News

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, neurologist Jean-Jacques Askenasy, who lives in Israel, will not be able to travel to Bucharest to hold the conference entitled "Brain Enigmas", scheduled on March 15th, from 11:00 am at the Small Hall. People who have purchased conference tickets through mystage.ro will be refunded the money to the bank account from which the payment was made. Those who bought tickets from the ticket office will be able to recover their money, based on the ticket, from the ticket office of the National Theatre of Bucharest. To find out if another conference could be scheduled on the same date, please refer to the website of the National Theatre of Bucharest, tnb.ro, the section Paratheatrical - Conferences: https://www.tnb.ro/ro/conferinte

Matilda and the Grave-Makers by Stela Giurgeanu, proclaimed "Play of the year 2018" at the UNITER Awards Gala, will celebrate the official premiere on Saturday, February 15th, 2020, at the Black Box Hall, from 8 pm. The audience of the National Theatre of Bucharest has the opportunity to meet with a new Romanian play, inspired from the reality of our days, in which domestic violence hovers, pressing, sometimes silent, but most often violently noisy, like dark birds, above the shelter, hosting three sisters-in-law and a seemingly identical destiny. A dark comedy about the eternal dispute between men and women, full of suspense as a detective novel, where no one knows who wins, or at least ... on the surface. A text about a generation that buried their demons to give the next generation the right to happiness. "Who wants to laugh like champagne? asks renowned journalist Eugen Istodor on HotNews. Who wants excitement, suspense, entertainment, fear, happy end? They should go to Matilda and the Grave-Makers". Directed by Mircea Rusu, with a cast chosen and directed with psychological finesse, Matilda and the Grave-Makers is a show ‒ plea for the freedom of women so powerful in all their frailty, a game of appearances, camouflaging terrible pain and scarred wounds. "This mixture of fear and humor, "dark humor", fascinates me. It is a micro-universe that rejects and attracts at the same time," says Mircea Rusu.  "If things are not what they seem? asked the author, a journalist passionate about social investigation. "Can anyone, who says a joke, hide a trauma? What if someone who looks angelic is in fact diabolical? Can a strong man be an extremely fragile man?" A cold and detached man, who laughs at the idea of ​​love, does he not long for despair after love? Caught in the pace of a pulsating life, we often ignore the sufferings of those around us - thus risking to build that vicious cycle in which those around us will be deaf to our sufferings. Because "Matilda and the Grave-Makers" is, first of all, a play about appearances, it seems like a comedy. But, as one viewer told me: "you don't know whether to laugh or cry." And I think that through this, I reached my goal: to give people time to think twice before putting a label and to offer them a journey on the axis between good and evil, a journey full of nuances - at the end of which one gets the gist,evenif briefly, of the weariness of everyday life,” says Stela Giurgeanu. Editor of the Dilema Veche magazine, Stela Giurgeanu is a remarkable journalist focused on social issues. In 2003, she received a mention in the "reportage" section of the contest "Young journalist of the year", organized by the Freedom House Foundation and in 2008, she was designated "European Reporter of the Year", an award granted by the Representation of the European Commission in Romania, for the footage on the Europe of the Gârda People. She made her debut in 2007 with the story Two People, published in the volume The Book with Grandparents (Humanitas Publishing). As a playwright, she participated several times in the annual contest organized by UNITER under the aegis and with the support of the Royal House of Romania. In 2015, the play The Time of Madmen was nominated "The best Romanian play of the year" and was presented, in a lecture-show, at NTB. In 2016, the play The Time Collector was nominated in the Final Selection of the UNITER Drama Contest. In 2019, Matilda and the Grave-Makerswas designated "The best Romanian play of the year" and was published by the Unitext Publishing House. We invite you to discover why, in an apparent impromptu, three women take refuge on the terrace of the house, in a hilarious and improvised existence. Who are they running from, what mysteries do they hide? Cast: Amalia Ciolan / Liliana Hodorogea, Cesonia Postelnicu / Tania Popa, Erika Baiesu / Oana Constantinescu Fulvia Folosea / Cristina Constantinescu, Lari Giorgescu / Dragos Ionescu. The scenography is signed by Gabi Albu, whose creations you could admire recently at the premieres of The Merchant of Venice and The Cherry Orchard. The following representations of Matilda and the Grave-Makersare scheduled for March 18th and 28th, 2020, at the Black Box Hall, from 8 pm. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Also early this year, within the framework of the project Romanian Theatre in Bucharest, Iaşi and Kishinev, the seventh edition, the "Mihai Eminescu" National Theatre ofKishinev (TNME) presents on the stage of the Bucharest National two of the most recent productions, the shows The Siberian Files, directed by Petru Hadârcă (January 22nd, 7pm, Grand Hall), and Who Woke Up Yorick, directed by Alexandru Vasilache (January 21st, 7pm, Studio Hall). The Siberian Files, one of the most moving document-shows, an expression of individual suffering in a collective tragedy, the most important theatrical event of the past season beyond Prut - according to theKishinev Journal, is a devastating show of immense human suffering, but also about the power to fight and resist the evil that seemed endless. Very few of those who have undergone the sufferings and terror of the Soviet regime are still among us, transmit the creators, most of them have passed into the world of the righteous. "They probably do not need anything from us, not even our memory. We need these memories. " "Siberia's obsession is one of the strongest in the post-Soviet space, however, in the Bessarabian theatres no one has dared to tackle the issue of deportation, the Gulag, in recent decades. The new TNME production has three protagonists: Ecaterina Chele, deported in 1941, Margareta Cemârtan-Spânu, deported in 1949 and Ion Moraru, politically convicted in 1950 at Gulag, for leading the organization against the Soviet power "The Sword of Justice". 70 years after the largest wave of Stalinist deportations in Bessarabia and after almost three decades since the archival documents were de-secreted, the "Files of Siberia" by Petru Hadârcă (script: Petru Hadârcă and Mariana Onceanu) is a first sign, declare the producers, that we have not lost our memory completely, that we can assume the past, no matter how terrible, tragic, infernal it is from the nowaday’s perspective. " "The Siberian Files" is the first show in the Romanian Theatre Tour that is performed on NTB on the grand stage. Full-scale enactment, the show requires no less than 6 hours to set the stage. The duration of the show is 2 hours and 15 minutes, with a break. The show is not recommended for minors under 16 years. The cast features some of the best-known actors of the Kishinev National Theatre: Olga Guțu-Cucu, Draga-Dumitrița Drumi, Tinka Mardari, Dan Melnic, Diana Decuseară, Ninela Caranfil, Nicolae Darie, Constantin Adam, Angela Ciobanu, Ana Tkacenko, Doriana Zubcu - Marginean, Tatiana Saenco, Peter Oistric, Ion Mocanu, Ghenadie Galca, Alexandru Plesca, Valentin Zorila, Iurie Focsa, Mihai Zubcu. Together with them, students of Professor Mihai Fusu. From the team of performers of the show we also mention: Irina Gurin - Stage design (props, costumes), Irina Slobodeaniuc - Body expression, Ian Onica - Video projection, Oleg Mardari - Stage fights. Video footage: OWH Studio. Who Woke Up Yorick? after William Shakespeare, adaptation and direction by Alexandru Vasilachi, well-known and appreciated theatre creator, master in Shakespeare enactments ("Hamlet", "A Midsummer Night’s Dream", "Love Dances and Plays Tricks", "The Merry Wives of Windsor") continues to surprise with this new staging, whose premiere took place at the end of last year, on December 14th. Cutout-show inspired by the most savoury stories told by the genius of the great playwright, based on an exuberant script, mixture of magic, humor, inventiveness, lyricism, baroque excess, Who Woke Up Yorick? reflects serious concepts such as responsibility and the yearningfor greatness, being and non-being, the pain of existence under severe weather, death, consciousness, hope. Gags, surprises, jokes flood into a place, captivating the senses and imagination. The plurality of the show grants the possibility to the wonderful actors of the elite troupe of the Kishinev National - Silvia Luca, Petru Hadârcă, Alexandru Leancă, Angela Ciobanu, Anatol Durbală, Petru Oistric, Iurie Focșa, Doina Severin and all the others - to reveal the full extent of creative force, playful pleasure, and above all - Love. The props are signed by Iurie Matei, and the costumes by Tatiana Popescu. Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (with a break). You are most welcometo the theatre to read the world, the organizers announce. As it is, it has been and will be. Tickets are available at the NTB Ticket Office, in the Grand Hall lobby, as well as online, on www.mystage.ro   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

This year as well, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest complies with the tradition of organizing, on January 15th - National Culture Day, free guided tours, offered to those who want to find out how the largest theatre in South-Eastern Europe works, with its seven halls, with numerous exhibition spaces, a bookstore and several workshops where the audience can consult the interactive panels with the programme and cultural offerings of the following period. The tours will take you through the theatre backstage, behind the scenes, in the area of ​​costume and props workshops, in the actors' booths, and our colleague, Ionuț Corpaci, already known for his passion as a volunteer ad-hoc guide, will recount to those present, as he has been doing for several years now, every Monday, stories about the 168-year history of the institution of the National Theatre or about the 47 years of today's building in University Square. Last but not least, the participants in the guided tours will have the opportunity to admire the Bucharest panorama from the building’s roof. Finally, a group photo taken in the Grand Hall lobby will be posted on the theatre's Facebook page. The meeting point for each of the three guided tours organised at 2.00 p.m., 3.30 p.m. and respectively, 5.00 p.m. is in the Grand Hall lobby of NTB, next to the Ticket Office. Also during this time frame(2.00 - 5.00 p.m.), at the Media Hal, there will be repeated screenings of the "vintage" recital of 2008, Years have trailed past…, a selection from Eminescu’s lyrical creation performed by great artists of the Romanian scene: Valeria Seciu, Ion Caramitru and Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan, accompanied by the clarinet of master Aurelian Octav Popa. Admission is free (up to 140 available seats). In the week from 14th to 19th January 2020, five performances by Romanian authors from the current repertoire of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre are scheduled,The Door Mat(Ion Băieşu), The Blizzard (Barbu Del. Delavrancea), Little Hell (Mircea Stefanescu), The Extra (Andreas Petrescu ), 50 Seconds (Daniel Oltean). But as the National Culture Day also refers to the idea of ​​universal culture, we invite you to see further shows on January 15th: from 7pm, King Lear by W. Shakespeare at the Grand Hall, directed by the Georgian David Doiashvili; at the Painting Hall, starting from 8.00 p.m., the show The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, after a novel by Mark Haddon, directed by Bobi Pricop (reached the representation with number 50!), and at the Small Hall, from 7.00 p.m., the show The Tragedy of Man, an adaptation after Imre Madách's dramatic poem, directed by Diana Mititelu (UNATC production). Tickets to these shows can be purchased from the NTB Ticket Office (from the Grand Hall lobby), as well as online, on www.mystage.ro We are expecting you at the theatre! Details on www.tnb.ro and on the Facebook page of the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

As long as Eminescu has remained among us, nothing is lost yet ... One of the most beautiful recitals dedicated to Eminescu, performed by actor Ion Caramitru, along with the renowned clarinetist Aurelian Octav Popa returns to the stage of the Painting Hall of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre on the evening of January 11th, 2020, from 8.00 p.m., on the occasion of the 170th anniversary of the birth of the great poet. Under the heading Longing for Eminescu, the two artists - carrying out a dialogue in a unique stage formula, in which the spoken word is supplemented with music - present a show based on excerpts from the great poet’s manuscripts of poetry, prose and philosophy, with the ambition to explore Eminescu's poetic work in a new dimension. In the words of Ion Caramitru, the well-known Eminescu Glossa acquires unexpected valences, resonating more than ever with the present: Keep aside from all that patter Waves that rise can never hold ... And Eminescu's lyrics - There’s no such thing as time and space, they are just our soul or My Nation is the World - are loaded with surprisingly topical meanings, demonstrating, if need be, how alive the poet still is nowadays.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

On Friday, January 10th, 2020, from 7.30 pm at the Grand Hall of the National Theatre of Bucharest, there will be a great musical performance, Happy New Year, curated by Emy Dragoi, considered the best jazz accordionist of the moment, declared "The Artist of the Year" in France, the country where he completed his musical studies, appreciated both in the country and abroad, as well as on the NTB scenes in the extraordinary concert-show Magic National. After, for the second year in a row, the concert Christmas Jazz - Magic Christmas at NTB has been performed to a full house still here, in the Grand Hall of the National, the New Year celebration gives the artists gathered around this project a new opportunity to enter the limelight in order to offer you an epic evening, embroidering on the canvas of traditional holidays and specific rhythms. The show is aimed at music lovers of all ages. Along with Emy Dragoi will appear on stage the Grand Orchestra - an orchestra that brings together valuable instrumentalists - 20 violinists, piano, percussion, bass, guitar, etc., Alls'choir - a choir composed of soloists from the Romanian Opera in Bucharest, but also Magic Violin. Furthermore, alongside the more than 50 musicians, two special guests will perform during the show: master Ion Caramitru and the beloved Toni Grecu. The variety of rhythms, from pieces that made history to improvisations and virtuosity, the content of the entire show and the special effects chosen complete an artistic representation of definite value, which will recompose on stage something of the grandeur, the emotion, the festive atmosphere brought to Romania by the Dutch violinist, conductor and composer André Rieu and his orchestra. On this occasion, we draw the public's attention to some schedule changes. The show "Exit the King" on January 10th, 2020 was replaced by "Happy New Year", and the show "All My Sons" on January 11th, 2020 was replaced, for the same objective reasons, with "The Nouveau Criminals." The tickets purchased remain valid or you can recover their value from the Ticket Office or from mystage.ro for those purchased online. The show Exit the King on January 31st, 2020 is suspended. The value of the purchased tickets will be returned by the Ticket Office or from mystage.ro - for those purchased online.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

High schools have once again climbed the stage of the Odeon theatre, on the occasion of the 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres Gala, which reached this year's 9th edition. On December 10th, 2019, five drama groups from five other high schools of the capital showcased their performances prepared during the project, which began in October. At the end of the Gala, a jury made up of theatre professionals nominated the winners of the trophies 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres. ECDL Romania, together with UNITER, PMB, ISMB and CCD Bucharest and the partner theatres, the IL Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest, the Small Theatre, the Ion Creangă Theatre, the Jewish State Theatre and the Nottara Theatre, with the support of the Odeon Theatre, have organized for the young artists a new edition of 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres. 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres is an established educational project, which supports the involvement of high school students in cultural activities, through their access to institutions and to plays, challenging them at the same time to a show competition. Since October, five theatres have opened their season for further 150 students from five high schools in the capital, including members of school drama groups. They watched free plays from the repertoire of each of the partner theatres within the project 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres 2019: the IL Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest, Jewish State theatre, Ion Creangă Theatre, Nottara Theatre and Small Theatre. The new schools participating in this edition 5 high schools - 5 theatres were: Gheorghe Asachi Technical College, CA Rosetti Theoretical High School, Mircea Vulcănescu Technological High School, Stefan Odobleja Theoretical High School and Nicolae Tonitza High School of Fine Arts. This time as well, the drama groups of the high schools were coordinated by the theatres in the staging of a short play, on the theme theatre as a mirror of the contemporary world. Their endeavour was completed with the performances, the judging and the awarding of the five shows performed by high school students, within the 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres Gala. On Tuesday evening, the young people had the opportunity to take the stage of a majortheatre in Romania, to be applauded by a wide audience and to perform in front of a jury made up of professionals, including Aura Corbeanu - UNITER vice president, Ioana Ginghina - actress of Ion Creangă theatre, Rodica Ionescu - NTB actress, Simona Mihaescu - actress of the Small Theatre, Marius Calugarita - actor of the Jewish State theatre or Gabriel Rauta - actor of the Nottara Theatre. The jury deliberated, pursuing the evaluation of the following artistic performances: The best performance was awarded ex aequo to the shows Fam-wely- the drama group of the Nicolae Tonitza High School of Fine Arts and Pockets Full of Bread - the drama group of the CA Rosetti Theoretical High School. The Awards for acting performance were granted as follows: female lead role - Steliana Michael Mircea Vulcănescu Technological High School for the role She from "Feminine", female supporting role ex aequo - Tina Purcaru from the Mircea Vulcănescu Technological High School for the role Mother in "Feminine" and Daria Minca from Stefan Odobleja Theoretical High School for the role of Puck in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream", male supporting role - Stefan Agache from theStefan Odobleja Theoretical High School for the role of Puck in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream", male lead role - Ricardo Ispas from the Gheorghe Asachi Technical College for the role of Ricardo in "Messengers". The audience voted as the most popular show, the play Fam / wely - by the drama group of the Nicolae Tonitza High School of Fine Arts. Since the first edition, which started in 2011 at the initiative of ECDL Romania, 1350 students from 40 different high schools from Bucharest participated in 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres. Alternative education is of crucial importance for the development of young people, who must continue to be directed towards real and fair values, including cultural values. ECDL initiatives promote the balanced development of young people, who pursue international IT & C careers and certifications, but also understand the act of culture, as a complement to the knowledge and skills accumulated in the school.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

On Tuesday, December 10th, 2019, starting at 6:00 pm, the Majestic Hall of the Odeon Theatre will host the 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres Gala, this year at the 9th edition. Further five high school drama groups will go on stage at Odeon, to present the performances prepared during the project, in collaboration with five theatresof the capital. ECDL Romania, together with UNITER, PMB, ISMB and CCD Bucharest and the partner theatres, the IL Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest, the Small Theatre, the Ion Creangă Theatre, the Jewish State Theatre and the Nottara Theatre, invite you to applaud the young artists. 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres is an established educational project, which supports the involvement of high school students in cultural activities, through their access to institutions and to plays, challenging them at the same time to a drama competition. Since October, five theatres have reopened their season for further 150 students from five high schools in the capital, including members of school dramagroups. They watched free plays from the programme of each of the partner theatres within the project 5  High Schools - 5 Theatres 2019: IL Caragiale National Theatre of Bucharest, Jewish State Theatre, Ion Creanga Theatre, Nottara and Small Theatre. The new schools participating in this edition of 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres are: Nicolae Toniza High School of Fine Arts, CA Rosetti Theoretical High School, Mircea Vulcanescu Technological High School, Stefan Odobleja Theoretical High School and Gheorghe Asachi Technical College. The high school groups were coordinated by the theatres in the staging of a short play, on the theme of the Theatre as a mirror of the contemporary world. Their endeavor will be completed with the performances, the judging and the awarding of the five shows performed by high school students, within the 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres Gala. Young people will have the opportunity to get on the stage of a major theatre in Romania, to perform in front of a jury made up of professionals and to be applauded by a wide audience. Since the first edition launched in 2011 at the initiative of ECDL Romania, 1350 students from 40 different high schools in Bucharest have participated in 5 High Schools - 5 Theatres. Alternative education is of vital significance for the development of young people, who must continue to be directed towards real and fair values, including cultural values. ECDL initiatives promote the balanced development of young people, who pursue international IT&C careers and certifications, but also understand the act of culture, as a complement to the knowledge and skills accumulated in the school. You are most welcome on Tuesday, December 10th, 2019, from 6:00 pm, at the Majestic Hall of the Odeon Theatre in Bucharest.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Two of the most appraised performances of the National Theatre of Bucharest, King Lear and The Cherry Orchard, both bearing the signature of Georgian director David Doiashvili, return to the stage at the end of this year, bringing some major changes.      In the first performance of the current season with King Lear, scheduled for December 19th, 2019, from 7pm, on the Grand Hall stage, two of the drama actors will meet for the first time with Shakespeare's characters seen by this amazing Georgian director. The role of Cordelia, played so far by Crina Semciuc, will be performed from now on also by Alexandra Salceanu, the two actresses standing out and evolving, since student days, into a harmonious artistic complementarity. The role of the King of France allows Mihai Muntenita, recently co-opted into the NTB troupe, the encounter with a new score and a new directorial vision. They join the cast in which you will find Mihai Constantin, Marius Manole, Ioan Andrei Ionescu, Gavril Patru, Istvan Teglas, Monica Davidescu, Raluca Aprodu, Tudor Aron Istodor, Lari Giorgescu, Silviu Mircescu, Rares Andrici, Pavel Ulici.     The Cherry Orchard, a show whose international premiere surpassed the national one, being invited at that time, in October 2017, to the Tbilisi International Festival, is a successful enactment, applauded both at the headquarters and abroad. At NTB, since the premiere until now, the audience was able to attend the surprising staging in the midst of the plot, on the very stage, seated on the steps. Starting from this season, the show gains 250 spectators per evening, by moving the show from the grand stage to the Studio Hall, in the "Italian" formula, which is also most familiar forthe majority of spectators. The show staged by David Doiashvili is one in which the actor's performance is perfectly molded onto the directorial proposal, the result being a one-of-a-kindOrchard, which you either read differently, or have seen in classical enactments, or you are only discovering it now. In this show as well, we note some changes of cast. The role Anya will also be performed by Alexandra Salceanu and Lari Giorgescu will impersonate Yepikhodov, where as Ionut Toader will be Trofimov. The Orchard is performed on December 21st and 22nd, 2019 (with Monica Davidescu and respectively, Irina Movila in Ranevskaya, the female lead). Both performances start at 7.00 p.m. So, as of this season, at Studio Hall! Tickets can be purchased from the NTB Box Office, from the Grand Hall lobby, as well as online, on www.mystage.ro. Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

At the recently concluded edition of the International Contemporary Drama Festival of Brasov, Titanic Orchestra by Hristo Boicev, under the direction of Felix Alexa, won the Grand Prize. The show of the "IL Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest had its premiere in January 2018 and ever since it has been performed to full halls, both at the headquarters and on tour, conquering the audience and theatre chroniclers alike. At the same edition of the Brasov Festival, the 30th, the award for Best Actor was bestowed upon Richard Bovnoczki, the performer of Doko - the one who "was born with a nameless pain", as his refrain goes "and his refrain miraculously fits the others, too" notices Andreea Nanu (22 Magazine).  "Titanic Orchestra" by Hristo Boicev is a philosophical and absurd comedy about the desire to escape into illusion. The Bulgarian author probes the phenomenon of migration through the stories of four poor individuals, assaulted by the great illusion of another, more benevolent world. "Is life an illusion? Many philosophers have tackled this question. A fatal illusion, says the Bulgarian author. But Doko's swan song, the bear tamer, the only one left on stage, is impregnated by so much humanity that it makes us think that he did not dream, that he was there with the others, that their dream was collective," wrote Evelyne Tran, on the occasion of the Parisian enactment of the text. "My show talks about theatre and life, states director Felix Alexa, about how we can save ourselves, at least in part, from a frustrating and annoying existence, hoping for another dimension created by illusion. An illusion that we each create in intimacy, as a saving alternative ”. The prizes were awarded on Saturday night, by a jury consisting of the actress Olga Delia Mateescu - president of the jury, Ruxandra Sararu, producer of radio - TV shows, and Alexandru Nagy, director. These awards add up to those received a year ago, at the International Festival of Studio Theatre and New Forms, where the NTB show was rewarded with: Prize for best performance, Award for best director (Felix Alexa), for the best stage design (Andrada Chiriac) and the Award for best actors (ex-aequo - Claudiu Bleont, for the role of Harry, respectively Richard Bovnoczki, for the role of Doko).   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu