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I have stayed away from the fangs of the media that feeds on conflicts, more or less natural. This has led to a kind of acceptance of an undeserved guilt, I would say. My name is Mircea Rusu. I have been a TNB actor for over 32 years. I have never been a member of any party, organization or political service! I have no sympathy for any group, of any kind! I do not support any state or organization that is not in the interests of my nation! I am nothing but a supporter of Romania! My father raised me in an obvious anti-communist spirit. My paternal grandfather, a notary in Săcele, was the deputy head of the National Peasant Party from Brașov! I'm not pro Putin! On the contrary! I know very well what the Russians have been doing in our country for more than 200 years! From the very beginning, I want to apologize for this media storm created tendentiously, targeted, against my own person. And not necessarily against my person, but against the position that I temporarily hold. For the World Theater Day, I wanted to have an event at the National Theater from Bucharest, a tribute to the theater that guides our destinies, to us, the artists, the technicians and all the people working in this sector. Thus, I accepted the proposal of Dan Puric, who has been an actor of the National Theater from Bucharest for decades, to hold a conference / show. Only with the theme stated above! I emphasize that this "cultural show" kept the promise with unquestionable discipline. However, on the seats of the Studio Hall and on the bookstands containing the volumes of the artist, some copies of the "Certitudinea" newspaper were placed. Even if said publication is sold through kiosks, it should not have found its way into our theater without our consent! I do not intend to absolve myself of the obvious guilt, but the responsibility for such decisions lies exclusively with the event organizer, in this case "Forward Media & Advertising". I resolutely delimit myself from the subversive action that took place on Sunday morning! Instead of a celebration of the theater, we have witnessed an intent to lay it in the ground. Those who orchestrated the action managed to destabilize a balance that was quite obvious. They have won another battle, but there is a long "rebellion"! I receive messages of support from the true values of the Romanian theater, but these come from discreet people, who do not want to tarnish their personality in the media mud. Artificially created, I would say. This is happening right when at the National Theater, the greatest values of the Romanian theater were called! In 2022, the greatest contemporary Romanian directors are directing or will be directing plays! There will be 10 premieres, a unique fact not only in the history of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater, but also in the history of any theater in Romania. I have tried my best to keep the National Theater from Bucharest out of the conflicts that have political implications. It wasn't possible. There is a reactionary group inside the institution, which is shaking the inner atmosphere. They are also joined by political or media forces. Influential or not, their harm to the National Theater is immense. Mircea Rusu

On March 27, 2022, the day when the whole world is celebrating the theater, the National Theater from Bucharest will have a day of sustained activity on the stages of the theater, but also in the rehearsal rooms where the premieres for the next months are being prepared. Actors of the National Theater of Bucharest from different generations will show up on stage, in all the 6 halls of the theater, involved in performances from the current repertoire but also in other events scheduled for this date. At the Ion Caramitru Hall, starting at 8 pm, Francis Veber's Dinner Game proposes a frothy comedy, to everyone's taste, directed by Ion Caramitru, now starring Horaţiu Mălăele and Mircea Rusu. A record show in terms of longevity, one of the most loved and watched titles of the National Theater of the last decade. At the Studio Hall, starting at 7 pm, the play Little Hell by Mircea Ștefănescu directed by Mircea Cornişteanu, a very successful staging, a comedy about the “marital hell”, as some call the matrimonial institution, a show that proposes to the contemporary public - for which a marriage of more than four decades may seem like a pure utopia - a compliment to the family life. A text that nowadays is still as real as it was in 1948. At the Black Box Hall, starting at 8 pm - The Anonymous Venetian, directed by Ion Caramitru, a long-lived show, which recently exceeded 150 performances. An impressive love story. A sensitive, profound show, sometimes ironic and always emotional. She and He live their love beyond time, in a Venice of eternal music and beauty. At the Black Box Hall, starting at 7.30 pm - Stupid Fucking Bird by Aaron Posner. This is a performance staged within the "Open Doors for All" program, which brings the actor Răzvan Oprea for the first time to TNB as director. A modern, provocative, explosive show, a fresh approach of a classic of the universal drama, A.P. Chekhov, and one of his most famous plays, The Seagull. At the Small Hall, at 7 pm - The Girl Soldier by Mihaela Michailov, directed by the young Silvia Roman. A show within the program for the young generation of theater creators (9G at TNB), a story for all ages and all times, always carrying with it the scent of childhood. The world seen through the eyes of a 9-year-old girl is full of candor and unpredictable like a serious game of life and death. The National Theater from Bucharest will also be present in the online environment, broadcasting the conference of the playwright Matei Vişniec, entitled Theater and journalism (mutual influences), held in 2016, within the program "Conferences of the National Theater". The conference can be watched on TNB's Youtube channel between 10 am and 10 pm. On March 27, in the morning and during the day, there will be several other events co-produced or hosted only by the National Theater. Starting at noon, the Foaier on the 1st floor (Tapestry), at the "Ion Caramitru" Hall will host the release of the monograph Life and Theater, Theater and Life, dedicated to the great actor Constantin Dinulescu, published by the publishing house "Ecou Transilvan" fom Cluj-Napoca. The author of the book is the journalist and writer Ion Moldovan. Presented by: critics Irina Margareta Nistor and Ileana Lucaciu. The public is invited to discover lesser-known places in the new spaces of the theater, generated after the reconstruction and remodeling of the building, and to find out unique details during the Free Guided Tours, scheduled from 3 pm and 5 pm (details on the theater's website, www.tnb.ro). Starting from 11 am, at the Studio Hall, the actor Dan Puric, presents the show-conference, entitled I'm back, organized by the "SPECTACULIS" Entrepreneurship Agency, which is also a one man show in the specific manner of this actor. At the Media Hall, starting at 11 am, one of the beloved performances of the Abracadabra National Children's Theater will take place, a project co-produced in association with TNB for over 20 years (more precisely 21, this year on Palm Sunday). Shows given by the Magician of the Stories, as the children know the actor Marian Râlea, together with his team. Every Sunday, sometimes on Saturdays, the youngest viewers of TNB become heroic storytellers. Interactive theater for children of 4 to 10 years old. Also at the Media Hall, starting at 6.30 pm, an independent show hosted by TNB, The word coming along - music and poetry (written by Julian Gamentz), will be performed for charity, by Irina Movilă, actress of the National Theater, accompanied by Andrei Cavassi with his cello. The two artists invite you on a journey of the soul through this times of illusion and disillusionment, of possibility and helplessness, of love and hate, of war and peace. The proceeds will be donated to the benefit of Ukrainian refugees. In his message for the World Theater Day, Peter Sellars - the well-known theater, opera and festival director, reminds us that… “It is time for a deep refreshment of our minds, senses, imaginations, histories and futures. It is a work that cannot be done in isolation, by people who work alone. It's a work that needs to be done together. The theater invites us to do this together." The full message will be read on the stage, in each hall, before the beginning of the performance. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

  On Tuesday afternoon, the Minister of Culture, Mr. Lucian Romașcanu, had a working meeting with the entire staff of the National Theater from Bucharest. The meeting lasted more than two hours and was attended by both TNB actors and the technical and administrative teams of this institution. During the meeting the most pressing issues that the institution faces were approached, issues that are related to expenses, bills and salaries, but also issues related to the recent discussions that took place in the public space. However, the main initiators of the steps so much promoted by the media in the recent days did not participate in the latter. "I am extremely careful and eager to make everything that depends on the Ministry of Culture work, of course, in accordance with the needs and desires of the actors and employees of this theater. You all need to benefit from comfort, understanding, and an environment that facilitates the creation and, in all this ensemble, a space that can lead you to performance, and a part of all this belongs to us”, the Minister of Culture, Lucian Romașcanu, stated in front of those present in the beginning of the meeting. The first to speak was the actor Marius Manole, who wanted to know when will the public contest for the position of general manager of the National Theater take place and why has it not been organized yet. The actor asked the Minister of Culture for assurances about the transparency of this contest. With the promise of a transparent selection, this contest will take place, according to the Minister of Culture, during the summer, after the end of the current season: "I assure you that I am very open to do what needs to be done, provided that what is happening is accepted and moves forward. In the social and artistic environment there is a special need to challenge our leaders. It is natural, it leads to progress, but it must not block what is happening. I'm happy that Mr. Mircea Rusu is the interim manager and the season is ok, a few days ago I was here attending a play, the theater was full, the sales of tickets are growing, people are happy. I hope that whoever comes to fill this position for a full term, will make things work just as well.” The Minister, Mr. Lucian Romașcanu was informed about the need to purchase stage equipment, but also about the need to schedule the theater's repertoire for a longer period. The issue of the type of contracts for the staff of the theater and of the specific legislation in this field was also raised. "I would like to have an open discussion on the status of the cultural worker, because we have an obligation through the PNRR to elaborate it. I am delighted with the desire of those in the room to be part of the working group that will be set up within the Ministry for the elaboration of a law dedicated to the status of the cultural worker", said the minister. Regarding the issues of young actors who do not yet have commitments in theaters, a possible solution proposed by the Minister of Culture would be to implement the program "9G at TNB" nationally as it is a real success. Lucian Romașcanu expressed his hope that this idea will be supported by the local authorities as well. The issue of the acute need for technical staff faced by the Bucharest National Theater was raised again, an older issue that came to the public's attention through intense media coverage in the summer of 2019, when the budget cuts applied to cultural institutions imposed the termination of the contract with theater performance technicians who, in the absence of positions in the staff scheme, had been hired through an employment agency. In support of the continuation of the contracts with the technical colleagues, the actors, together with several employees of the National Theater, protested, then, spontaneously, in Victoriei Square. Following the protest and the insistent requests of the TNB management, a meeting of the National Theater Directorate took place with representatives of the Government from that time. Thus, the dismissed technicians were rehired immediately. Unfortunately, with the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, TNB had to suspend these contracts again, so the issue regarding the lack of the technical staff of the theater still needs to be resolved as soon as possible. The discussion with the Minister of Culture was also attended by the interim general manager of TNB, Mircea Rusu and the artistic director of the theater, Marius Bodochi. Among the actors who asked questions or came up with ideas during this meeting were Mihai Calotă, Gavril Pătru, Alexandru Bindea, Monica Davidescu, Liliana Hodorogea, Răzvan Oprea, Ioan Andrei Ionescu and Marius Manole, the leader of the TNB actors' union. Referring to the discussions recently reflected in the press, around the National Theater, the Minister of Culture called for dialogue. "Every trade union must be a dialogue partner and not a part of the front. The union must do its job, it's very good that you make your voice heard, that you are putting pressure! But before pressure, it's good to have a dialogue. In my opinion, it is good to stay in the area of defending the rights of the actors, within the frontiers of the theater as in industry, for the theater.” Lucian Romașcanu promised that he will return in the immediate future with answers to all the questions, doubts and wishes of TNB employees and that such meetings with the representatives of the institutions subordinated to the Ministry of Culture will be more frequent. "I think it's a gesture of normalcy to have this kind of meetings. I am extremely careful and eager to do everything I can to make what depends on the Ministry of Culture work (and the National Theater one of the first places). You, the employees, the actors, you are the ones putting your lives in the service of this theater and you have to have material and spiritual comfort, you have to be understood, you have to have an environment that facilitates the creative process. It was a joy to be among those who are constantly working on this fine fabric which is the Romanian culture and which continues to make TNB a landmark institution. I thank everyone for the openness with which they communicated and for the presence in such large numbers. We managed to identify the priorities together, we clarified a series of misunderstandings and we will come up with specific solutions", the minister said at the end of the meeting.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

iMapp Bucharest, the most notorious New Media Art event in Romania, present in the top 3 video mapping contests worldwide, organized by the Bucharest City Hall, through CREART, joins the initiative „Enlightenment Solidarity Project - #ArtistsUnitedforPeace”, projecting on Saturday, March 19, 2022 (20:30 to 23:00) the international solidarity campaign on the facade of the „IL Caragiale ” National Theater. Launched in the current context by the traditional partners of iMapp Bucharest - Maxin10sity (Hungary) and Borealis - a Festival of Light (S.U.A.), the international solidarity campaign Enlightenment was made possible due to a rapid mobilization of only one week, with the pro bono support of over 35 visual artists and light festivals from around the world. During these times, more than ever, it is time for love and peace. People need hope, love, encouragement and support. Together, through art, we can connect the whole world and support peace. In the hardest times of mankind, art has always fulfilled its same noble mission: to support unity and to emphasize what is best in people. Thus, under the motto Enlightenment, #ArtistsUnitedforPeace, international visual artists were invited to create works lasting 10-15 seconds based on the theme of the initiative. Compiled in a single video, these works of art will be screened in different cities around the world on the weekend of March 19 - 20, 2022, and the animations, through their creative force, will highlight the joint efforts to maintain hope through a message of love, solidarity and support. The campaign will also feature a video with drawings made by children from Hungary and Italy; also, The USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal, Czech Republic, Poland, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Australia, Japan, Canada, Thailand and Romania are just some of the countries where the International Solidarity Campaign will be launched, with over 30 cities around the world supporting the project that emphasizes the ability of art to unite and transcend time and space through the power of its healing messages. This is not the first initiative of this kind for iMapp Bucharest. In 2020, during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, iMapp Bucharest launched the solidarity campaign named „One World. One Heart.”; in this campaign 46 international audiovisual artists created 3D animations, starting from the same element - a heart, brought together in a single video that was projected simultaneously, on April 17, on the facades of buildings around the world, respectively from Bucharest, Budapest, Lyon, Kyiv, Paris, Moscow, Monterrey, Seattle, Asker. The campaign „One World. One Heart.” was declared the winner of the „AV IN ACTION” category at the AV AWARDS in London - the renowned international competition that recognizes and rewards excellence in the entire audiovisual industry, organized by AV Magazine in the UK. Organizer: Bucharest City Hall, through CREART With the support of the „I.L. Caragiale” National Theater from Bucharest   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

A performance presented under the auspices of the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Bucharest in partnership with the The "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest. With a single performance to take place on Monday, March 14, 2022, at 20.00, in the "Sala Pictură" of the National Theater "I.L. Caragiale", Horokyttaro Thessalonikis presents The Eulogy of Medea, a psychography of the tragic heroine of Euripides based on sound, words and movement. This is a one woman show performed by the Greek choreographer Amalia Strinopoulou, who is also signing the adaptation and directing of the show. The adaptation is based on the translation made by Pantelis Prevelakis. Euripides, always current, the most tragic of all, according to Aristotle, bold and innovative, intellectual and poet, transfers into tragedy the psychology of the woman who rebels against betrayal, opposes the absurd orders of those holding the power, transcends herself, infringes values and violates moral barriers on the altar of absolute love and devotion, but is ruthless to the point of self-destruction when it comes to punishing those who have wronged her. The coexistence and cooperation of these two nations, the union of the traditions, the common visions, and the joint enthusiasm of the artistic creation are the best way to bring together people from different cultures and customs, for them to open paths together, find new ways of expression, and evolve. The areas where all these goals can be achieved are the theater, music and dance. Amalia Strinopoulou was born in Grevena. She lives and works in Thessaloniki and Bucharest. She studied English philology at the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and dance in America. She is a solo dancer, dance teacher and set designer. She also founded the Horokyttaro and Vertige dance bands. The performance features Romanian subtitles; duration 1 hour. Starting with February 26, tickets can be purchased at the Ticket Office of the National Theater in Bucharest, as well as online, on www.mystage.ro Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu    Details   

We inform you that, starting with March 9, 2022, with the cessation of the state of alert in Romania and the lifting of all restrictions adopted to prevent and combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance halls of TNB operate at 100% capacity, and the access of the spectators is no longer conditioned on presenting a green certificate or other evidence. Wearing a mask in crowded enclosed spaces is recommended.

It is terribly difficult to talk about Ion Caramitru in the past! And the words seem to be poor and incoherent when you want to express the grief, the love, and the respect for someone who has marked a good part of your existence... both personally and in the guild you serve. Today would have been his 80th birthday. He didn't like to be celebrated, March 9th was a day like any other for him. Just another day dedicated to the theater. And if Ion Caramitru lived through theater, breathed theater day by day, how can we keep his memory alive if not through theater?! We try to stop time and remember with joy the magic he created on stage, through a few recordings, fragments of his vast work in the service of the theater, gathered as if during two lives. It is not a space of the exhaustive, because it would not even be possible to gather in one place everything that went through the hands, the thought and the soul of Ion Caramitru. As of today, on the Uniter website, there is a new page dedicated to the memory of the man of culture Ion Caramitru, the president of UNITER for 31 years. We invite you to rediscover some of the shows filmed on the stages on which this great artist performed as an actor or directed plays, radio theater performances of which he was the protagonist, photos from the projects in which he was involved, as well as radio and television shows. An incomplete testimony... But it would be a shame to stop: About how the world moves. About what people want. What they are about. From the moment they are born until they die And even later. Tonight we got here. We'll start again tomorrow. Ion Caramitru   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

  At the initiative of the TNB Actors' Union, supported also by the management of this institution, the tour bus of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theater has left on Monday morning (February 28, 2022) for Suceava, to support the actions aimed at helping the refugees from Ukraine. The TNB Actors' Union will bear all the expenses necessary for this action, which is the first one of this kind prepared by the TNB team. Starting from Tuesday, the 1st of March, 2022, before each performance taking place within TNB, there will be a 1-minute audio Prayer for Peace broadcasted, read by the poet Ana Blandiana and produced by Radio Romania Cultural. Radio Romania Cultural has invited all cultural institutions to join the "Prayer for Peace" campaign, by broadcasting before the beginning of their performances, a strongly emotional fragment belonging to the author Svetlana Aleksievici, from the volume "The Last Witnesses", published by Litera Publishing House. The proposed fragment calls for solidarity, empathy and compassion with the tragedy caused by the war in Ukraine and will be read by the Romanian poet Ana Blandiana. By broadcasting this message, the National Theater joins the campaign initiated by Radio Romania Cultural "Prayer for Peace". Following the broadcasting of this message, there will be a moment of silence for the Ukrainian war victims. The Free Trade Union of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theater (the Technical Staff Union of TNB) joins the TNB Actors' Union in their actions to help Ukrainian refugees. There will be packages with food and necessities prepared, and these will be distributed to the refugees who will arrive in Bucharest by the tour bus provided by TNB. We will keep you posted, as further specific actions will be carried out. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

On the Day of the Union of the Romanian Principalities, 24 January 2022, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre offers free guided tours at 12.00, 2.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. (subject to availability, in order of registration). Registration can be made on 21, 22 and 23 January 2022, between 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m., by calling 021 314.71.71 (NTB Ticket Office). The maximum number of visitors for 1 tour is 15 people. Meeting point with Ionuț Corpaci for guided tours: in front of the Box Office in the foyer of the NTB "Ion Caramitru" Hall. Access by green card only. Masks must be worn throughout the visit. As of 6.00 p.m., spectators will be greeted at the entrance to the Ion Caramitru Hall by the three colours of the national flag projected on the façade of the building. NTB-TV, NTB's YouTube channel, invites you to watch on your tablets, phones or at home on TV, starting at 6:00 p.m., a lecture given by Bogdan Aurescu in 2013, at the National Theatre of Bucharest, entitled National interest and the topicality of sovereignty. Romania's foreign policy and the winner's paradigm.   Is the concept of national interest still relevant in a deeply globalised and acutely interdependent world? What is the national interest? Is state sovereignty still necessary and, if so, what does it look like today? What is the national interest for Romania from a foreign policy perspective? What are the means whereby Romania's national interest, from a foreign policy perspective, can be better and more effectively achieved? Can we use the lessons learnt so far from the major foreign policy issues that Romania has successfully resolved? Can we talk about - or build - a "winner's paradigm" in Romania's foreign policy? The conference "The national interest and the topicality of sovereignty: Romania's foreign policy and the winner's paradigm" will try to give a reasoned answer to these questions. As far as performances are concerned, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest is waiting for you to cross its doorstep on the Holiday, too! The NTB programme is available here. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

The Romanian Theatre Tour to Bucharest, Iasi and Kishinev continues! At the beginning of this year too, the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre from Kishinev will be present on the NTB stage with a recent show from the current repertoire, double prize winner at the UNITEM Gala, a story filled with spicy stories, performed by a great cast. With only one performance (!), on January 16th, 2022, at 7.00 p.m., at the Studio Hall, the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre (TNME) of Kishinev presents Hamlet in Spicy Sauce after Aldo Nicolaj, directed by Alexandru Cozub, scenography by Iurie Matei and costumes by Tatiana Popescu. In the cast, well-known TNME actors, already well-known to our audience: Petru Hadârcă, Angela Ciobanu, Diana Decuseară, Dan Melnic, Ghenadie Gâlcă, Margareta Pântea, Iurie Focșa, Mihai Zubcu, Alexandru Pleșca / Igor Babiac. The show premiered on 30 November 2020, and at the recently concluded UNITEM Awards Gala 2021, 20th anniversary edition, it won the following awards for Best Male Performance - Petru Hadârcă, for the role of Froggy, and Best Theatre Costumes - Tatiana Popescu. The plot takes place in Elsinore Castle, but not in the throne hall, but in the royal kitchen, where the master chef Froggy, from ladle, knives and glasses, clears up the tragedy of the Danish prince haunted by chimeras; and even, for more effect, out of jealousy and wounded love, puts on the armour of the old Hamlet. In the kitchen the suckling pigs sizzle, the wild boar is cooked in oak wood, the pigeon pudding à la Pericles is simmered over a low fire, the marinated cow's tongue à la Tutankhamun is perked. The kitchen becomes a battleground - it's true, it's only the roast that's in the blood... the rest is spice. The show is not recommended for young people under 16!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu