Stefan Ofner

Mag. Stefan Ofner (* 23. August 1994 in Villach - † 16. Februar 2024 in Villach)

Funeral service on February 23, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.,
in the ceremonial hall at the Waldfriedhof Villach.

Height: 172cm

Foreign languages: German, English, Italian, Spanish (basic knowledge)

Dialects: Carinthian, Styrian, Viennese, Tyrolean, Swiss, Bavarian;

Vocal range: Baritone

Special skills: Voice imitation, character parodies, golf;

Driving licence: B

Artistic curriculum vitae ( some sections)

December 2019

Successfully completed stage maturity examination

 

2019/10-2020/02

‘Lumpazivagabundus’ by Johann Nestroy

Directed by: Seppi Es

Role: Stellaris, Mr von Lüftig,

Lustgarten Klagenfurt

 

2019/10

‘The Physicists’ by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Director: Ilona Wulff-Lübbert

Role: coroner, head nurse Sievers

Lustgarten Klagenfurt

 

2019/08

Musical ‘Dracula's Bride’ by Ilona Wulff-Lübbert

Director: Ilona Wulff-Lübbert

Role: Sir Arthur Holmwood

Congress Centre Villach with subsequent film adaptation

 

2019/06

‘VonDerHandImMund’ by Florian Zambrano Moreno

Director: Florian Zambrano Moreno

Role: Second cannibal, Lendhafen Klagenfurt

 

2019/05

‘Hemma - A play’ by Ilona Wulff-Lübbert

Director: Ilona Wulff-Lübbert

Role: Wilhelm von der Sann

Basilica on the Weizberg

 

Since 2019/05

‘Theatersport - The Tournament’ improvisation theatre competition

Directed by: Marcus Thill

Jazzclub Kammerlichtspiele Klagenfurt

 

2019/04

‘Räuber Hotzenplotz’ by Otfried Preußler

Theatre rocket

Director: Marcus Thill

Role: Seppel

Jazzclub Kammerlichtspiele Klagenfurt

 

2018/11

Audio book ‘Frida, Flii and Mo’

Directed by: Andreas Thaler

 

2018/10

‘1982’

Theatre A.C.M.E.

Directed by: Martin Dueller and Andreas Thaler

 

2018/04

‘The animal kingdom’

Directed by Doris Dexl

Category
2018/19, 2019/20

About Mag. Stefan Ofner

Born in Villach in 1994
Already active as a presenter on stage during school
2013-2020 Studies at the Alpen Adria University Klagenfurt (diploma in German/History, completed in May 2020)
2017 - 2019 Acting training at the Carinthian State Conservatory
2018 professional stage debut in the Neue Bühne Villach in "Das Tierreich"
2019 Completion of the stage maturity examination in Vienna
Since 2018 over 25 productions, mainly in the independent scene in Carinthia, including "1982", "Räuber Hotzenplotz", "Pippi Langstrumpf", Nestroy's "Lumpazivagabundus", "The Physicists" by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, "The Fooled Husband" by Molière and "Heartfelt Condolences" by Feydeau
August 2020 Debut of the "LustGARTEN Revue" with "(K)Ein Sommer wie damals", responsible for text and direction
2021 Founding of the THEATER ARTIS association together with Robert Grießner, chairman and artistic director
August 2021 second LustGARTEN Revue "Simply the Rest"
Autumn 2021 Premiere of the first solo cabaret program "Wieso?", with previous stops in Villach, Klagenfurt and Vienna
August 2022 third LustGARTEN Revue "Volume III"
2023 Awarded the Bruno Gironcoli Prize of the City of Villach

Commemoration of the actor

"Stefan Ofner is dead. A misfortune, perhaps just a mishap, took him yesterday from a life that had not even reached 30 years.

Nature knows neither law nor justice. If these human virtues were accessible to it, one would have to cry out about this injustice, this blatant injustice.

Stefan Ofner played a self-righteous dictator in “The Resurrection”. A role that he filled with incredible credibility and artistry. With profound knowledge too, incidentally; Magister Stefan Ofner was an academically trained historian.

Was this role “tailored to him”? Certainly not. I was only able to share a few hours of Stefan Ofner’s life with him. I got to know a wonderful person, highly intelligent, full of wit and esprit. A person with humor and a sense of proportion, someone who does not stop at himself in his high critical and analytical ability.

As a person, Stefan Ofner was the exact opposite of the autocrat in “The Resurrection”. He simply put a character, designed by Peter Veran and Sofia Grabuschnig, on the stage and brought it to life - in the truest sense of the word. He was an actor who understood his profession, even internalized it.

This is not a given, especially these days. Stefan Ofner has always only played his role on the stage, never himself.

This highly talented artist's acting was, not least for this reason, convincing down to the last fiber - his own, that of the audience. In the four performances of the play, you couldn't hear a pin drop. Nobody, and certainly not from the enthusiastic young audience, reached for their cell phones.

And many wanted to experience this unheard of, and certainly unexpected, experience several times. And, completely against their usual habit, went to the theater again. Again to see "The Resurrection", even if they had to travel to the neighboring town. Just to see Sofia, Anna and Robert, but above all Stefan, on stage.

It is said of artists who died young, such as the poets Büchner or Grabbe, that they will shine and sparkle for all eternity, jewels of humanity's cultural heritage.

Of course, people, their work and their memories are fleeting. Even after a great career, which was certainly to be expected, the impressive actor Stefan Ofner would have gradually disappeared from the collective memory." Werner Anzenberger 

"Director and actor Stefan Ofner died unexpectedly at the age of 30, the city of Villach announced on Saturday. Ofner was one of the winners of the 2023 Bruno Gironcoli Prize, which the city of Villach awards to young artists.

A statement from the city of Villach states that young actor, author, cabaret artist, director and presenter Stefan Ofner died unexpectedly at the age of 30. Most recently, Ofner took part in “Engelbert Dollfuß – the Resurrection” and toured the federal states with the play. He would have performed it soon at the Kulturhof:Villach.

“Mourning for a great talent”
Villach’s mayor Günther Albel and cultural representative Gerda Sandriesser. (both SPÖ) said that Ofner’s aim was to make people laugh, but also to encourage them to think and to address social (political) issues. “The cultural scene mourns the loss of a great talent and a remarkable person who leaves a huge gap not only in the theater landscape.” 

 

"Born in Villach in 1994, the actor was already active on stage as a presenter during his school days. During his studies at the Alpen Adria University, he also decided to train as an actor at KONSE Klagenfurt. He made his professional stage debut in 2018 at the Neue Bühne Villach in ‘Das Tierreich’. In May 2019, he joined the ensemble of Theater-Rakete.  In December of the same year, he passed his state stage exam. In addition to his acting work, he has also worked as a narrator for audio books and as an author. In 2020, Ofner completed his master's degree in German and history at the Alpe-Adria University in Klagenfurt.

Stefan Ofner has successfully written and directed cabaret programmes and revues. In 2023, he received the Bruno Gironcoli Award from the city of Villach. His last work as an actor at Theater-Rakete was in the children's play HEIDI in autumn 2023. In February 2024, the highly talented artist died unexpectedly in his hometown. We mourn his loss."             theater-rakete.at

 

THEATER ARTIS mourns
Together with Robert Grießner, Ofner founded the successful theatre association THEATER ARTIS in 2021, where he held the position of Chairman and Artistic Director until the end. ‘We mourn the loss of Stefan Ofner, who had to leave this world completely unexpectedly. You were a great person and a true friend, Stefan, and you leave a big gap in the Carinthian theatre landscape. Especially at Theater-Rakete, where you have performed in almost every production since 2019,’ the Villach theatre association announced on Facebook in dismay.

Ofner as a cabaret artist
Since 2020, he has written and directed the annual LustGARTEN Revue, which takes place every summer. In autumn 2021, the Villach native celebrated his debut as a cabaret artist with his first solo cabaret programme ‘Warum?’ - on tour in Villach, Klagenfurt and Vienna - and with great success. Last year, he received the Bruno Gironcoli Award from the city of Villach.

‘His death shocks Carinthia’
Governor Peter Kaiser is also saddened by Ofner's death. ‘He was a great talent who inspired many people and made them think and laugh. His untimely death shocks Carinthia and leaves a huge gap. The sympathy of the state is with the family and friends of Stefan Ofner in these difficult hours. My heartfelt condolences,’ said the Governor.

‘A remarkable person’
‘Stefan Ofner was keen to make people laugh, but also to make them think and address social and political issues. The cultural scene is mourning the loss of a great talent and a remarkable person, who leaves a big gap not only in the theatre landscape,’ say Villach's mayor Günther Albel and cultural advisor Gerda Sandriesser.

Source: kaernten.orf.at