Theater Chur

In June 2019, Roman Weishaupt was elected Director of Theater Chur, becoming the first theatre professional from Graubünden to hold the position. He led the theatre as its Managing and Artistic Director from August 2020 to July 2024.
His tenure began amid the challenging circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. He kept the theatre operational under constantly changing conditions, safeguarded jobs and steadily rebuilt audiences following the closures. At the same time, he modernised the theatre’s organisational and digital structures and repositioned Theater Chur as an open meeting place.
Through a balanced programme of in-house productions and national and international guest performances, Weishaupt further developed Theater Chur as a venue that was both locally rooted and cosmopolitan. He expanded cultural engagement programmes for young people and schools, opened the theatre to the local community through family brunches and strengthened collaboration with other theatre institutions in the city.
He initiated the theatre magazine PROSPECT, which was published twice per season and offered editorial perspectives on the programme. The two editions of DigiDays – Theatre and Digitality also attracted attention beyond Switzerland. The in-house production Peiden, which Weishaupt co-authored and produced, was subsequently presented by Schauspielhaus Zürich.
In this way, Roman Weishaupt continued to develop Theater Chur’s established profile as a contemporary cultural institution and strengthened the connection between regional roots and international exchange.

SELECTED IN-HOUSE PRODUCTIONS AND CO-PRODUCTIONS
Alongside its multidisciplinary guest programme, Roman Weishaupt initiated and oversaw in-house productions and co-productions that connected regional perspectives with international artistic positions. At their heart was an exchange between artists, stories and experiences – and with the audience. A selection:

2023/2024
DEVID STRIESOW READS DAVID FOSTER WALLACE
Reading with Devid Striesow · Direction: Thorsten Lensing · Production: Theater Chur · Swiss premiere

RUUCH ODER RIICH
A co-production addressing the question “Graubünden, how are you today?” · Written and directed by Georg Scharegg

I HAN RECHT
A multilingual classroom play about law and justice · Written and directed by Daniel Kuschewski · Dramaturgy and theatre education: Petra Fischer · An in-house production by Theater Chur

VERRÜCKT NACH TROST
With Ursina Lardi, Devid Striesow, Sebastian Blomberg and André Jung · Written and directed by Thorsten Lensing · A co-production by the Salzburg Festival and Thorsten Lensing with Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Sophiensæle Berlin, Kampnagel Hamburg, Theater Chur, asphalt Festival Düsseldorf, Theater im Pumpenhaus Münster and Künstlerhaus Mousonturm Frankfurt am Main · Swiss premiere at Theater Chur

KILROY – AN OPERA WITHOUT OPERA
Season opening · Co-production with Ensemble ö! and Oblivia, Finland · Artistic direction: Davin Sonton Caflisch

2022 & 2023
DIGIDAYS – THEATRE AND DIGITALITY
Two editions of a four-day festival featuring a curated international guest programme devoted to digital formats and their artistic use

2022/2023
PEIDEN
An evening by and with Bruno Cathomas · Co-writer: Roman Weishaupt · Direction: Rafael Sanchez · Set design: Duri Bischoff · Lighting: Carlos Marquerie · An in-house production by Theater Chur · Shortlisted for the Swiss Theatre Encounter

2021/2022
SONGS OF THE LAND
An intercontinental collaboration between musicians from Graubünden led by guitarist and artistic director Simon Ambühl, Bernese historian Manuel Menrath and members of the Cree Nation from the land now known as Canada, including Chief Mike Metatawabin · Season opening · Co-production

2020/21
WHITE RABBIT, RED RABBIT
By Nassim Soleimanpour · Performances across all language regions of the canton of Graubünden, featuring local actors · Romansh premiere

LA MÜDADA
A multilingual, participatory season opening based on Cla Biert’s novel La müdada / The Turning Point · Direction: Uta Plate · Dramaturgy: Stefan Bläske · Set design: Duri Bischoff · An in-house production by Theater Chur