Lifework Nestroy for Elizabeth Orth – wien.ORF.at

“I’ve never been afraid of not getting roles because it’s not me and I’m not committed — and that’s a very important point about non-commitment,” Orth said. The 86-year-old dean of the Burg Theater was honored for her work at the Nestroy Gala. She has been a permanent member of Burgtheater since 1973 and has starred in productions by Achim Freyer and Andrea Breth, for example.

Born on February 8, 1936 in Vienna, Orth is the eldest of three daughters (along with Christian and Marisa), all of whom have successfully followed in the footsteps of their notable parents, Paula Wesley and Attila Horbiger. She freed herself from the burden of the great name of the acting dynasty Horbiger and used her maternal grandmother’s surname. Burg’s theater director, Klaus Bachler, summed up her successes in celebrating her 85th birthday, when he described Orth as “a luminous figure and a priestess of the castle”.

39 candidates in 13 categories

With Lisa Wentz, the second winner of the evening has already been decided. She received the Young Author Award for Best Play, the world premiere of “Adern” at the Academy Theater. It is a popular play about a Tyrol miner and his wife. There are also 39 candidates in 13 categories.

ORF presenter Nadja Bernhard and ORF III presenter Peter Fässlacher present this year’s award winners. Cabaret artist, author and arranger Gerald Fleischer has won again for the book directed by Andre Turnheim. The evening will be accompanied by musicians from the Vienna United Stages Orchestra under the direction of Herbert Pichler.

Live applause

The Nestroy Gala will be held in front of the public for the first time in two “challenging” years. The festivities will take place in Art for Art’s décor workshops, where many stage sets and décor parts have been made from previously nominated and acquired products.

“In this atmosphere of creativity and craftsmanship, this year performances of creativity and high-quality craftsmanship on the Austrian and German-speaking theater will once again be honored and rewarded with the exuberant applause and joy inherent in the live experience of the theater,” emphasized Franz Bataille, President of the Wiener Club.