In 1992, she met the director Peter Zadek during an audition.  Under the direction of Zadek, she then performed at the Berliner Ensemble and at the Münchner Kammerspiele. Zadek occupied her in 1993 (premiere: June 13, 1993) as housemaid Edvige in his first own production as co-director of the Berliner Ensemble in the stage version of The Miracle of Milan, after the novel The Miracle of Bamba (original title: Totò il buono) by Cesare Zavattini. Other roles of Kaufmann under Zadek's direction were then at the Berliner Ensemble, inter alia, Jessica in The Merchant of Venice (season 1993/94 and season 1994/95), Charmion (servant Cleopatra) in Antony and Cleopatra (Premiere: season 1994/95) and the Deceased daughter Bridget in moonlight by Harold Pinter (Premiere: season 1994/95). In the season 1994/95 she had a guest engagement at the Landestheater Stralsund; she played the title role in Maria Stuart.Along with Lambert Hamel, Thomas Holtzmann and Christa Berndl Kaufmann appeared at the Münchner Kammerspiele in the world premiere of Zadek's production Alice in Wonderland (based on motifs by Lewis Carroll); the premiere was in December 1996.  At the Munich Kammerspiele followed in the season 1996/97 (premiere: October 1996) the role of Lady Anne in Zadek's Richard III staging; her partner was Paulus Manker as Gloucester. Deborah also performed with this production at the Wiener Festwochen.From the season 2003/04 (premiere: April 2004) she played at the Berliner Ensemble, again under the direction of Peter Zadek, the role of Ingrid in his Peer Gynt staging.