News

Radio Romania Cultural Awards Gala - 2025 edition, on April 16, at Sala Radio Hall!  Raluca Aprodu, actress of the National Theater “I.L. Caragiale” in Bucharest, is one of the nominees in the “Performing Arts” category. Radio Romania Cultural, announces the 24th edition of the Radio Romania Cultural Awards Gala, a landmark event dedicated to recognizing exceptional performances in the Romanian cultural field. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, from 19:00, for the first time at Sala Radio and will be broadcast live on Radio Romania Cultural. The event will be presented by actor Denis Hanganu and will bring to the forefront outstanding personalities and projects from the Romanian cultural landscape. During the gala, the audience will enjoy a special artistic moment - the concert "A Bucharest Story of yesteryear", a tribute to Romanian inter-war music, performed by the Radio Big Band and the Radio Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of Simona Strungaru, together with Taraf de Oras, conducted by Valentin Albesteanu, and actress Miruna Ionescu. Tickets will be available soon on www.bilete.ro, in the Bilete.ro network and at the ticket office of the Radio Hall. Awards will be presented in eight categories. The nominees in the Education category are: the Progress Foundation for the CODE Kids Clubs community; the Association "Cu Alte Cuvinte" for the Bare Rroma project; the Association of Teachers and Mentors in Tourism "Edu4Tourism" for the WorldSkills competition. In the Performing Arts category: the director Catinca Draganescu - interim manager of the Masca Theatre in Bucharest, for the season "Here one dreams of change"; the actress Raluca Aprodu for the parts of Mary Stuart / Elizabeth I in the performance "Mary Stuart", adaptation by Robert Icke after Friedrich Schiller, directed by Andrei Serban, production of the National Theatre "I. L. Caragiale" in Bucharest and Mrs. Hedda Tesman, the wife in "Hedda Gabler" by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Thomas Ostermeier, 2024, production of the same theater; director Radu Afrim, for the performance "Zi de bucurie" by Arne Lygre, at the National Theater "Vasile Alecsandri" in Iasi. In the Film category the following productions have been nominated: "The Big Week", directed by Andrei Cohn; "The Death of Iosif Zagor", directed by Adrian Dohotaru; "The New Year That Never Was", directed by Bogdan Muresanu. In the Film category the following productions have been nominated: "The Big Week", directed by Andrei Cohn; "The Death of Iosif Zagor", directed by Adrian Dohotaru; "The New Year That Never Came", directed by Bogdan Muresanu. The nominees in the Science category are: the "Coalition of Organizations of Patients with Chronic Diseases (COPAC)" for the launch in 2024 of the SHIFT HUB (Smart Health Innovation & Future Technologies Hub) project; "Volens Association" for the CleanAir@School project, an innovative science-based climate education method; "Save the Children Romania Association" for projects to reduce infant mortality. In the Poetry category: Stefania Mihalache for the volume "Sunt linistita, mi-e frica", Paralela 45 Publishing House, 2024; Andrei Dósa for "Ultima familie traditionala", OMG Publishing House, 2024; Rita Chirian for "Medusa", Max Blecher Publishing House, 2024. In the Prose category: George Cornila for "Silex", Polirom Publishing House, 2024; Bogdan-Alexandru Stanescu for "Soarele negru", TREI Publishing House, 2024; Cristina Hermeziu for "Nickel", Cartier Publishing House, 2024. In the Music category: Amphitrio for the album "Timelines"; Alina Manole for the album "Umbra inimii"; Eduard Antal manager of the "Cantus Ecclessiae" Festival. The nominations in the Visual Arts category are: the group exhibition "Tara de Foc / Land of Fire" (curator: Cosmin Costinas; co-curators: Mona Vatamanu and Florin Tudor), Kunsthalle Bega, Timisoara, 18.10.2024 - 01.02. 2025; Elena Scutaru, "Reconstituirea unui parcurs", retrospective exhibition (curator: Adriana Oprea), Simeza Gallery, Bucharest, 20.11-04.12.2024; Adrian Ghenie, "Shadow Paintings" (a concept by Ciprian Adrian Barsan), Albertina Museum, Vienna, 11.10.2024-02.03.2025.                                 The Radio Romania Cultural Awards Gala, which will take place on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 19:00, at the Radio Hall, will be accompanied by an exceptional artistic moment: the concert "A Bucharest Story of yesteryear", a musical journey in the interwar period. Under the baton of conductor Simona Strungaru, the Radio Big Band and the Radio Chamber Orchestra will recreate the charm of the inter-war sounds, together with Taraful de Oras, conducted by Valentin Albesteanu, and actress and soloist Miruna Ionescu. This concert brings together different orchestral styles, from big band and taraf to chamber orchestra, in a captivating mix that highlights the musical diversity of the era. Tickets are available on the Bilete.ro network and at the box office of Sala Radio. We look forward to welcoming you to the Radio Romania Cultural Awards Gala to celebrate cultural excellence together! The Romanian Broadcasting Society is an institutional partner of the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre in Bucharest. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu                          

Since the beginning of 2025, Casa de flori - floral creation and design atelier, has joined the National Theater "I.L. Caragiale" in Bucharest, as a brand partner of NTB. Together, Casa de flori and NTB, give joy and unforgettable moments, not only to the artists who take the stage of the National Theater Bucharest, but also to the spectators. In addition to the NTB premieres, which have been marked within the framework of this partnership by marvelous floral arrangements that have reached the hearts of our artists, in April, the NTB - Casa de flori partnership proposes a special event dedicated to the public! On the occasion of Palm Sunday, spectators who will walk into the halls of the National Theatre in Bucharest on April 13, 2025, will be greeted with small delicate, colorful and fragrant gifts. We are therefore waiting for you, with flowers, at the Bucharest National Theater, on Palm Sunday, when our halls will be playing the following shows: Rehearsal for a better world - "Ion Caramitru" Hall, Ghosts and Dandelions - Sala Pictura, Incognito - Sala Atelier and You say tomato - Sala Mică. Starting April 22, in the foyer of the "Ion Caramitru" Hall of the Bucharest National Theatre, you will be able to create and take with you artistic memories - photos that you can take in the special space dedicated to theater-goers, which will be arranged by the floral designers from Casa de flori, with passion and enthusiasm. So you will be able to leave the NTB performances not only with the memory of a wonderful performance, but also with a photo in which you will be surrounded by the colors and fragrance of the special floral arrangements created in the framework of the NTB - Casa de flori partnership! With the NTB and Casa de flori, it's spring in any season!   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

On April 12 and 13, 2025, the National Theatre in Bucharest will host the absolute premiere of the performance Ghosts and Dandelions by Gavril Patru. The performance is the directorial debut of the author, who is also a well-known actor of the National, and in this triple role is staging on the stage of the Pictură Hall the dramatization of a text that won him the “Marin Sorescu” Award for the Debut Book of 2022, offered by the Bucharest Branch of the Writers' Union. Inspired by the childhood and adolescence spent in a village in Oltenia, “Ghosts and Dandalions” offers an authentic image of Oltenia, with its customs, superstitions, folk language and local mythology, capturing with humor and authenticity the magical realism of the “homeland of the right words”, as Marin Sorescu called Oltenia, emphasizing the linguistic richness and creativity of the local people. Gavril Pătru sketches a family portrait caustic and imbued with humor, against the backdrop of a vigil with surrealist accents, the perfect setting in which the superstitions of the villages from the region of Oltenia bring to the surface family secrets and personal dramas. A performance typical for Oltenia, gothic, bizarre, sarcastic and sharp as a glass of sour wine, a black comedy with vampires / poltergeists, thousand-year-old old women and the scent of cabbage rolls, a farce played at a devilish pace, but with moments of rare dramatic sensitivity, which makes us witnesses to the inevitable moment in the life of a family, in which, as the poet says, “all secrets come out, like oil”. The performance features a cast of NTB actors: Maia Morgenstern, Costina Cheyrouze, Victoria Dicu, Ileana Olteanu, Raluca Petra, Petre Ancuta, Silviu Biriș, Andrei Finti, Gavril Patru and the child Andrei Andronescu. The set is designed by Ștefan Caragiu, the costumes by Liliana Cenean and the choreography by Flavia Giurgiu. The premiere for "Ghosts and Dandelions" will take place on April 12 and 13, 2025, at the Sala Pictură, from 19.00. More details, images and tickets on tnb.ro. Partners: Aqua Carpatica, Domeniile Sâmburești, Casa de Flori, Aria TNB, Brinel. Photography by Florin Ghioca / TNB   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

After successful tours in Bulgaria and Turkey, the performance Bánk bán of the National Theatre of Budapest comes to the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest as part of a bilateral exchange between the two national theaters: in response to the presence of Hungarian artists in Bucharest, the NTB company will present in May in Budapest, during the 12th edition of the MITEM Festival (Madach International Theatre Meeting) the performance Gertrude by Radu F. Alexandru directed by Silviu Purcarete. The National Theatre of Budapest's performance of the national drama Bánk bán by Katona József, directed by one of the most well-known and appreciated Hungarian directors, Atilla Vidnyanszky*, brings to the stage a large cast of exceptional actors and a large number of extras, in an impressive scenography, accompanied by a musical score to match. "Bánk bán" by Katona József is, together with "Csongor and Tünde" (by Vörösmarty Mihaly) and "The Tragedy of Man" (by Madàch Imre), one of the masterpieces of Hungarian drama (the Ban was the highest feudal lord) Playwright Katona József was born in 1791, at the dawn of the 'great century' of the bourgeois-democratic revolutions, two years after the people of Paris had demolished the Bastille, the symbol of despotism. As a student, he became acquainted with the progressive movements of his time and took part in the preparations for the period of reform, primarily through theater. In 1819, at the age of just 28, Katona printed the definitive version of the dramatic poem Bánk bán, a hymn to love of the fatherland and a shining example for the playwrights of the liberated Hungarian people. Sadly, it is also his swan song, as the author died at the age of only 39, never seeing the 1833 premiere of his play. It was first performed at the National Theatre in Budapest in 1839, and from 1858 Bánk bán became one of the staples of both the National Theatre and other Hungarian theaters. "Bánk bán" presents a broad panorama of the contradictions and social and national contradictions and strivings characteristic of Hungary in the early 19th century. Although the play is set "at the end of the year 1213", the author has succeeded in bringing to the surface the reality of his own time, deeply marked by the awakening of national consciousness. Like Shakespeare - the master whom he had only recently discovered - Katona uses the historical setting only as a pretext for setting the problems of his own era. His work offers an opportunity to analyze from a personal perspective the eternal questions about the human condition and also the specifically Hungarian relationship with the world: the millennia-long situation between East and West, the endless repetition of historical conflicts, misunderstandings and the inability to reconcile with the world. A work becomes a classic and does not fade into the mists of time precisely because, in any era, it remains a living and topical material, capable of offering contemporaries the opportunity to analyze the great questions and dilemmas that preoccupy them at the time. 'Bánk bán' is such a drama, because Katona József discovers a profoundly human theme in this historical story. The playwright weaves a disturbing story out of the threads of love, seduction, marriage, jealousy, patriotism, power and politics, placing the drama, truth and catharsis of Bánk Bán at the center of the story. "Bánk bán is a Shakespearean opera that raises the most fundamental questions of our lives," says Attila Vidnyánszky, General Director of the National Theatre and director of the production. In his vision, Bánk Bán is a vivid portrayal of the destiny of a vulnerable man seeking his way through the events of history. The performance "Bánk bán" of the Budapest National Theatre will have a unique performance on April 9, 2025, at 19.00, in the "Ion Caramitru" Hall. The performance is given in Hungarian and will be titled in Romanian and English. Tickets are on sale at the theater's box office and online at tnb.ro. Vidnyánszky Attila (1964) Hungarian theater, opera and film director, educator. Director of the National Theatre in Budapest, founder and artistic director of the Madách International Theatre Meeting (MITEM). His style and method of creation are often characterized by the term "poetic theatre". He comes from the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine. He graduated as a director in Kiev. In 1993, he founded his own theater company in Beregovo, which is still active today, and his performances have been presented in prestigious festivals such as Nancy, Torun, Paris, Craiova and Moscow. He has been the principal director of the Hungarian National Opera, director of the Csokonai Theater in Debrecen, and since 2013 has been the director of the National Theater in Budapest, Hungary. The performances of the theaters he has directed - including his own-directed productions - have been successfully received in various international venues, including the Odéon Theater in Paris, the Hungarian State Theater in Cluj-Napoca and its Interferences Festival, the Moscow Art Theater, the FITS Festival in Sibiu, and also in Belgrade, Munich, Warsaw, Skopje, Tel Aviv, and Košice. The show "Wonderful Men with Wings", directed by him, was presented in 2012 at the National Theatre in Bucharest. He is an active participant in Hungarian cultural life, president of the Hungarian Theater Association and a member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts. His artistic activity has been awarded with numerous Hungarian and international theater prizes. In 2009 he was awarded the Meyerhold Prize in Moscow and his production "Crime and Punishment", directed at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, was nominated for the Golden Mask Award.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

On April 2 and 3, 2025, from 6.30 pm, on the stage of the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre in Chisinau, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest will present the performance "A Lost Letter" by Ion Luca Caragiale, directed by Horațiu Malaele. Spectators have the opportunity to see in Chisinau the latest version of NTB's beloved comedy written by Caragiale dealing with savory love stories and political intrigue. Ten years after the premiere of "The Letter", one of the most personal visions that gave uniqueness to the program "Caragiale 2012 at the NTB", Horațiu Malaele has proposed for 2022 (the 170th anniversary of the author's birth) a "revised and added" version of the play, with all the ingredients that the last act brings in addition (the third act was suppressed by the director in the first version). The acclaimed artist reinterprets the characters and situations in the performance THE LOST LETTER, taking them out of the classical patterns, extrapolating them to burlesque and grotesque. The dimensions of negative phenomena are literally inflated on stage. Corruption, hypocrisy, cynicism, and politicians' impudence take on visibly monstrous contours. The performance is a harsh satire in which power games, corruption and the manipulation of public opinion are seen without masks. These two performances are part of the traditional Union through Theater Tour. The unification tour project "Romanian Theater Bucharest-Iasi-Chisinau" was initiated by Petru Hadarca, with the involvement of the late Ion Caramitru, who also gave it its title. The event takes place annually: in January, on the occasion of the Day of the Unification of the Principalities: the National Theatre "Mihai Eminescu" Chisinau organizes a tour in Bucharest and Iasi, and around March 27, the Day of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania, the two national theatres come in / support the tour in response to Chisinau.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

On the occasion of World Theatre Day, on March 27, 2025, the Bucharest National Theatre invites you to a new series of Podcasts of the Bucharest National Theatre. Beloved actors, who you often see on the TNB's stages, chat with the theater's artistic director, Marius Bodochi, about theater and life. Podcasts of the National Theater Bucharest can be watched on NTB's youtube channel TNB-TV. To subscribe to the TNB-TV channel, which gives you the opportunity to quickly learn about our programs online, you can use the following link: The first episode of the new series Podcasts of the Bucharest National Theatre, will be available on TNB-TV, premiering on March 27, at 21:00.   The audio podcast can be listened to on youtube music (formerly google podcast) and on the redcircle and spotify platforms   All the episodes are available here.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

International Theatre Institute ITIWorld Organization for the Performing Arts Author of the Message: Theodoros Terzopoulos, GreeceTheatre Director, Educator, Author, Founder and Artistic Director of the AttisTheatre Company, Inspirator of Theatre Olympics and Chairman of the International Committee of Theatre Olympics World Theatre Day Message 2025 by Theodoros Terzopoulos Can theatre hear the SOS call that our times are sending out, in a world of impoverished citizens, locked in cells of virtual reality, entrenched in their suffocating privacy? In a world of robotized existences within a totalitarian system of control and repression across the spectrum of life? Is theatre concerned about ecological destruction, global warming, massive biodiversity loss, ocean pollution, melting ice caps, increasing forest fires and extreme weather events? Can theatre become an active part of the ecosystem? Theatre has been watching human impact on the planet for many years, but it is finding it difficult to deal with this problem. Is theatre worried about the human condition as it is being shaped in the 21st century, where the citizen is manipulated by political and economic interests, media networks and opinion[1]forming companies? Where social media, as much as they facilitate it, are the great alibi for communication, because they provide the necessary safe distance from the Other? A pervasive sense of fear of the Other, the different, the Stranger, dominates our thoughts and actions. Can theatre function as a workshop for the coexistence of differences without taking into account the bleeding trauma? The bleeding trauma invites us to reconstruct the Myth. And in the words of Heiner Müller “Myth is an aggregate, a machine to which always new and different machines can be connected. It transports the energy until the growing velocity will explode the cultural field” and I would add the field of barbarity. Can theatre spotlights shed light on social trauma and stop misleadingly shedding light on itself? Questions that do not allow definitive answers, because theatre exists and endures thanks to unanswered questions. Questions triggered by Dionysus, passing through his birthplace, the orchestra of the ancient theatre, and continuing his silent refugee journey through landscapes of war, today, on World Theatre Day. Let us look into the eyes of Dionysus, the ecstatic god of theatre and Myth who unites the past, the present and the future, the child of two births, by Zeus and Semele, expresser of fluid identities, female and male, angry and kind, divine and animal, on the verge between madness and reason, order and chaos, an acrobat on the borderline between life and death. Dionysus poses a fundamental ontological question “what is it all about?” a question that drives the creator towards an ever-deeper investigation into the root of myth and the multiple dimensions of the human enigma. We need new narrative ways aimed at cultivating memory and shaping a new moral and political responsibility to emerge from the multiform dictatorship of the present-day Middle Ages. Theodoros Terzopoulos Translated from the original Greek: Yiola Klitou / Cyprus Centre of I.T.I.

Following the public complaints posted on social networks regarding the performance of "Prophet Ilya", staged by director Botond Nagy on a text by Tadeusz Słobodzianek, the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest makes the following clarifications: The show "Prophet Ilya" does not aim to offend the Christian faith or any other religious belief. On the contrary, it is a reflection on faith, the fragility of human convictions and the dangers of extremism of any kind. It is an artistic approach that encourages tolerance, dialog and a deeper understanding of the complexity of the human spirit. In addition, we mention that some images that have appeared on social platforms have been taken out of the real context of the performance, presenting isolated fragments in a way that distorts the artistic message of the staging. The performance is not blasphemous and does not aim to ridicule faith, but, on the contrary, it invites a deep reflection on the relationship between man and divinity, on how faith can be influenced or hijacked. As stated on the performance's official website, "Prophet Ilya" is an invitation to a sincere meditation on faith and religion at a time of deep spiritual and moral crisis. Director Botond Nagy said before the premiere: "My wish is that through this artistic project the audience will look at their own beliefs in a new light and understand the true value of this miraculous inter-human connection that is faith." The play written by Tadeusz Słobodzianek has already been staged in Romania by the renowned director László Bocsárdi, at the Tamási Áron Theater in Sfantu Gheorghe, with premieres in 2001 and a revival in 2010. Also in 2010, another production of this text was staged at the Municipal Theatre in Baia Mare. These productions contributed to the exploration and deeper understanding of the text in the Romanian theatrical context. The "I.L. Caragiale" National Theater in Bucharest reaffirms that the performance has no intention of blasphemy or disrespect for religious values. We believe that some critical reactions are the result of a misinterpretation of the artistic message, which does not deny, but on the contrary, highlights the complexity of the relationship between man, faith and society. We respect each spectator's right to hold his or her own beliefs and encourage open dialog, in the spirit of the values of theater as a place of reflection and freedom of expression. Theater is, by definition, a place of questions, not of imposed answers, a space where each spectator is free to interpret and reflect.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Starting March 13, 2025, on the stage of the "Ion Caramitru" Hall, you are invited to see Secondary, a new production written and directed by Alexandra Badea. This is her third staging at the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre in Bucharest, after "The Romania Complex", based on a text by Mihaela Michailov (2008) and her great success with "Exile" (2022), the director based in Paris for over two decades, awarded at only 43 with the French Academy Award for Theatre for her entire activity (!), returns with a new highly personal proposal: the play Secondary - staged on the main stage of the theater, a gripping psychological thriller. Theater in theater and film in theater, the new performance crowns some of the recent searches and favorite themes of the talented writer: the relations of domination and power, psychological abuse, the existential crisis that can be caused by a traumatic event... In a world that today is in more acute turmoil than ever, Alexandra Badea's Secondary is a reflection of the structural insecurity we are going through, which also imagines alternatives to the current impasse. The spectators will find themselves in the eight characters, concerned with gaining the recognition of others, by weighing the qualities that recommend them for one part or another.... We each find ourselves in search of a leading role, whatever the situation. Alexandra Badea was interested, also in the preparation of this performance, to dialog first, during dramatic improvisations, with the future cast. Having grown up in a world of the image, dominated by television and surveillance cameras, portable video cameras and telephones that replace the traditional video camera, the director enriches the scenic universe with video images according to a personal drama concept. "A six-camera installation surveils the characters in the most intimate spaces in which they are not supposed to enter, capturing moments of vulnerability in which social masks fall away and the characters lose control over the image they have constructed. Intimacy is annulled", warns the author, who uses the process to bring to the fore not only the actors' gazes, but also the characters' thoughts and ambivalence, through a lively dialog between theater and film, creating a powerful visual universe. The cast of the show includes well-known actors of the theater: Diana Dumbrava, Crina Semciuc, Ada Gales, Cosmina Olariu, Emilian Oprea, Alexandru Potocean, Istvan Teglas, Mihai Calin and Marius Bodochi (voce). The director, who has several important awards to her credit, including the prestigious French Order "Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres" (2016), says that these actors from the TNB company - which she wants to explore further - could and deserve to be on stage anytime alongside actors from the Comédie Française, the Barbican or the Schaubühne. The following have contributed to the realization of the performance, achieving the other essential components of the production: Cosmin Florea - Scenography, Calin Topa - Sound design, Cristian Simon - Lighting design, Boróka Biró - Director of photography. The first performances will take place on March 13, 14, 15 and 16, 2025, at 19.00, at Ion Caramitru Hall. In April, the performance is scheduled for Thursday 24, at 7: 00 pm., at 19.00, at Ion Caramitru Hall. In April, the performance is scheduled for Thursday 24, at 7: 00 pm. Tickets are available at the ticket office of the I.L. Caragiale National Theater in Bucharest and online at www.tnb.ro.   Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu 

"The Silent Escape", a performance of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest, directed and performed by the actress Oana Pellea, will be staged at the Shaw Theatre in London on March 12, 2025. After its resounding success in September in Luxembourg, where it had two sold-out performances at the Theatre des Capucins, and after opening the "Interferente" International Theatre Festival in Cluj-Napoca at the end of last year, "The Silent Escape" will have its first meeting with the London audience. Adapted and directed by the actress Oana Pellea, based on Lena Constante's book, the performance "The Silent Escape" premiered in November 2023 at the Atelier Hall of the National Theatre in Bucharest with an impressive success, being performed since then with a closed house. It is a story about survival, inner freedom and resistance in the face of oppression, based on the dramatic experiences of visual artist, writer and ethnographer Lena Constante during the communist prisons. Oana Pellea, through a deep and sensitive interpretation, brings to life the voice of Lena Constante, conveying the emotions and sufferings of a woman who found the strength to resist through art and introspection. "Silent Escape" is not just a theatrical performance, but a living testimony to human resilience and strength of spirit. The performance will be performed in Romanian with English subtitles. The event is part of Romania's program at the London Book Fair and is supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute, through the National Book Centre, with the support of the Romanian Embassy, Kibo Productions, Shaw Theatre. Media partners: Povești spuse-n românește and Rostalgy. Tickets are on sale at shaw-theatre.com. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu    Photography: Florin Ghioca