News

The "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest participated this year in the sixth edition of the Reunion of Romanian National Theatres in Kishinev, an event dedicated to the memory of the actor Ion Caramitru, one of the founders of this event. The show The Beauty of Venice in September brought the actors on the stage of the "Mihai Eminescu" National Theatre of Kishinev, Oana Pellea and Mircea Rusu, who were welcomed with incredible enthusiasm by the Moldovan audience, the two being applauded and cheered for minutes! "An emotion that came from the public, as I have rarely seen in my life! This means that in addition to the fact that they appreciated our stage evolution, there was a longing for the Romanian language, a longing for Romania, a longing to be together. These people proved to us that they would like to be together again, that they would like to be one, bothKishinev with Bucharest and the other cities of our country. A proof of patriotism, beyond "I was left without a reply, without any epithet, without any adjective, because of the howl we were bombarded with for minutes. I hope that soon we will embrace them completely", declared visibly touched, immediately after the show, actor Mircea Rusu, artistic director of the National Theatreof Bucharest. During the event in Kishinev, the "IL Caragiale" National Theatre honoured the memory of its director for 16 years, through two events warmly received by the Moldovan public: the screening of the show The Merchant of Venice, directed by Alexander Morfov, show which should have taken place on stage this year, and the photography exhibition Shylock - the Last Role, with photos from the show taken by NTB photographer Florin Ghioca, a show in which Ion Caramitru performed one last remarkable Shakespearean role. On Saturday evening, on the stage of the National Theatre of Kishinev resounded the applause of an audience that thanked the one who tried to create as many artistic and cultural bridges between Bucharest and Kishinev, between Romania and Bessarabia. The Reunion of the Romanian National Theatres in Kishinev took place this year between September 15th and 26th, 2021 and is the most important theatrical event in the Republic of Moldova. It was initiated by the actors Ion Caramitru and Petru Hadârcă, the directors of the two National Theatres, of Bucharest and Kishinev. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

  In the context of the anniversary of the Bucharest Days, ARCUB launches on Sunday, September 26th, 2021, the series of offline and online projects "Bucharest: The City of Tomorrow", which includes cultural encounters with artists and professionals, a lecture-show, but also a series of participatory installations. The event also marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of ARCUB and aims to present a perspective on a potential Bucharest, the city of tomorrow, a greener city, more friendly to its inhabitants, a city where culture can transform places and people. In this context, ARCUB launches the series of cultural dialogues "Bucharest RE: Imagined" - a series of 10 meetings inspired by major strategic themes of the city (heritage, green spaces, lack of cultural consumption, center-periphery relationship, etc.) aiming to reconnect and bring together experts from different cultural areas and public administration to identify solutions and projects to address these issues. The first episode addresses the topic of "Green Cultural Spaces" and has as guests architects, urban planners, cultural entrepreneurs, managers of public institutions and public administration representatives who will discuss how these areas should be interconnected to better meet the specific needs of the inhabitants of the city. The event will be broadcast live, starting with 5.00 p.m., on the ARCUB Facebook page. The event continues with a special performance of outdoor lecture-show, "Participatory Epic Bucharest '21", which can be watched live on ARCUB's social media channels, on Sunday, September 26th, from 7.00 p.m. The day ends with a vinyl music session brought to ARCUB by Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & Wine (VRTW). The setting of events at ARCUB is given by the installation "Green Bucharest" designed by French landscape architect Nicolas Triboi and the sound installation with the sounds of the city signed by artist Maria Balabaş, two projects that present, in preview, the sample of a future city reconnected to its inhabitants through culture and which can be visited at ARCUB - Gabroveni Inn between September 27th and October 3rd, 2021. At the exhibition, visitors are invited to contribute their own photo memories about the city on the participatory system "Emotional Bucharest". The events at ARCUB - Gabroveni Inn are completed by the launch of a new online project, the series of discussions "People who Open the City" on the website of the ARCUB cultural centre. During the interviews, professionals who have innovated through culture the destiny of the Capital talk to Mihaela Păun, the director of ARCUB, about ways to open the city through art, urbanism and creative industries. Schedule of “Bucharest: the City of Tomorrow”: Sunday, September 26th, 2021 17.00 - 18.30 | Bucharest RE: Imagined - Green cultural spaces, moderated by Svetlana Cârstean | online broadcast event The debate on Sunday, September 26th is a pilot meeting of a series of ten such meetings and aims to bring together the opinions and expertise of specialists from various cultural areas and public administration professionals. The guests of the first meeting are architects, urban planners, cultural entrepreneurs, managers of public institutions and representatives of public administration who will discuss models for the reconversion of urban spaces into cultural centres open to the community. The cultural debates are moderated by the poet Svetlana Cârstean. 19:00 - 20:30 | Poetic performance "Participatory Epic Bucharest '21" | online broadcast event One of the most unique projects of contemporary literature, "Participatory Epic Bucharest '21" gathered, in 2015, 40 poets who wrote the only collective poem about Bucharest. Within the project “Bucharest: The City of Tomorrow”, the poets who participated in this creative experiment meet, six years later, at ARCUB for a lecture show with the initiator of the project, Svetlana Cârstean. 20:30 - 21:00 | DJ set with vinyls - VRTW of Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & amp; Wine VRTW is a vinyl DJ set, brought to ARCUB by Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & amp; Wine, in which the music is played entirely by analog recordings. At the end of the events of September 26th, Vinyl, Rum, Tapas & amp; Wine presents a selection of jazz and world music records from their personal collection. September 27th - October 3rd "Green Bucharest" - organic installation by Nicolas Triboi | ARCUB - Arch HallAn example of an urban garden that can otherwise reconnect the city's inhabitants to spacepublicly, the installation conceived by the landscape artist Nicolas Triboi proposes a return to nature throughredevelopment of the Gabroveni passage and the Arch Hall from ARCUB in a green place thatoffers passers-by an opportunity to relax and browse through the history of the city. The naturein the city has become vital, and Bucharest is metamorphosing day by day through new transformations. We wish a wilder nature, not one made of pansies and rolls of turf, we want a lasting nature. Bucharest today is a dynamic city, dynamic, but a city where buildings and people's behaviour are often characterized by wilderness. We must channel this energy and turn them into positive, green energy for a more "cultural" nature - Nicolas Triboi, landscape artist. Sound installation about Bucharest by Maria Balabaş ARCUB - Arch Hall Maria Balabaș is the creator of the show Morning crossover from Radio Romania Cultural and has generated, over time, various projects dedicated to new forms of radio creation (Sound Generation, This is not art, etc.). She was nominated for a Prix Europe and Prix Italia for radio documentation, selected for the Grand Prix Nova for a soundtrack and received the Semi Silent Award for sound innovation. She launched the bands Avant'n'Gard and Soare Staniol, which are inspired by improvisation techniques, electronic music and unconventional sound sources. As a solo artist, she creates installations and narrative pieces based on field recordings, archive recordings or other forms of auditory memory. Participatory photo installation "EmotionalBucharest" ARCUB - Sala Arcelor „Emotional Bucharest” is a photographic experiment that aims at the emotional exploration of the city of Bucharest by probing the intimate connection that the inhabitants of the city have with it. Bucharest residents are invited to participate with photos from their personal archives to recreate, through a visual exercise, the emotions experienced in connection with the city. The series of discussions about the Capital - "People who Open the City" online arcub.ro and on the Youtube page ARCUB The programme designed on the occasion of the Bucharest Days and in the context of the 25th anniversary of ARCUB is completed by the series of interviews "People who Open the City" - Mihaela Păun in dialogue with professionals who have innovated through culture the destiny of the Capital about ways to open the city through art, urbanism and creative industries. The dialogues debate topics such as the role of cultural institutes in the local cultural ecosystem, the issue of cultural consumption spaces and present details behind successful cultural entrepreneurship projects, projects that have changed the face of the city. Among the guests of the discussions are personalities who pioneered the local creative scene, professionals who built defining projects for today's culture of the city, but also cultural operators who built bridges of collaboration with other countries. Details on www.arcub.ro   ARCUB - The Cultural Centre of Bucharest has been cultivating the cultural identity of the Capital since 1996. The projects initiated and carried out by ARCUB throughout the years of activity have contributed to the diversification of the city's cultural life, as well as its inclusion among the major capitals of the world. ARCUB is the organizer of the International Festival of Light - Spotlight, the International Street Theatre Festival - B-FIT in the Street!, the only international jazz festival in the Capital, Bucharest Jazz Festival and the Bucharest Days. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

This year's 6th edition of the Reunion of National Theaters in Kishinev is dedicated to the memory of actor and director Ion Caramitru, former director of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest, who passed away earlier this month. On this occasion, in Kishinev, several events take place during the event dedicated to the one who led for 16 years the first theatrical stage of Romania and UNITER since its establishment.  On Sunday, September 19th, 2021, at the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the radio show Pope John Paul II was presented, with the actor Ion Caramitru as the lead performer, whose voice resonated in a touching manner under the vaults of the impressive cathedral.    On Friday evening, September 24th, 2021, in the foyer of the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre, the photography exhibition Shylock- the Last Role will be opened, presented by Florin Ghioca, the official photographer of the National Theatreof Bucharest. The event will be attended by actors Oana Pellea and Mircea Rusu who will perform the same evening, immediately after the opening, the show  The Beauty of Venice in September, directed by Mariana Cămărăşan, a show that represents the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre at the current edition of the Theatrical Reunion from Kishinev.   On Saturday, September 26th, 2021, at the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre, there will be a special screening of the recording of the show The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexander Morfov, in which Ion Caramitru performs his last Shakespearean role, Shylock ... The recording is a production of NTB's Media Studio, filmed in special conditions.  The encounter of the National Theatresof Kishinev had as a starting point the project Romanian Theatre in Bucharest and Kishinev, an exchange of tours between the "IL Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest and the "Mihai Eminescu" National Theatre of Kishinev, a common idea of ​​the two managers of partner institutions, Ion Caramitru and Petru Hadârcă.  "This year's meeting is under the spiritual aura of Ion Caramitru, the artist who carries the legend and, in turn, the creator of the legend - human and artistic. We have prepared the event of the Reunion of the Romanian National Theatres, the 6th edition (it should have been the seventh, if the pandemic had not prevented us) as a celebration of the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre, which has regained, throughout the 100 for years of creation and turmoil, despite barbaric political intrusions, it regained, through the energies of the Romanian language and the efforts of its artists, the right to freedom of creation and ideas, and contributed to the spiritual survival of several generations of spectators” stated Petru Hadârcă, manager of the National Theatreof Kishinev, on this occasion. The photography exhibition "Shylock - the Last Role" will remain open and can be visited by spectators in the foyer of the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre in Kishinev throughout September. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

On Thursday, 16 September 2021, in the presence of Prime Minister Florin Cîțu, Minister of Culture Bogdan Gheorghiu, interim manager Ioan Onisei, the sons of actor Ion Caramitru and several guests from the cultural field, the new name of NTB’s Grand Hall was officially unveiled, which has become the Ion Caramitru Hall.On this occasion, actor Mircea Rusu, artistic director of the National Theatre of Bucharest stated:"It will take us a long time to understand what Ion Caramitru has done for the Romanian theatre and especially for the National Theatre of Bucharest. The initiative of the Minister of Culture, Mr Bogdan Gheorghiu, seems to me to be salutary: Ion Caramitru's image must be preserved, maintained and cultivated. He is the founder of the current National Theatre of Bucharest, unique in Romania's theatrical sphere. I will not enumerate the areas in which he excelled. The theatre is called Caragiale, and the Grand Hall will be called Caramitru. Both have the sap of a branch of Romanian spirit: sap full of talent, ambition, book knowledge, artistic sensitivity. And all these qualities were in Pino's personality. Pino, we promise not to bring shame to your name, a name you have built with much grace and toil."The Minister of Culture, Bogdan Gheorghiu, who proposed changing the name of the Grand Hall to "Ion Caramitru" Hall, said on this occasion: "It is the way we ensure today that the cultural legacy left by his majesty will reach future generations. Whether in his position as Minister of Culture, manager of the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest or as an actor, he has put himself at the service of excellence and changed the known reality. His name is closely linked to Romanian heritage and the way we relate to its preservation and capitalization today, to UNITER, whose president he was elected in 1990 when this theatrical union was founded, and to the Gala he presented every year and, last but not least, to the 1989 Revolution. But this name is also linked to his extraordinary ability to bring people together, to create ideals, to generate memories. I am convinced that all of us here have looked at Caramitru with admiration and I hope that all those who will step into the Ion Caramitru Hall will honour his memory with an appreciation of the theatre and applause, as the master himself would have wished".The Prime Minister of Romania, Florin Cîțu, asked those present to hold a moment of silence in memory of Ion Caramitru and said in front of the hall that from today will bear the name of the actor: "We all knew the master Ion Caramitru, as an actor in films, or on the stage of the National Theatre. As Minister of Finance, I also knew him as a manager and I would like to say that he was as talented as an actor. A lot of nice words were used during this period. Anything and everything I could say could not illustrate what Ion Caramitru meant to us, Romanians. I know that naming the Grand Hall as Ion Caramitru Hall is a small gesture, but a symbol by which we show our gratitude for all that Ion Caramitru did in his cultural activity. From now on, the plays performed in this hall of the National Theatre will have a special meaning and thus, the legacy left by him will never be lost. Thank you, Ion Caramitru!"Ion Caramitru was the general manager of NTB for 16 years, from 2005 to 2021, being the one who restored the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest to its original architectural form, transforming it into a modern performance building, with a record number of halls, serving the desire of the general public for real theatre. A "New Theatre" that it has served with devotion since 2005.Since 1990, he has led the Romanian Theatre Union (UNITER), to which events such as the National Theatre Festival and the UNITER Awards Gala - true annual celebrations of the profession - are linked.As an actor, he has capitalized the work of Eminescu, telling it like no other throughout Romania and the world and, as Minister of Culture, he has contributed to its survival through both classical means, on paper, and through digital means.He was one of the most brilliant performers of Shakespeare's theatre, producing memorable creations, and was acknowledged as one of the ten best actors in the world to play Hamlet.He was born in 1942 in Bucharest. He graduated from the "I.L. Caragiale" Institute of Theatre and Cinema, class of Prof. Beate Fredanov, in 1964, when he also made his debut on the stage of the National Theatre in Bucharest, in "Eminescu" by Mircea Ștefănescu. His most recent roles were also here, in the shows Eduard III - the main role (2008), Prospero in The Tempest (2014), Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (2019), the mega-successful Dinner with Fools by Francis Veber (from 2012), as well as in Ufo by Ivan Vyrypaev (2017) or in the documentary theatre show "Romanian Diary.1989" (2020).For all his artistic activity related to the work of one of the greatest playwrights of all times, in 2016, Ion Caramitru was appointed Shakespeare Cultural Ambassador in Romania, on the occasion of Shakespeare Year - 400.Exceptional career rewarded with numerous awards, including: acting awards in the Romanian Theatre (1975, 1979, 1981, 1985), Cinema Magazine Award for acting (1976), Filmmakers’ Association Award, 1980, Special Jury Award for the main role in the film "Luchian", at the National Film Festival, Costinești, "Academic Merit" awarded by the Romanian Academy, 2012, Aristizza Romanescu Award of the Romanian Academy, 2013.In 1995, he received the title of Officer of Honour of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for his Romanian-British cultural activity and was decorated by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 1997, the title of Knight of the Order of Letters and Arts of France. In 2000, he was awarded the Order of Merit of Romania with the rank of Grand Cross. He has received 5 honorary doctor degrees, from: the University of Arts in Iasi (2008), Ovidius University in Constanta (2012), ESRA University of Audiovisual Arts in Skopje (2016), "Constantin Brâncuși" University in Târgu-Jiu, December 2017 and the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts in Kishinev (2018).In 2017, he received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Ribbon, the most important Japanese order for foreign citizens, awarded in the name of His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan. National Order of the Star of Romania to the rank of Knight, 2017. The latest public recognition was the Award for the Promotion of Eminescu's works, presented by the Ipotești Memorial in June 2021. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

On Thursday 16 and Friday 17 September 2021, at 7.30 p.m., the official premiere of Stupid Fucking Bird by Aaron Posner, directed by Răzvan Oprea, is scheduled at the Painting Hall of the National Theatre of Bucharest. The play with the deliberately irreverent title of the American playwright Aaron Posner, winner of a Helen Hayes Prize for dramaturgy, keeps the Chekhov themes in The Seagull, such as unrequited love, shattered dreams or the search for new forms of theatrical art, but places them against the background of the twentieth century. The author is a playwright, associate professor of acting and directing at the American University in Washington DC, co-founder of the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia and, between 2006-2010 - artistic director of Two River Theatre, but also an exciting director who has won several editions of the Helen Hayes Awards for Best Director. With this adaptation, he "transforms a classic writer, often treated with formal respect, into a mirror that shows in clear detail everything that is new in the unhappiness of today's people," writes The New York Times, appreciating the play as "a Chekhov for the 21st century ". "It brings a fine and modern tuning to The Seagull. We could say that it takes a famous work of art and resizes it, adding many pixels to it. He does not venture far from the base plot of Seagull, and whether you remember the play or not, you can enjoy Stupid Fucking Bird as a completely new play”, appreciates Newsworks. "The Seagull of A. P. Chekhov explores the complexity of human relationships, especially the cruelty of love, while at the same time being a foray into the nature of theatrical art. With a text that is intelligent and insightful without being pretentious, Stupid Fucking Bird is an entertaining, witty, occasionally pejorative and often dark work of art. A fast-paced, funny, clever and often profound piece," writes Talkin' BROADWAY. "Moreover his own response to Chekhov rather than a classic adaptation," state other commentators. The play was first staged in 2013 at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC, and in 2016 at the Arden Theatre Company's, the direction being signed by the author himself. In 2015, it became one of the most frequently staged ten plays; it was produced on 150 other stages outside the United States. With the new staging at the National Theatre of Bucharest, Răzvan Oprea, NTB actor and graduate of a Master’s in Theatre Directing, proposes on the stage of the Painting Hall a modern, provocative, explosive show, a fresh approach to a classic of universal drama. This premiere is part of the NTB - Open Doors for All programme.  With talent and artistic versatility, the cast that includes well-known names of the Bucharest National - Cecilia Bârbora and Marius Bodochi, along with their younger colleagues Eduard Adam, Cosmina Olariu, Vitalie Bichir, Alexandra Sălceanu, Emilian Mârnea - simultaneously populates two worlds - that of Chekhov's heroes and that of Aaron Posner's characters. The show is not recommended for minors aged under 16. Contains nudity scenes. You are expected at NTB to encounter a different Chekhov, a Seagull closer to the sensitivity of the audience of these times. We wish you a pleasant viewing! The next performance will take place on September 24th, at 7.30 pm. Tickets can be found at the NTB Ticket Office and online, on www.mystage.ro.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

NTB announces that starting with Tuesday, September 7th, 2021, at 11.00, the public will have access to the foyer of the Grand Hall of the National Theatre only to sign the Book of Condolences. On Friday, September 10th, 2021, around 12.00 noon, on the way from Visarion Church to Bellu Cemetery, the procession with the body of ION CARAMITRU will stop in front of the "I.L.Caragiale" National Theatre, to which he dedicated the last 16 years of his life, in order to say goodbye to him and pay tribute to him with our applause... Condolences charter     "Nothing that belongs to the theatre is foreign to me and, in the end, every person has to do something in life that he should not be ashamed of. Most of the things I set out to do as an actor, as a manager, as a minister are not things to be ashamed of”. "The stage is trying to steal from reality for at least a second. A second as long as a life, to send one with the thought in the street, in the cosmos, in yourself, in life and even in death and nothingness. To get one out of the ordinary ”. "In times of crisis in society, the theatre plays a vital role: the crisis can create antibodies, which will lead the world to safer things, and culture is one of them. The joy of the soul and the mind in a theatre can compensate for the daily worries, because Theatre always remains interesting, rich, significant and warm. Regardless of the context, Theatre is recovering by itself. It will not disappear, it will always be sought after". "Come to the theatre when everything will pass, when we will all recover, come like children who really know nothing and maybe now they were born and, persuaded that the mirror respects its purpose, to watch the show as if it were of you, of your childhood and taken home in your backpack, to keep it with sanctity in the memory notebook of adolescence. (Written for today, March 27th, 2020, also inspired by what I wrote in 2017)”. Ion Caramitru   The "IL Caragiale" National Theatre announces with deep sadness the loss of the one who dedicated his whole life to the service of the Romanian Theatre of the last half century- ION CARAMITRU - very gifted actor, inspired director, efficient manager, political actor with a backbone, and cultural legislator. He will remain forever in the cultural history of Romania as the director who restored the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatreof Bucharest to its original architectural form, transforming it into a modern performance building, with a record number of halls, serving the desire of the authentic theatre audience. A "New Theatre" that he has served with dedication since 2005. Since 1990, he has led the Romanian Theatre Union (UNITER), which is linked to events such as the National Theatre Festival or the UNITER Awards Gala - true annual holidays of the guild. He capitalized on Eminescu's work, uttering it, as an actor, like no other, on all Romanian lands and on the meridians of the world and contributing, as Minister of Culture, to its survival both through classical means, on paper, and through digitized means. He was one of the most brilliant performers of Shakespeare's theatre, making memorable creations, being recognized among the ten best actors in the world who impersonated Hamlet. He played dozens of roles on stage and in movies, recorded thousands of minutes of poetry and radio theatre… He loved life, he breathed Theatre, he still had dozens of plans that he wanted to carry out… It hurts us a lot that Time did not have mercy with him! We are with his family so hardly tried in these moments… God rest his soul!   Ion Caramitru (1942 - 2021) Prominent actor of theatre, film, radio and television, director, manager, Minister of Culture between 1996-2000, director of the Bulandra Theatre between 1990-1993, Ion Caramitru held the position of president of UNITER since 1990 and that of general manager of the National Theatre in Bucharest since 2005. He was born in 1942, in Bucharest. He graduated from the “I.L. Caragiale” Institute of Theatre and Cinematography, the class of Prof. Beate Fredanov, in 1964, when he made his debut on the stage of the National Theatreof Bucharest, in “Eminescu” by Mircea Ștefănescu. The most recent roles were also here, in the shows Edward III - the main role (2008), Prospero from The Tempest (2014), Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (2019), the blockbuster The Dinner Game by Francis Veber (since 2012), as well as in UFO by Ivan Vyrypaev (2017) or in the documentary theatre show "Romanian Diary.1989" (2020). Most of the acting took place on the stage of the L.S. Bulandra Theatre, between 1965 and 2005, where he gave life to unforgettable characters, including Hamlet, noticed beyond the country's borders. For all the artistic activity related to the work of one of the greatest playwrights of all time, in 2016, Ion Caramitru was appointed Shakespeare Cultural Ambassador in Romania, on the occasion of the Shakespeare Year - 400. In parallel with the prodigious activity of actor, he staged, in the country and abroad, dozens of performances (theatre, poetry, opera). Among the shows he directed we mention: Bulandra Theatre: "Home" by David Storey (1992), "The Shape of the Table" by David Edgar (1991), "The Third Spike" by Marin Sorescu (1988). Țăndărică Theatre: "Bastien and Bastienne" by W.A. Mozart. Belfast opera: "Evgheni Oneghin" by P.I. Tchaikovsky, "The Tragedy of Carmen", Peter Brook's version of Bizet. Thèâtre du Signe (Japan): “The Merchant of Venice” (2001), “Othello” (2004) by W. Shakespeare, “Macbeth” by Eugène Ionesco (2002). NTB: The Nouveau Criminals by Edna Mazia (2019), “Old Clown Wanted” by Matei Vişniec (2016), “Magic National” (2015), “God Dresses from the Thrift” by Iulian Margu (2014), “The Anonymous Venetian” by Giuseppe Berto (2014), “Gossip, Rumours and Lies” by Neil Simon (2014), “The Dinner Game” by Francis Veber (2010), “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller (2009). Exceptional career rewarded with numerous awards, including: Acting Awards in Romanian Theatre (1975, 1979, 1981, 1985), Cinema Magazine Award for Performance (1976), Filmmakers’ Association Award, 1980, Special Jury Award for Lead Role in the film “Luchian”, at the National Film Festival, Costinesti, “Academic Merit” awarded by the Romanian Academy, 2012, Aristizza Romanescu Award of the Romanian Academy, 2013. In 1995, he received the title of Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for the Romanian-British cultural activity and was decorated by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 1997, the title of Knight of the Order of Letters and Arts of France. In 2000, he was awarded the Order of Merit of Romania in the rank of Grand Cross. He received 5 honorary doctor degrees, from: University of Arts in Iaşi (2008), Ovidius University in Constanţa (2012), ESRA University of Audiovisual Arts in Skopje (2016), “Constantin Brâncuși” University in Târgu-Jiu, December 2017 and of the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts in Kishinev (2018). In 2017, he received the Order of the Rising Sun (Gold Rays with Ribbon), the most important Japanese order for foreign citizens, granted on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan. The National Order Romanian Star to the rank of Knight, 2017. The last public acknowledgement was the Award for the promotion of Eminescu's work, offered by the Ipoteşti Memorial in June 2021.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

The joy of reuniting with the Living Theatre As never before, the 2021-2022 season of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre began on August 26th, 2021, more than two weeks before the traditional date in mid-September, when the inaugural gong usually resounded, synchronized with the opening of schools and public return from summer holidays ... Despite hot summer or maybe, just spurred by it, the audience filled every night since August 10th, the NTB outdoor rooftop, enjoying the coolness of the evening and the starry sky in the programme Summer Nights Up on the Theatre, a programme that will continue if the weather will be in our favour! Barely put on sale, tickets for performances scheduled in all NTB halls for the coming weeks are almost sold out, a sign that theatre lovers missed the stage and the genuine contact with the actors. Back to the NTB Studio and on the Grand Stage - after a long unwanted break - reference shows from the current NTB repertoire: Three Sisters, directed by Radu Afrim (September 4th and 5th), The Silent Parrot - Nearly true histories of a nearly forgotten spy, directed by Nae Caranfil (September 4 and 5). Also on the Grand Stage you can see or re-watch the comedy The Nouveau Criminals (September 12th), a show that recently enjoyed endless applause, with standing ovation, at the ˮComedy Weekˮ Festival in Brașov, where actress Virginia Mirea was awarded the Prize for Best Female Performance. Exit the Kingby Eugène Ionesco, directed by Andrei and Andreea Grosu is another long-awaited title, which marks the return on stage of the couple Mariana Mihuț - Victor Rebengiuc, in anthological roles! The first premiere of the new season is announced - Stupid Fucking Bird by Aaron Posner, directed by Răzvan Oprea, produced within the NTB - Open Doors for All programme. A modern, challenging and explosive show! Official premiere: September 16th and 17th, 2021, at 7.30 pm, at the Painting Hall. In the rehearsal room, a new show signed by master Gigi Căciuleanu is being prepared, an exciting proposal, in his unmistakable style - Kiritza, or The Game of ... (on a screenplay by Vasile Alecsandri). The premiere is scheduled to take place in early October, in the very year of the 200th anniversary of the poet's birth. A dance-theatre staging with lush costumes is announced… At the Rotonda in the foyer of the Small Hall we invite you to visit, only until the end of September, Retroversible, the superb exhibition - a tribute dedicated to the memory of an exceptional personality, art historian and critic Adina Nanu, an exhibition-proof of exemplary artistic pedagogy, created by the Fashion Department of UNArte, on the 50th anniversary of its establishment. We invite you to take full advantage of this rich autumn and to run away from home to the performance halls where you can (still) encounter the Living Theatre! Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

For objective reasons, the following shows have been cancelled: The Tempest of August 27th, L'Om Dada of September 9th and The Door Mat of March 13th, 2021 (a show which has not been rescheduled so far). You can retrieve the value of the tickets from the NTB Box Office for those purchased in physical format or from mystage.ro for the online ones. Also, the show 50 Seconds on August 29th was replaced by 20 Years in Siberia. The purchased tickets remain valid for this representation, or you can recover their equivalent value from the Box Office or mystage.ro for the online ones. Please present the tickets purchased in physical format to recover the money. Thank you for your understanding!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

As of August 10th, 2021, the performances return to the NTB Amphitheatre, a unique place in Bucharest, located at kilometer 0 of the Capital, above the National Theatre. At this moment, the Amphitheatre is the only stage in Romania built in the open air, located inside a theatre, provided with modern professional equipment. In August, at the Amphitheatre you can see theatre and dance performances, presented in partnership with independent and state theatres, films selected and awarded at TIFF 2021, featured for the first time on screens in Bucharest. For the schedule of shows in August, tickets are on sale exclusively online on the mystage.ro platform and on tnb.ro/ro/bilete-online. Obligations of spectators regarding measures to prevent SARS-CoV2 contamination: ensuring the health of employees and the audience is the priority objective of these measures - https://www.tnb.ro/ro/reguli-noi-pentru-spectatorii-de-teatru Important notice regarding the performances in the NTB Amphitheatre! Being an outdoor space, in case of rain, the following rule will apply: - if the rain starts before the show time and the staging time allows this, the performance moves to one of the theatre halls. If this is not possible, either the tickets will be rescheduled and remain valid, or the money on the tickets will be refunded, or the tickets can be exchanged for another show in the Amphitheatre programme. - if the rain starts during the performance, the show is suspended, it is not possible to reschedule it or reimburse the cost of the ticket. The NTB Amphitheatre is a project supported by   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

This year, in the context of the pandemic that has not ended yet, the NTB season will reopen earlier, on August 26th, and the preparations start from these days. Spectators are invited to choose from the repertoire of the first two weeks (respectively August 26th - September 5th) the shows they want to see and choose their favorite seats, tickets for this period being on sale starting today, August 6th, 2021! Until the reopening of the National Theatre season, you are expected up on the theatre, at the NTB Amphitheatre, with a varied summer programme consisting of shows and films hosted by NTB in ​​the generous enclosure of the open-air theatre. As of August 10th, the performances return to the NTB Amphitheatre, a unique place in Bucharest at the moment, the only stage in Romania built in the open air, located inside a theatre and provided with modern professional equipment. In August, at the Amphitheatre you can see theatre and dance performances, presented in partnership with independent and state theatres, and films selected and awarded at TIFF 2021, presented for the first time on the Bucharest screens. The schedule of performances at the Amphitheatre can be consulted here: https://www.tnb.ro/ro/bilete-online Also here, on the theatre's website, starting with August 6th, you will find the repertoire of the beginning of the 2021 - 2022 season at NTB, visiting the well-known calendar address. Among the first shows scheduled are titles cherished by you, such as: TheCurious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Door Mat, The Beauty of Venice in September, Farewell Mr. Haffmann, Titanic Orchestra or Nouveau Criminals - comedy recently welcomed with great success at the opening of the Comedy Week Festival in Brasov. Both for the programme of hosted shows and for the first performances of the new NTB season, from August 6th to August 23rd, tickets are on sale exclusively online, on the mystage.ro platform. The NTB ticket office, located in the foyer of the Grand Hall, reopens for the audience starting Monday, August 23rd, 2021, at 10.00 a.m. Regarding the obligations of the spectators in terms of the measures for the prevention of SARS-CoV2 contamination, we must specify, in order to avoid the perpetuation of confusions that: The vaccination certificate is not necessary, but the previously communicated measures remain in force: https://www.tnb.ro/ro/reguli-noi-pentru-spectatorii-de-teatru. We wish you a pleasant holiday. And from August 26th, we are waiting for you to return to the halls of the National Theatreof Bucharest, on which occasion you will discover some new titles in the well-known repertoire, as well as performances that have not been performed for some time. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu