana Altaras has staged productions at the College of Hearts in Berlin ('Der letzte Waschgang'), Berlin's Academy of Dramatic Arts ('Schlag nach bei Shakespeare'), Landestheater Neustrelitz ('Marry Me a Little'), Berliner Ensemble ('Was gibt's Neues vom Krieg,' original production), Theater tri-Bühne Stuttgart ('Die Hose'), and multiple times at Neuköllner Oper in Berlin ('Frau Parker kann nicht schlafen,' 'Liebestrank'), where she most recently directed the operas 'La sorella amante' and 'Tom Jones.' Her latest direction includes a German adaptation of the 'Vagina Monologues,' first released in summer 2001 and currently being revived due to its great success. In 2002, she directed 'Women' at Berlin's Gorki Theater, and her most recent project as a director is 'Hyp 'OP',' a play featuring scenes about and with hyperactive children.
Beyond theater, Adriana Altaras frequently appears in television and film, with credits including 'Dorado One Way,' 'Der Philosoph,' 'Sieben Frauen,' 'Das Kondom des Grauens,' 'Love Is Around,' 'Liebling Kreuzberg,' 'Siebenstein,' 'Top Cops,' 'Cornelius hilft,' 'Wolffs Revier,' 'Tatort,' 'Schimanski,' 'Das Gesetz der Serie,' 'Apocalypso,' 'Happy Birthday,' 'Paradiso,' 'Kalt ist der Abendhauch,' 'Rot und Blau,' 'Der Puppengräber,' 'Geschlecht weiblich,' 'Alles auf Zucker,' 'Mein Führer,' 'Schliemann und Sophia,' 'Prinz Edouard,' 'Max Minsky und ich,' and 'Der Vollidiot.'
In addition to her artistic work, Altaras teaches Musical at Berlin's Academy of Arts and serves as an interviewer for the Shoah Foundation. She received the German Film Award in 1988 and the Theater Award of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1993. She was also part of the ensemble honored with the Silver Bear Actors Award at the Berlin Film Festival in 2000 for Rudolf Thome's "Paradiso.
