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Arch over time: from "The Great Theatre" at the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre - 170 years of theatre history
At the end of 2022, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest, originally known as the "The Great Theatre", marks 170 years since its foundation and - a significant coincidence! - also 170 years since the birth of its spiritual patron, the great playwright Ion Luca Caragiale. At the same time, the country's first stage is celebrating its 50th season in its current location in University Square, in a building that was reborn in new clothes between 2011 and 2015, marking a new era in its existence, that of "a new theatre for a new audience"...
On December 31, 1852, the lights were turned on for the first time in the Great Theatre (which became the National Theatre in 1876, on the eve of the War of Independence, when Alexandru Odobescu put on the front of the building, with letters cast in bronze, "the name that will endure alongside the Academy and the University as long as the Romanian people will endure".
The newspaper "Vestitorul Românesc" of 3 of January, 1853 recorded the inaugural event as follows: "... at 8 o'clock in the evening, the solemn opening of the new theatre followed. Two days before, people had been running to the theatre's cash desk, hurrying to get tickets for that evening. The inauguration was made by the performance of Zoe or the Borrowed Lover (Scribe's vaudeville - n.n.) by the Romanian actors and several arias and a trio from different operas performed by the most prominent artists of the Italian company under the direction of Mr. Papa Nicola. (...) From 7 o'clock on, the hall was full of people. The elegant and rich outfits of the ladies of the loges reflected their splendor in the ocean of lights of the hall, presenting to the eyes a magical and enchanting sight."
This anniversary year, 2022, during which the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre has had a record number of premieres (14), 17 new exhibitions have been opened within the NTB - Paratheatral - Visual Arts program, the 8th edition of the 9G Program has been launched, the TNB's first own Podcast has been broadcasted (on December 1st), 3 workshops have been held under the aegis of the "Ion Sava" Centre for Theatre Creation and Research and the list of activities does not stop here - ends with the last performances on December 30th, when all the halls and stages will be featuring a performance: Francis Veber's The Dinner game at the Ion Caramitru Hall, Mircea Ștefănescu's Little Hell at the Studio Hall, Aaron Posner's Stupid Fucking Bird at the Pictura Hall, Sam Sheppard's Fool for Love at the Atelier Hall.
Starting on December 30, 2022, spectators will be able to see, in the foyer of the Ion Caramitru Hall, a micro-exhibition created by the NTB Museum - "From the Grand Theatre to the National Theatre - 170 years of history" - evoking moments from the history of the institution through old posters and rare exhibits from the Museum's patrimony. Until the end of January 2023, some objects from the old building of the Great Theatre, saved from the ruins left after the German bombing of Bucharest on August 24, 1944, when the theatre was destroyed, will be exhibited. The exhibition opens on Friday, December 30, 2022, at 11.00, when the first free guided tour of the day is scheduled.
Because, also on these last days of the year, the public interested in visiting the NTB building will be offered, as an anniversary gift, free guided tours: starting at 11 am, 1 pm, 3 pm and 5 pm on Friday, December 30, 2022 and from 11 am and 1 pm on December 31, 2022. The new halls, workshops and backstage of the National Theatre will be open to the public. As usual, the meeting place will be in the foyer of the Ion Caramitru Hall, in front of the ticket agency. We recommend a prior phone reservation by calling 021 314.71.71 - TNB Ticket Agency or 0744 633 188 (Mr Ionuț Corpaci).
On the tower of the main stage, on the evening of December 30, 2022, a succession of images evoking this "arch over time" will be screened to symbolically mark the 170 years of existence of the National Theatre.
We wish our viewers to enjoy the magic of Christmas to the fullest, and may the New Year 2023 bring them the fulfilment of their hopes and make their dreams come true!
Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu
