Oded Kotler

• Name — Oded Kotler • Native Name — עודד קוטלר • Born — 5 May 1937 • Birthplace — Tel Aviv, Israel • Occupation — Actor Theatre director • Years Active — 1960–present

Born in Tel Aviv, Kotler began his theatrical engagement early, acting and directing in high school. At 17, he secured his first commercial role in the play Tea and Sympathy in the Ha'Ohel Theatre. His mandatory military service as an actor and director in the Central Command Entertainment Troupe. Following his discharge, he performed in the renowned "Batzal Yarok" troupe and acted in major venues like the Ha'Ohel and Habima Theatres.

Kotler's defining impact on Israeli theater stems from his roles as a founder and artistic director. In the mid-1960s, he co-founded the ensemble "Bamat Ha'Sakhanim" (The Actors' Stage), which focused on contemporary original works. • Illustration — Oded Kotler and Hanoch Levin during work on the play "The Patriot," 1982. From the Dan Hadani Collection, The National Library of Israel. His first major institutional role was as the Artistic Director of the Haifa Theatre from 1970 to 1978. Under his leadership, the Haifa Theatre became known as a center for developing new Israeli plays that directly addressed the country's social and political realities. As artistic director, he championed works by artists who would become central figures in Israeli culture, such as Hanoch Levin, and later Edna Mazia, and Nissim Aloni. In the 1980', he continued his work in founding and directing new venues, including the Neve Tzedek Theatre Center (1980) and co-founding the innovative Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre. From 1985 to 1990, he directed the Israel Festival. He later returned to the Haifa Theater as Artistic Director from 1990 to 1998, continuing to champion original work while managing institutional challenges. • Illustration — Oded Kotler and Liora Rivlin in the play The Banality of Love (Hebrew title: Ha'banaliyut Shel Ha'ahava), by Savyon Liebrecht, directed by Avishai Milshtein, at the Beit Lessin Theater, 2009. Kotler has consistently used the theatre as a platform for social commentary, notably staging the play Muvtal Nolad (An Unemployed is Born) in 2005, criticizing the growing materialism and indifference in Israeli society. His commitment to politically charged art was also evident in his work at the short-lived Herzliya Ensemble Theatre (2011–2013).

In his youth, Kotler was the partner of actress Gila Almagor. He was also married to the poet Tirza Atar, and later married actress Liora Rivlin, with whom he has twins: the actress Nina Kotler and the cinematographer Amnon Kotler. For over forty years, he has been married to Ordit, a cousin of Tirza Atar and the daughter of Akiva Atzmon, who was the commander of the Gadna Command. The couple has one son, Daniel Kotler.

• Three Days and a Child (1967) • Every Bastard a King (1968) • My Michael (1976)

His recorded language was Hebrew. He married Liora Rivlin and Tirtza Atar. One child is recorded: Nina Kotler.