Amsterdam actress Sairah Erens says the real drama is running a company
For most of her career, Sairah Erens has found joy on stage, where she feels the most relaxed, confident, and in her element. The spotlight is not where the Venlo-born, Amsterdam-based actress feels most exposed; it’s in the struggle to keep the lights on at the Orange Theatre Company (OTC), the live theater group she co-founded in 2018.
OTC is an outlier in the theatre scene in the Netherlands, as it is one of the few companies exclusively offering performances in English. This endeavour marked the Dutch actress's debut as a creative director and founder.
Erens has discovered this past decade that the greatest challenge, and vulnerability, lies in the business of art, not the performance itself. She clearly knows who she is as an actress, but she is still figuring out who she is as an entrepreneur. That said, this role may not be the one she expected to land in acting school, but it’s a journey she has been grateful for nonetheless.
As an old friend of host Zack Newmark, Erens stopped by the Dam Yankee Podcast, in partnership with NL Times, to give an update on her current projects.
Dam Yankee: What do you think your life would look like if you stayed in the Netherlands and hadn’t gotten your start in London and New York?
Sairah Erens: If I had found success in the Dutch industry when I came back from London—or if I had gone to drama school here—I might never have started Orange Theatre Company. But I really believe this is my path. Yes, I'm an actor, but apparently my route involves being entrepreneurial too. And through that, I get to bring in values I care about, like connecting people and building networks.
That's the kind of actor I am right now. No, I'm not always on stage. No, I haven’t been in big films or series. But I know who I am as a human being and as a creative. I'm actually pretty proud of where I’m at. I also know that I’m skilled. And I know there are a lot of creatives who put in the work, do everything they’re "supposed to do," and still don’t end up with the career they imagined when they were 25.
But if you really love the craft, and I’ve figured that out, then that’s what matters. I’m 38 now, and I still love what I’m doing.
DY: Which of the two lives you lead makes you feel more vulnerable? On one hand, you're performing on stage as Vanda Jordan in Venus in Fur—a role that involves a more erotic appearance and deals with complex themes, like power dynamics in relationships and the struggles between men and women.
On the other hand, you're running a theatre company that’s fighting to gain recognition, to secure funding, and to juggle the time commitment alongside your professional and personal life. Both of these seem like incredibly vulnerable positions to be in.
SE: When I’m acting in Venus in Fur, that’s pure joy. It’s actually relaxing. Running the company—that’s where the struggle and vulnerability come in.
When I’m acting, I feel like I’m the best version of myself. I don’t feel vulnerable at all. The parameters are clear: here’s your text, here’s what you’ve discussed with the other actor, here’s what the director wants—and then you just get to have fun and let go. I absolutely love acting. No, I don’t feel vulnerable there.
Even if someone says my performance wasn’t up to par or it didn’t meet their expectations, I honestly think, “Okay, you can’t please everyone.” It’s subjective. And I’m okay with that.
When we meet the audience after the show and you can sense that feeling of elation—like they’ve been transported for an hour and a half, they’ve been entertained or challenged in a way they wouldn’t have been just sitting at home watching a series. Then I’m just super proud.
At that point, whatever critics or reviewers say doesn’t really matter. Because if you start taking reviews too seriously, whether good or bad, it can mess with your head.
DY: What can you tell us about the series that you’ve created?
SE: It’s about Europe. I was watching a lot of TV series—mostly ones about American politics, like Homeland, House of Cards, that kind of stuff. And I kept thinking Americans are so good at this genre. So why isn’t there a series about Europe? About the European Union?
There’s still no real series that focuses on us, as Europeans—and how we’re navigating things in 2025, heading into 2026. That’s the show I want to see.
While waiting for the next developments with Sairah’s show, keep an eye on all things happening at Orange Theatre Company. From November 13 - 23, they will be staging the Laramie Project for the first time in the Netherlands. The Laramie project is a play comprised of real life interviews that took place surrounding the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie Wyoming.
Tickets can be purchased on the OTC website for between 28 and 31 euros with discounted prices for students at 18.50 euros.
Listen to this entire episode of Dam Yankee wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full videos on YouTube. Sairah goes on to give us a piece of her mind on the European Union, explains how she met her business partner, and the writer who inspires her most.
