Troupe

In 1968 he graduated from the Bucharest Theater and Cinematography Institute, Radu Penciulescu class.

He made his debut at the Youth Theater in Piatra Neamt with the plays “Arden of Feversham”, by an anonymous English author from the 16th century, “Julius Caesar” by Shakespeare, “The Good Person of Szechwan” by Bertolt Brecht. In 1971 he was invited by Ellen Stewart, director of the “La MaMa MaMa” company, to New York, USA, on a Ford scholarship. He was an immediate success, following which Peter Brook invited him to his theatrical research center, where Andrei Serban collaborated in the realization of several performances

Professional career

As a director, he staged plays and operas in 39 countries.

In the U.S., he was associated with Robert Brustein's American Repertory Theatre Company for 20 years, beginning in 1970. He has also worked with La MaMaMa Theatre, the Public Theatre, Lincoln Centre, Circle in the Square, Yale Repertory Theatre, the Guthrie Theatre, the A.C.T., and with New York City, Seattle and Los Angeles Opera.

In Europe, he has worked with the Paris, Geneva, Vienna and Bologna Opera, the Welsh National Opera, Covent Garden, Théâtre de la Ville, Helsinki Lilla Teatern, Teatrul National Bucharest (1990-1993, as director), La Comédie Française. In Japan he has staged productions for the Shiki Company of Tokyo.

In Romania

Ubu Roi (1966), Julius Caesar (1968) - the play that won him several prizes at international theater competitions, Jonah (1969), the Ancient Trilogy (1990) - considered the most original staging of Greek tragedy of the end of the 20th century. He has been invited to international theater festivals in Milan, Paris, Sao Paolo, Salzburg and Edinburgh.

Director of the Bucharest National Theater (1990 - 1993)

Since 2006 he is back in force, staging several important performances in the country: The Seagull by Chekhov, at the Radu Stanca Theatre in Sibiu, Confession at Tanacu, after the homonym by Tatiana Niculescu Bran, Cleansed by Sarah Kane, at the National Theatre in Cluj, Uncle Vanya by Chekhov, at the Hungarian Theatre in Cluj, for which he received two UNITER awards, for best direction and best performance.

In 2008, he staged Shakespeare's Lear at the Bulandra Theatre, a modern version, also awarded with two UNITER prizes.

His last production, in January 2010, was Cries and Whispers, a great performance inspired by Ingmar Bergman's text.

Opera performances

Evgheni Oneghin (1980) at the Welsh National Opera, was the first opera production

Turandot (1984)

Norma (1985)

Fidelio (Covent Garden - 1986)

Paris Opera: The Puritans (1997), L'Ange de feu (1991), Lucia Di Lammermoor (1995), L'Italienne à Alger (1998), Les Indes Galantes (1999)

Academic career

Andrei Serban has been and is a professor at numerous universities: Yale School of Drama, Harvard University, Le Conservatoire de Paris, Stockholm Dramatic School, Theatre School of Tokyo, University of California - San Diego, Pittsburgh Theatre Institute and San Francisco State University, Carnegie-Mellon, Sarah Lawrence, Paris Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique and A. R.T. Institute for Advanced Theatre Training Director of the Oscar Hammerstein Center for the Performing Arts at Columbia University, New York, since 1992

Awards and distinctions

1965 - "Best Performance" award for the play "Head of the Soul Sector", written by Alexandru Mirodan, at the Zagreb International Student Festival

Obie Awards

Tony Award

The Society of Theater Directors and Choreographers honored him for his major impact on theater over the past 20 years, along with 20 other directors

Awards at the Avignon, Shiraz and Belgrade Festivals

Many of his productions have been nominated for Broadway.

Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu