The Master

"So do not spare me today your scenery and your machines. Use the greatest and the smallest heavenly lights!" Thus calls Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the prologue to "Faust I", summoning theatre-makers to unleash all the magic of the stage.

At the Salzburg State Theatre, Horst Oberascher reigns over machines, scenic backdrops, and great and small heavenly lights. As chief stage manager, he is a seasoned expert in making the impossible possible within this enchanted theatrical space. Together with stage managers Stefan Janauschek, Michel Martens, and Martin Walchhofer, he works in shifts to ensure that a capable team is always on hand—whether it’s for complex setups, scene changes, rehearsal support, or managing the performance itself.

The work is often tough, and Oberascher ensures efficiency. When he steps onto “his stage,” you feel it. He is present. With a single glance, he senses what’s happening. As demanding as the job may be, the entire team is finely attuned to ensuring smooth rehearsals and performances—and to creating a space where art can emerge.
The revolving stage, the fly system, the prompt desk, the understage machinery, the grid, the orchestra pit in front, and the backstage area where the sets are stored: Horst Oberascher’s domain is both magical and complex. Many of the stage mechanisms are now controlled by advanced computers, and yet no machine can replace the intuitive communication that unfolds live on stage.

“Many people think the stage is always a rough place with a harsh tone. I do feel a great responsibility for my team and know they give their best. One must not forget that during stage rehearsals, we are physically closest to the artists. That demands great sensitivity—and I see that every day in my team. At the same time, I must be sensitive to them, too, because behind every stagehand is a whole world: often a family, sometimes struggles or personal hardships.”