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A quarter of a century in which children have become “Storybook Heroes”
The National Theatre for Children is celebrating its 25th anniversary!
This year, on Palm Sunday, we celebrate 25 years in which theater has been not just a performance, but a magical experience! The children who attended our very first performances are now parents themselves, enjoying the magic of theatrical stories alongside their own children. A quarter of a century in which children have become storybook heroes. Sunday after Sunday, season after season, the children have enjoyed a new and unique premiere at the I.L. Caragiale National Theater in Bucharest.
On this anniversary, it is fitting to recall some of the key themes and theatrical magic that define the ingenious project of the Abracadabra Foundation, accepted and co-produced by the TNB since 2001.
The National Theatre for Children - A Never-Ending Sunday
Twenty-five years of laughter, excitement, scraped knees from too much play, wide-eyed wonder, and hands raised toward the stage. Twenty-five years in which stories weren’t just told—they were lived.
In the beginning, there was a man and a belief. Marian Râlea never wanted a theater where children sat quietly in their seats and clapped politely. He wanted a theater where children climb onto the stage. A theater where children are asked questions. Where they are allowed to make mistakes. To choose. To be brave.
This is how a method was born that today defines the identity of the Abracadabra Foundation: Education through play and theater.
A method that doesn’t preach values, but sets them in motion. Truth isn’t solemnly proclaimed—it’s discovered. Courage isn’t explained—it’s practiced. Dignity isn’t imposed—it’s lived.
The child becomes the main character and, for a few minutes, learns how to stand tall in the face of fear.
In the Media Hall at the TNB, every Sunday, young audiences in the capital can discover the joy of play alongside the Storyteller and his team.
A project that extends beyond the theater stage
Over the course of its 25-year partnership, the Abracadabra Foundation has carried out major national and international projects centered on the idea of promoting Romania’s intangible cultural heritage (folk mythology and fairy tales) as well as its architectural heritage —performing in medieval fortresses, archaeological sites, church courtyards, and numerous other spaces whose cultural significance children have discovered through play. Equally important is the educational work the Foundation has carried out, nurturing generations of actors who now master the technique of education through play and theater taught by their teacher—a technique they have carried forward into the institutions where they work.
Now in its 25th year, the Abracadabra National Theatre for Children project doesn’t just look back on the past; it also celebrates the power of the present and carries forward the same energy: the energy to inspire every child to believe—“I can do it; I am a magician.”
The anniversary performance of the Abracadabra National Theatre for Children will take place on April 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., in the Media Hall. But throughout the month of April—and starting as early as the last Sunday in March—children are invited to celebrate the anniversary of the Abracadabra National Theatre for Children. The festive spirit will be present in each of these performances.
Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu
