Abdullah appointed interim director of the Vorarlberg State Theatre

The supervisory board of the Vorarlberg Kulturhäuser‑Betriebsgesellschaft (KuGes) has named Vienna director and theatre manager Ali M. Abdullah as interim Intendant of the Vorarlberg State Theatre (Landestheater) for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons. The decision was reported on 26 August 2026 by several Austrian outlets including Der Standard and ORF Vorarlberg; media coverage indicates the appointment was communicated in a KuGes 'Aussendung' (press release). Multiple independent reports confirm the board’s role as the authorising body for the interim measure.

According to those reports, Abdullah’s appointment is explicitly temporary: KuGes intends to launch a formal selection procedure (Ausschreibungsverfahren) in the autumn to appoint a permanent artistic director from the 2028/29 season onward. The supervisory board’s decision thus aims to secure leadership and operational continuity for the institution during a transitional period, until a standard appointment process determines the longer‑term artistic direction.

Born in Vienna in 1967, Abdullah is described in press reports as a co‑founder of the Garage X project space and as artistic director of Werk X from 2014 to 2023. Since leaving Werk X he has been working as a freelance director and curator. Those career milestones, cited in the coverage, suggest experience both in free scene practice and in institutional leadership, which the KuGes supervisory board evidently viewed as relevant for steering the Landestheater through the next two seasons.

While these biographical details indicate a professional profile with experience in production, curation and management, the precise artistic programme Abdullah will pursue at the Vorarlberg State Theatre has not been published in detail. As an interim appointee, his mandate appears to be focused on maintaining the theatre’s activity and preparing the ground for the forthcoming open selection for a permanent Intendant.

The appointment follows a turbulent period at the Landestheater. The post became vacant after the incumbent, Stephanie Gräve, was suspended (freigestellt) and later dismissed earlier in 2026. Media accounts refer to a complaint (Anzeige) Gräve filed against KuGes managing director Monika Wagner and to related investigations. These developments have contributed to tensions inside the institution and increased the urgency of appointing a credible interim leader to stabilise operations and public confidence.

Public reporting provides indications about the disputes and the administrative steps taken, but does not offer a full public record of any internal investigations or legal outcomes. As a result, some aspects of the prior conflict remain confined to internal files and selective reporting by local media outlets.

A practical dimension to Abdullah’s interim mandate is the forthcoming unavailability of the theatre’s main building, the Theater am Kornmarkt in Bregenz, due to major renovation work. The state’s cultural office has already documented the planned refurbishment and signalled that the ensemble will perform in alternate venues while the Kornmarkt building is out of use. This creates immediate logistical challenges for programming, production schedules and audience communication.

The interim director will therefore need to coordinate extensively with local authorities, alternative venues and the ensemble to ensure the continuity of productions. At the same time, the displacement from the home stage can create opportunities for experimentation: site‑specific projects, collaborations with regional theatres and outreach into different communities can be explored during the renovation period. How Abdullah will balance necessary administrative tasks with artistic experimentation has yet to be outlined.

KuGes has announced that it will launch a formal Ausschreibungsverfahren in the autumn to appoint the Intendant for the 2028/29 season and beyond. That process will be watched closely by the cultural sector, local political actors and the theatre’s staff, given the institutional visibility and regional significance of the Landestheater. The selection will test the transparency of decision‑making and the involvement of stakeholders in Vorarlberg’s cultural governance.

Key uncertainties remain: the selection criteria that KuGes will prioritise are not yet public, nor is the degree to which the ensemble, municipal partners and civic stakeholders will be involved in the decision. It is also unclear whether the legal and personnel questions connected to the previous director’s dismissal will have any formal bearing on the upcoming selection. Abdullah’s interim leadership therefore sits between the immediate need to ensure stable operations and a longer term process in which political, cultural and organisational considerations will determine the theatre’s future direction.