Merle Zurawski

Merle Zurawski (they/them), born and raised in Oldenburg, came to theatre through acting and performance. After working as a dramaturgy assistant at Theaterhaus Jena, Merle studied directing at the Akademie für Darstellende Kunst Baden-Württemberg. While still studying, they directed productions at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Schauspiel Stuttgart, and the Theater der Stadt Aalen. Guest performances toured to the Thalia Theater Hamburg (Körber Studio for Young Directors 2024), the Netherlands (Gemaakt International Festival 2024), and the Staatsschauspiel Dresden/Hellerau (Fast Forward Festival 2025).
Recurring themes in Merle’s work include the intersection of different artistic disciplines, performers sweating in search of anti-capitalist narrative strategies, and the question of who we once will have been. Their productions are characterised by close, discourse-oriented collaboration with the directing team and ensemble – where pop-cultural wit meets sensually tangible utopian potential.