The "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest (TNB) is defining its new strategic vision for the coming period, aimed at strengthening its status as the country's leading stage. NTB aims to become a living cultural space, anchored in the realities of society and recognized as an essential node in the European theatre network. Thus, starting this season, the institution's repertoire will be structured around seven major programs. This complex system ensures a balanced ratio between the aesthetic and thematic diversity of the productions, while also streamlining the theatre's internal organization. The main goal of the new strategy is to strengthen a permanent and open dialogue with the audience. The seven programs that will define NTB's activity starting with the new season opening in early September are: 1. Teatrokosmos (The Pillar of Great Productions)Dedicated to the great works of classical and contemporary, Romanian and universal dramaturgy. The program brings to the wider public large-scale productions, stage adaptations, and original scripts, creating a dialogue between humanity's fundamental texts and the questions of the present. 2. Sensorium (Theatre, Emotion, and Technology)An innovative program that transforms the performance hall into a space of aesthetic exploration, proposing the meeting of art and technology. Multimedia technology, virtual reality, dance theatre, and musicals come together to stimulate all the spectator's senses. It is dedicated primarily to young audiences, but also to the general public eager for new experiences. 3. Agora (Theatre and Community)This program will draw on dramaturgy with strong social impact, offering productions on pressing social themes, based on documentary research and urban memory. The program will challenge the general public to turn the cultural experience into an active debate and a civic exercise. 4. Genesis (Incubator of New Generations)A launching platform for young artists and a hub of cultural innovation. The program combines research with production, giving emerging artists the resources needed to turn contemporary visions into landmark productions. The program encourages current dramaturgy and theatrical education, aimed especially at young people, but also at the general public. 5. Proscenium (Laboratory of Excellence)A program dedicated exclusively to the professional development of the NTB team and the training of future specialists in stagecraft. It includes laboratory-productions, workshops, and masterclasses, the results of which will be presented periodically to the public. 6. Axis (National and International Openness)A program aimed at NTB's national and international connectivity within international theatre networks: it will include, in NTB's mobility platform, national and international co-produced or guest productions, and will take the form of sets of performances for each production within the program. 7. Sirinx (Theatre in Unconventional Spaces)A dynamic program offering theatre, music, dance, film, and experimental performance shows in unusual spaces and at various hours. The project is aimed at the general public, but also seeks to attract spectators who do not usually attend the theatre. The repertoire architecture proposed by NTB's manager, Ada Hausvater, builds NTB's profile as an essential civic landmark, a place of encounter, reflection, and cultural joy for the entire community. We remind you that starting September 5, 2026, the doors of the National Theatre will reopen wide to the public, with a rich offer of more than 80 performances scheduled night after night throughout the month of September, in all 5 performance halls under the theatre's roof: the "Ion Caramitru" Hall, Studio, Pictura, Atelier, and the Small Hall. Tickets can be purchased both online and in person, at NTB's recently reopened Ticket Agency.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

The open-air amphitheater of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest reopens on August 4, 2026, ushering in a new summer season in a venue unique in Romania, 24 meters above University Square. Electrifying concerts and a variety of theater performances make up the program for “Summer Nights, Up on the Theater, in the cool late-August evenings. This year’s program brings together artists who wanted to return to the charm of evenings spent under the open sky—from the Mădălina Pavăl Orchestra to Ada Milea, Luiza Zan, and Oana Pellea and Lari Giorgescu in "The Little Prince"—as well as names who will take the stage at the Amphitheater for the first time. The audience will enjoy seeing well-known artists—the band Taxi, Mihail—and will discover unconventional offerings, such as the modern and thrilling adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy in "Othello Hip Hop", or the beloved show The Placebo (D)Effect, which returns in a new format to the venue it inaugurated in 2019. The TNB Amphitheater’s program is available on tnb.ro and bilet.ro. Tickets can be purchased exclusively online, and starting August 24, they will also be available at the NTB Box Office. "Summer Nights, Up on the Theater" at the Open-Air Amphitheater is a program put together by the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater Association of Bucharest and is sponsored by PPC Romania. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

The Bucharest National Theater’s production, Any Other Candidates? a play-concert based on A Lost Letter by I.L. Caragiale, has been selected for the program of the 36th edition of the National Theater Festival, which will take place from October 16 to 25, 2026. The festival’s curatorial team—composed this year of theater critics Raluca Cîrciumaru, Alina Epîngeac, and Sebastian-Vlad Popa—has included the NTB production on an exclusive list of 36 titles that define the excellence and complexity of this year’s Romanian theater scene. The concert-performance Any Other Candidates?, whose concept, adaptation, music, and songs were created by the well-known artist Ada Milea, stands as undeniable proof of the creative strength of the show’s artistic team—a team that brings together actors Petre Ancuța, Emilian Mârnea, Florin Călbăjos, Laura Gabriela Oana, Aylin Cadîr, Tiberiu Enache, Natalia Călin, Emilia Popescu, Mihai Munteniță, Silviu Biriș, Vitalie Bichir, Alina Petrică, and Florentina Țilea. The creative team is rounded out by Anca Hanu (co-writer of the songs, alongside Ada Milea), set designer Maria Constantin, and choreographer Florin Fieroiu, with sound design by Victor Pamfilov and lighting design by Daniel Tiuntiuc. The concert-performance was produced at the National Theater’s “Ion Sava” Center for Theater Research and Creation. In this production—which, incidentally, kicked off the current summer season at the NTB Amphitheater—Ada Milea’s inventiveness meets Caragiale’s genius and the Bucharest National Theater actors’ enthusiasm for the craft, in 70 effervescent and humorous minutes. Met with enthusiastic applause from the audience, "Any Other Candidates?" is a production that has stood out for its originality and the bold way it connects classic satire with current events. Starting with the new season—which opens on September 5, 2026—NTB will present the performance "Any Other Candidates?" in the Pictură Hall. In order to welcome the audience, tickets will go on sale online at www.tnb.ro starting July 10, 2026.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu