Rudolf Sellner

Rudolf Sellner, born Gustav Rudolf Sellner (25 May 1905 – 8 May 1990 ) was a German actor, dramaturge, stage director, and intendant. He represented in the 1950s a radical Instrumentales Theater (instrumental theatre). After decades of acting and directing plays, he turned to staging operas, and was a long-time intendant of the Deutsche Oper Berlin from 1961, when the Berlin Wall was built. He staged notable world premieres, including Ernst Barlach's play Der Graf von Ratzeburg in 1951, Ionesco's Mörder ohne Bezahlung in 1958, Giselher Klebe's Alkmene in 1961 for the opening of the Deutsche Oper, and Aribert Reimann's opera Melusine in 1971.

Career Born Gustav Rudolf Sellner in Traunstein, he began his career as an actor, dramaturge and stage director at theatres in Mannheim under from 1925, in Gotha from 1928, and in Coburg from 1929 to 1931. He was influenced by the work of Otto Falckenberg, Leopold Jessner and Erwin Piscator. He was an Oberspielleiter, dramaturge and actor at the Landestheater Oldenburg from 1932 to 1937 when he was promoted to Schauspieldirektor (director of plays) there. Sellner joined the Nazi Party in 1933. 1955 Orff: Die Kluge (TV opera, director) 1958 Orff: Die Bernauerin (TV opera, director) 1957: Abu Kasems Pantoffeln (TV Movie, director) – Erzähler 1961 Ionesco: Die Nashörner (TV, director) 1965 Claudel: Der seidene Schuh (TV series, director) 1968 Henze: Der junge Lord (TV opera, director) 1973: Der Fußgänger – Heinz Alfred Giese 1975: Ansichten eines Clowns – The Father 1979: David – Dr. Grell 1979: Phantasten (TV Movie) – Dr. Plesse 1980: Ein Mann von gestern (TV Movie) – Knoop (final film role)

Awards Sellner received several awards, including; 1967: Berliner Kunstpreis 1965: Goethe-Plakette des Landes Hessen 1965: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres 1972: Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz mit Stern 1974: Filmband in Gold for Der Fußgänger

Exhibition 1996: Gustav Rudolf Sellner. Regisseur und Intendant, , by the Theaterwissenschaftliche Sammlung (Collection of theatre science) of the University of Cologne