Born in Cologne in 1965. Read English Literature and Theatre, Film and Television Studies at the University of Cologne. Together with director Elmar Goerden, she founded the English-speaking theatre group “Countercheck Quarrelsome” there in 1986, which staged a number of productions of Shakespeare’s plays in the original.From 1991-1992, she was assistant director at the Schauspielhaus in Düsseldorf, mainly under David Mouchtar-Samorai. From 1992, she produced her own work in Düsseldorf. In 1994, she was voted young director of the year for her Düsseldorf production of Romeo and Juliet, a production that was also invited to attend the Berlin Theatertreffen along with Der Sommernachtstraum – Ein europäischer Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night’s Dream – A European Shakespeare). From 1995 to 2000, she had regular assignments at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg as well as in Bonn, Hanover and Cologne. These were followed by productions in Bochum, Munich, and Vienna, at the Worms Festival and in Zürich. Since the 2007/2008 season, she has been general manager at Schauspiel Köln. Her stage adaptation of Ettore Scola’s film Die Schmutzigen, die Hässlichen und die Gemeinen (Ugly, Dirty, Bad) was invited to attend the Berlin Theatertreffen 2010. Karin Beier also produces operas.
Karin Beier received the Nestroy Theatre Award in 2006 for her production of Maxim Gorky’s The Petty Bourgois at the Akademietheater in Vienna and the 2009 German Theatre Award DER FAUST in the Best Play Director category for her production of Franz Grillparzer’s Das Goldene Vliess (The Golden Fleece) at the Schauspiel Köln.
