Pit Ewen & Olivier Garofalo Appointed Directors of Mierscher Theater

On Monday 19 January 2026, the Mierscher Theater (Mersch Theatre) announced the appointment of Pit Ewen and Olivier Garofalo as its new directors.

A dual leadership team will take over the theatre's management, with Olivier Garofalo serving as Artistic Director and Pit Ewen as Director.

On the recommendation of a search committee comprising Marc Fischbach, Paul Ensch, Marcel Origer, Léon Wantz, Claude D. Conter and Odile Simon, the Board of Directors unanimously elected the two candidates at its meeting on Monday.

Board President Marc Fischbach explained: "We didn't want to do without either of them. As a long-time employee of the theatre, Pit Ewen understands the need for modernisation, has excellent connections in Luxembourg and possesses extensive expertise in music. Olivier Garofalo, on the other hand, has spent much of his career as a dramaturge and playwright at municipal theatres in Germany, but has also been active in Luxembourg. Thanks to his experience and network, he will drive the theatre's development and shape its profile."

For the first time in Luxembourg, an author who will also write and direct for the theatre will be part of its leadership, according to the Mierscher Theater. Under the new joint management, plans include: commissioned works; the discovery of young directorial styles and talents in drama and music; the development of new aesthetics; a stronger international presence through co-productions; residency opportunities; an expansion of the children's and youth theatre programme; and a regular school and youth theatre festival alongside the "Mierscher Theaterdeeg" (Mersch Theatre Days). Collaboration with Luxembourg's cultural sector will continue and be expanded, guest performances across all genres will be presented, and a strong focus on inclusion - both on and off stage - will be maintained. Particular attention will continue to be paid to Luxembourgish artists.

Pit Ewen and Olivier Garofalo are expected to provide initial structural and artistic impetus during the 2026/27 season, which has been conceived by current director Claude Mangen. Following a renovation phase starting in mid-2027, the Mierscher Theater is scheduled to reopen in 2028 under the new management.

Commenting on the appointments, Claude Mangen said: "The dual leadership model will be new for everyone, but the two complement each other through their respective interests and skills. I am very pleased to hand over the theatre to this young and dynamic team from 1 August 2026."

Born in 1993, Pit Ewen went on to study musicology and media studies at the University of Cologne. During his studies, he worked as an assistant with the Luxembourg Chamber Orchestra and as an administrator for Kammerata Luxembourg, while also developing his own projects as a member of the Luxembourgish-Dutch chamber music ensemble sonasKUNE. In 2021, he was a founding member of the Luxembourg National Youth Orchestra, of which he remains president. Since 2021, he has worked at the Mierscher Theater, where he is currently responsible for press and public relations as well as production management. In 2023, he joined the board of directors of the Fête de la Musique. Since 2025, as part of his work at the Mierscher Theater, he has served as co-president of the Luxembourg Network of Regional Cultural Centres. He received his musical training at the Conservatoire du Nord (Ettelbrück / Diekirch), where he studied electric bass, double bass and music analysis.

Olivier Garofalo, born in 1985, studied German Studies at the Universities of Luxembourg, Cologne and Trier, earning a Master of Arts degree as a DAAD scholarship holder. He subsequently worked as a dramaturge and head dramaturge at the Badische Landesbühne Bruchsal, as well as at the ETA Hoffmann Theater Bamberg and the Rheinische Landestheater Neuss, where he was also playwright-in-residence. During this time, he developed his skills as a playwright: his plays have been staged in Luxembourg, Germany, Poland and the United States, and translated into Polish, English and Romanian. In 2024, he was nominated for the Retzhofer Drama Prize in the Young Audience category, and in 2025, he was awarded a writers' residency at the Literary Colloquium Berlin. He has also lectured at several institutions, including the Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg. He is represented by Felix Bloch Erben Berlin and is a board member of the Association of Playwrights, as well as a member of "A:LL Schrëftsteller*innen" and the Dramaturgical Society.