Artistic Director of New Riga Theater (Jaunais Rīgas Teātris) since 1997, Alvis Hermanis is presently one of the most interesting and creative directors of theater in Latvia, whose work is well known also beyond its borders. He has received the prestigeous Young Directors Project Award for the performance Inspector General (Revidents) in Salzbourg Theatre Festival (2003). Hermanis has graduated from Theater Art Department at the Latvia State Conservatory (1988), and has had a stage at Paris International Youth Theater Attellier (1990). Since 1993, Alvis Hermanis stages plays at the New Riga Theater. His plays are characterized by playing around with different theater styles and esthetics, cultural marks of the East and the West. Hermanis does not create from the pieces and fragments of foreign theater experience, but builds original combinations, using images and symbols from different periods of world culture and history, basing on his own conceptions, inner visions and fantasy. The New Riga Theater led by him can be regarded as a base camp of searchers for the limits of a new theatrical experience and the truth. Along with the classial style Arbuzov’s Mans nabaga Marats (My Poor Marat) in 1997 or Garā dzīve (Long Life) in 2003, there is a use of marionette theater in Stāsts par Kasparu Hauzeru (The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser) in 2003, or a mix of different media and viewpoints in Tālāk (Further) in 2004.

Hermanis is often an actor in his own plays. At the same time, he has also had successes participating in the plays of other directors. In 2004, he was nominated for Best Actor of the Year for Jean’s role in Jūlijas jaunkundze (Miss Julia) (Director Māra Ķimele), and has also taken roles in several movies. 

Along with his work at the New Riga Theater, Hermanis has staged plays in Tallinn, Estonia, at the Latvian National Opera and in Frankfurt, Germany.

The plays directed by Hermanis have often received the highest praise among Latvia’s professionals. In 1993, he received an award for Best Debut as Director and the Play of the Year, in 2000 – 2004 he has received the annual awards both for the Best Director and the Play of the Year. Hermanis has also received Latvia Grand Music Award for staging the Latvian opera Uguns un nakts (Fire and Night) in 1996.

With his New Riga Theater, he has participated in festivals in Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Austria, USA, Canada, France, Belguim, Switzerland, Hungary, Netherlands, Italia, Serbia and Montenegro.

April 29 of 2007 in Greece, Thessaloniki Alvis Hermanis received the prestigious award of European theatre "New Reality of Theatre" established in order to encourage new tendencies and initiatives in the theatre.