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Did you know that the actress Olga Knipper, the spouse of A. P. Chekhov, has held the female lead role, Ranevskaia, in the first enactment of the play The Cherry Orchard, staged by K. Stanislavski in 1904, at the Moscow Art Theatre? The actress had met Chekhov in 1898, when she was performing in The Seagull, where she had been cast as Arkadina. Olga Knipper has also played the role of Masha in Three Sisters, another major play by Chekhov. Photo: A.P. Chekhov and Olga Knipper Details  

Did you know that, in Chekhov’s view, The Cherry Orchard was a comedy with farce elements? The playwright often expressed his profound dissatisfaction for the way in which his friend, Konstantin Stanislavski, great director and theatre theorist, had enacted his play at the Moscow Art Theatre, in 1904. Chekhov accused Stanislavski of ruining his play, because he had read it as a tragedy and had staged it too tragically, too grave, too gloomy. Photo: Scene from The Cherry Orchard, directed by Stanislavski Details  

  Two highly successful tours of the “I. L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest have taken place this summer, two invitations launched by prestigious international festivals were honoured with artistic brilliance, both on the part of the NTB troupe, and the Romanian and foreign artists invited to work on the stages of this theatre. Two unconventional enactments were shown to the world in spaces of a breathtaking beauty, seemingly meant to lend magic of their own to the shows and audience, itself spellbound. Directed by renowned Bulgarian director Alexander Morfov and in the playful-Shakespearean scenery created by Nikola Toromanov (scenographer honoured at the UNITER Awards Gala for a previous creation, The Visit), Romanian actors led by Ion Caramitru, the performer of the magician Prospero, have performed, on two evening in a row, on 5th and 6th July 2017, with a fabulous success, Shakespeare’s Tempest in a typically Greek amphitheater, in Thessaloniki, within the first international edition of the already traditional NTNG Forest Festival. Surrounded by a forest and with the sea as a background, the amphitheater was seized with the spell whom the witnesses of this show describe as a blessing, something exceeding expectations and impossible to forget. „The vault over their heads collapsed and the lights of Thessaloniki stretched beneath their feet. There was a certain magic of the evening and the place, which made one finally say: yes, of course, Prospero has also invented theatre, with his laughter mingled with tears, with his power to figure and disfigure, with his immense joy of communication, beyond the podium and proscenium, beyond the thousands of stone benches, over the valley revealing the lights of the city of Thessaloniki, over centuries. Yes, Caramitru, that melancholy man with baggy pants and large sweater has certainly created on the evening of the show in Greece theatre, as well", exclaimed enthusiastically the writer of Romanian origin Monica Săvulescu – Voudouri. Not less interested by the „exotic story, by the imaginative play, with visual discoveries and performance techniques”, Angela Mantziou was analysing – in a review published in City Culture, various details of the fascinating stage design, insisting upon Alexander Morfov’s creation. „The directorial view has unveiled the dark complex of energy, the power of art and of bold fantasy, the illusory appearance, as well as the world of human beings and spirits, in a story about revenge, knowledge and poetic passion”. „I believe that it has been one of the most significant tours of the National Theatre throughout the recent history of this theatre”, declared Ion Caramitru upon his return to Romania. The next participation, with Magic National, in the Ohrid Summer Festival has been described by one of the major Macedonian publications as a real triumph. And this performance took place in open air, in an amphitheatre with wooden seat rows, bursting with an audience which has professed a special interest for the concert-show of the National Theatre of Bucharest. The scenery provided by the façade of an old church, Saint Sophia of Ohrid, fairy-like illuminated through inspired projections, on a mellow evening at the beginning of August hosted one of the most fascinating representations of Magic National, unusual show for the NTB repertoire, in which actors are singing and dancing, on engaging rhythms, in a perfect poetic and musical osmosis, performed by Emy Drăgoi, the King of Accordion Jazz, joined by his bands. And the evening could not have been perfect, if Ion Caramitru had not brought Mioriţa closer to their soul, in Aromanian, a prayer for forgiveness for all the evil in the world, for all the envy and betrayal, addressed from the threshold of an old church towards the starry canopy. „Within the framework of the „Оhridsko leto /Ohrid Summer Festival”, a wonderful event recently took place for the European and Romanian poetry, through the visit of the National Theatre of Bucharest with a plethora of theatre and musical legends. This poetic and musical triumph shall linger on for a long time in the memory of the Ohrid Festival as a bright sky of the human soul – Nova Makedonija was noting, one of the major Macedonian publication. „Through pace, rhyme and the alignment of spheres, on this starry evening, poetry and music have completed each other, touching and embracing in a perfect artistic oeuvre”. Numerous other publications have greeted with heightened interest the participation of the National Theatre of Bucharest in the 57th edition of the Ohrid Summer Festival, on the evening of 7th August 2017. As a fellow journalist was noting on site, starting with this representation, Magic National has become Magic International. And from then onwards, the path of the NTB concert-show is open to further participations abroad. It has been a torrid summer, but also a very special one, a truly Magical one! „I believe we came back from there crowned by the joy of a special public acknowledgement, but also with a very special moral satisfaction”, further stated, at the end of the tour, Ion Caramitru, performer and director, manager of the „I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

Prince Charming embarks this summer from the Abracadabra National Theatre for Children on the road, in order to continue the adventures and acts of bravery throughout the season. A season has been concluded (in the theatre!), another one is opening on fairytale paths, with: the Holiday Festival – the Road of Prince Charming! But, you shall see how well it sounds further on. Read here, in the letter of actor Marian Râlea, whom the children know and love as the Magician of Stories: „The Abracadabra National Theatre for Children Foundation – with the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Identity and with the media partners TVR and SMART FM – shall organise, in the time frame July – September 2017, the Itinerant Holiday Festival – the Road of Prince Charming. I am the Magician of Stories and I invite you to embark on the Road of Prince Charming! We shall certainly encounter Dragons and Witches. The Beldam shall also be present. We shall save the daughter of January and shall cross the realm of the Shrew and the Hag. Many adventures and mishaps await us and who knows, we might also reach the country of Youth without Age and Life without Death. Who is Prince Charming? But the Rogue Horse or Goldilocks? It shall be you, dear children. Throughout the Holiday Festival – the Road of Prince Charming, you shall be elected to become the good heroes from the Romanian fairytales”. Where does this road lead? – you shall ask. The awesome holiday journey starts on the Sunday 29th July, in the beautiful Fairytale Garden of the Romanian Television. The track comprises the following stops: Bacău (5th August), Mangalia (19th August), Băileşti (25th August), Rupea (26th August), Filiaşi (9th September), Târgu Jiu (10th September). The complete schedule can be found on the Facebook page of the Magician of Stories. We must announce that our traditional journey to the world of Romanian fairytales, which started on Palm Sunday, 16 years ago and which has been ever since marked by a premiere on each Sunday morning, throughout the entire season, shall restart on the morning of 24 September 2017, in the Media Hall of the National Theatre of Bucharest. The Magician of Stories awaits you on Fairytale Roads!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

  The show of the „I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest, „The Tempest” by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexander Morfov, has conquered the audience ever since the first international edition of the Open-Air Theatre Festival of Thessaloniki, Forest Festival NTNG. The two representations by NTB (5th and 6th July 2017), which were hosted by the Dassous Theatre (Forest Theatre), an impressive amphitheatre, located at the top of a hill and in the vicinity of the sea, were welcomed with applause and ovations by the Greek, many of them declaring that the show directed by Alexander Morfov has exceeded their expectations. The participation in this festival took place in an exquisite company, the poster of the event featuring alongside the Romanian troupe successful shows from Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Israel. „I believe it was one of the most significant tours of the National Theatre throughout the recent history of this theatre. They were two magical evenings, two major theatrical triumphs, under utterly remarkable conditions. I think we returned from there crowned by the joy of an outstanding public recognition, but also with a totally special moral satisfaction”, declared Ion Caramitru, manager of the „I.L.Caragiale” National Theatre, upon his return to Romania. The first reviews did not fail to appear after the representations from Thessaloniki: „I must say that the show has been performed under a certain thrill, under the stars of Greece, in an ancient amphitheatre with thousands of seats, where I believe the actors were marked by the continuity of their creative act over millennia. The scenery brought from home was amplified thanks to the natural environment, the amphitheatre meant unsuspected entrances and exits, the enactment stretched over more levels than initially planned, the actors strolled among the audience, the vault over the heads collapsed and the lights of Thessaloniki stretched beneath their feet. There was a certain magic of the evening and the place, which made one finally say: yes, of course, Prospero has also invented theatre, with his laughter mingled with tears, with his power to figure and disfigure, with his immense joy of communication, beyond the podium and proscenium, beyond the thousands of stone benches, over the valley revealing the lights of the city of Thessaloniki, over centuries. Yes, Caramitru, that melancholy man with baggy pants and large sweater has certainly created on the evening of the show in Greece theatre, as well", writes Monica Săvulescu – Voudouris.   „The game of imagination, with visual discoveries and performance techniques, has unfolded as an exotic story, stressing the magic of dreams, the dark plots and the force of imagination, talking about power and art, exaggeration and falsity, illusion and conviction, about universal measures and natural laws. The directorial view has unveiled the dark complex of energy, the power of art and of bold fantasy, the illusory appearance, as well as the world of human beings and spirits, in a story about revenge, knowledge and poetic passion”, notices also Angela Mantziou in a review published in City Culture. Currently, even if it officially entered the summer holiday, the National Theatre does not cease its activity. Over less than a month, the show „Magic National” shall participate at Ohrid, in Macedonia, in the 57th edition of the International Summer Festival. Founded in 1961, Ohrid Summer Festival takes place in a special cultural and historical area. The town, the Ohrid lake and the above-mentioned church are included in the UNESCO World Heritage. On the festival stages, famous voices echoed over time. Since 1994, the International Summer Festival of Ohrid belongs to the European Festivals Association (EFA). Translated by Simona Nichiteanu 

4 of the premieres of the past NTB season shall be applauded at FNT 2017 as well! At the beginning of July, on Sunday, at the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest, the last gong of the season 2016-2017 was heard from the Black Box Hall, hosting the play Shadows by Marilia Samper, directed by Vlad Cristache, the newest of the NTB productions. The more than 10 titles of the recently concluded season include the NTB productions: King Lear by William Shakespeare, directed by David Doiashvili, No Man’s Land by Danis Tanovic, directed by Alexander Morfov, Old Clown Wanted by Matei Vişniec, directed by Ion Caramitru, Light, at the end of the tunnel by Radu F. Alexandru, directed by Mircea Cornişteanu, The Lourcine Street Affair by Eugène Labiche, directed by Felix Alexa and Shadows, the above-mentioned show. Among them, 4 titles have been shortlisted for the National Theatre Festival 2017, at its 27th edition. These are, in alphabetic order, as they have been announced to date: Old Clown Wanted by Matei Vişniec, directed by Ion Caramitru, No Man’s Land by Danis Tanović, adaptation, direction and musical illustration Alexander Morfov, King Lear by William Shakespeare, direction and stage design David Doiashvili, Shadows by Marilia Samper, direction, stage design, musical illustration and lighting design Vlad Cristache. The premieres have continued in the Small Hall as well, hosting the 9G Programme at NTB. Produced by the „Ion Sava” Creation and Research Centre of TNB, the programme intended for the young generation of theatre creators has enriched its billboard with the following titles: The Girl Soldier by Mihaela Michailov, directed by Silvia Roman, Do You Love Me – script and direction by Iris Spiridon, Love and Information by Caryl Churchill, directed by Irina Crăiţă-Mândră and War by Lars Noren, directed by Lorena Zăbrăuțanu. Another successful programme, appreciated by both spectators and their families, the National Theatre for Children, launched in the year 2001 by actor Marian Râlea through the Abracadabra Foundation, has pursued this season as well its interactive theatre projects. Each Sunday, in the Media Hall, the youngest of the spectators-actors of the National Theatre of Bucharest have witnessed a premiere and as many original scripts, based on Romanian customs and fairytales.  In mid-September, with the new school year, the National Theatre of Bucharest shall lift the curtain of a new season. However, the actors shall rejoin the theatre at the end of August in order to resume rehearsals, so that the season start shall witness one of the most expected premieres due to the team of creators. UFO by Ivan Vyrypaev, directed by Bobi Pricop, is the occasion to meet a cast which we believe to be unforgettable: Medeea Marinescu, Raluca Aprodu, Ada Galeş, Ion Caramitru, Ciprian Nicula, Mihai Călin, Istvan Teglas and… the director himself. Another premiere expected with excitement is the second enactment of the Georgian artist David Doiashvili at NTB. After King Lear, the renowned director has chosen for his new project on the Grand Stage The Cherry Orchard by A.P. Chekhov. The future premieres of the season include: Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Andrei and Andreea Grosu, Titanic Orchestra by Hristo Boicev, directed by Felix Alexa, The Snowstorm by Barbu Ştefănescu Delavrancea, directed by Alexandru Dabija, The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, directed by Tompa Gabor. A series of other exciting titles from the national and universal dramaturgy is expecting directors, as the billboard of the next season, scattered with surprises and placed under the sign of a certain value standard, which the Bucharest National cannot compromise, is expecting its spectators. Until then, we wish you most pleasant holidays! 

The show of the „I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexander Morfov, with Ion Caramitru in the role of Prospero, is invited to the first international edition of the traditional Open Air Theatre Festival of Thessaloniki, NTNG Forest Festival. The Festival, organised under the auspices of the National Theatre of Northern Greece (NTNG) shall be held in the time frame 1-14 July 2017, and the representations with The Tempest are scheduled for 5th and 6th July, from 21.15, at Dassous Theatre (Forest Theatre), with Greek surtitles. At the second major international exit, after the roaring success from Budapest in the spring of 2015, on the occasion of MITEM (Madach International Theater Meeting) – one of the most ambitious European festivals, The Tempest is again part of an extremely thorough selection, operated by prestigious theatre experts from Greece. Among the 7 shows, alongside the Romanian Tempest, the spectators of the festival shall witness two productions of the well-known Grotowski Institute of Poland, in the interpretation of Teatr Zar and bearing the signature of Jaroslaw Fret, director and founder of the company, as well as of the Grotowski Institute. One of the two shows is Armine, Sister, a notorious title among the achievements of the Grotowski Institute, applauded at festivals worldwide and reaping praising critiques. Another show seen in several festivals and with noteworthy references comes from Slovakia, Rose Bernd by Gerhard Hauptmann, directed by Mateja Koleznik. From Spain - Αllegro ma non troppo (or ...if love is blind..., why does it look at us?), show featured at the International Puppet Theatre Festival of Sofia and then throughout Europe. Plastic Heroes was shortlisted from Israel, from Hanut 31 Theatre, directed by Ariel Doron, as well an itinerant show, highly successful in over 20 European cities and festivals. The only show with a single representation is the one of the Greeks, Cyclops by Euripides, production under the auspices of „Athens and Epidaurus Festival”, which can be seen, this time with two representations, towards the end of July, on the occasion of the well-known festival with a long tradition, since 1998, such as "Hellenic Festival S.A.". The selection panel consisted of Savas Patsalidis, theatre professor and critic, Maria Tsima, actress and artistic director of the National Theatre of Northern Greece (NTNG) and Amalia Kondozanni, playwright and head of the Literary and International Relations department of NTNG. The international selection of the festival is financed through the Operational Programme of the Central Macedonia Region 2014 - 2020. Forest Festival NTNG aspires to become an exclusive framework for getting the town’s audience acquainted with contemporary theatrical approaches, from Europe and worldwide, as well as an occasion to highlight major Greek productions, to be presented in Thessaloniki in collaboration with the Hellenic Festival.   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu  

    From 7 August 2017, the NTB box office shall be closed until Monday, 4th September 2017! The first representations of the new theatre season 2017 - 2018 shall be held in the time frame 11 - 24 September and the tickets shall be on online sale starting with 25th August and at the box office from 4th September. We wish you most pleasant holidays and expect you heartily to the theatre this fall!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

The show Lottery Tickets of the ”I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre, created by director Alexandru Dabija after the eponymous sketch by Caragiale was presented on 16th June 2017 within the second edition of the Eurokontext s.k. International Festival organised by the Slovak National Theatre (SND) of Bratislava, in the Drama Hall of this theatre from the Slovak capital. Among the spectators who heartily applauded the actors who masterfully performed the show * was also the Romanian ambassador to Bratislava, Mrs. Steluța Arhire and other members of the embassy, as well as a part of the surprisingly numerous Romanians settled down in the Slovak capital (their number amounting to 6000 !). According to the tradition customary for almost all theatre festivals, after the show a dialogue between the spectators and the Romanian performers took place, the latter answering a series of questions which were addressed to them, regarding both the stylistics of the show, the directorial approach and the various ”trade secrets” of the profession of the actor. The entire team of the Slovak National Theatre which looked after the troupe of the Bucharest National Theatre proved an admirable efficiency. Hospitable and warm-hearted hosts, the Slovak colleagues organised in the end a gathering with wine at the SND Club, where the manager of the Drama Theatre of SND, well-known director Roman Polak, addressed congratulations to the Romanian colleagues and expressed his interest in the continuation of a collaboration as close as possible between the two national theatres. *The performers of the show Lottery Tickets which was presented in Bratislava were: Gavril Pătru, Marius Manole, Ana Ciontea, Corina Moise, Eliza Păuna, Valentina Zaharia, Mădălin Mandin, Daniel Hara, Mihai Munteniță, Eduard Cârlan, Ionuț Toader, Dragoș Dumitru. The technical direction was provided by Marcel Bălănescu.         Translated by Simona Nichiteanu

On Sunday 18th June 2017, from 8.00 p.m., in the Grand Hall of the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre, the Bucharest audience is expected with a new exceptional representation of the concert-show Magic National, the last representation of this season. A musical, theatrical and choreographic feast, unusual show for the theatre’s repertoire, Magic National is the occasion to meet a first-rate cast and a varied musical repertoire. Ion Caramitru, Anca Sigartău, Tania Popa, Medeea Marinescu, Marius Manole, Aylin Cadîr, Lari Giorgescu, Istvan Teglas, Eduard Adam, Emilian Mârnea, Petre Ancuța, Florin Călbăjos are the actors inviting you to a warm summer evening with ample tunes. The surprises of the show also include Emy Drăgoi, accordion virtuoso, accompanied by his bands Emy Drăgoi 3D Pro'ect & Jazz Hot Club Romania, as well as the extraordinary percussionist Lucian Maxim. All these renowned artists shall bring to the Grand Hall of the National Theatre of Bucharest the atmosphere of interwar Bucharest, of the faraway places where jazz was born, of Paris with its charming chansonnette… An artistic journey which shall detach us from our noisy daily life and guide us towards the world of warm music and whispered words, of rhythms filled with life and optimism, an evening of revelations, a truly magical evening. In mid vacation, on 7th August 2017, Magic National shall be presented to the Macedonian audience and the foreign visitors, as a guest of the 57th edition of the International Summer Festival, Ohrid 2017. Three of the youngest actors of the Bucharest National Theatre troupe, Emilian Mârnea, Petre Ancuța and Florin Călbăjos shall remind the faithful spectators of the previous edition, when they enchanted the audience with their ActOrchestra, in the same unconventional performance location, where they are also about to perform Magic National, the court of the Saint Sophia medieval church. Founded in 1961, the Ohrid Summer Festival takes place in a special cultural and historical area. The town, the Ohrid Lake and the above mentioned church are included in the UNESCO World Heritage. On the festival stages, famous voices have resonated over time. Since 1994, the Ohrid International Summer Festival belongs to the European Festivals Association (EFA). The season of the National Theatre of Bucharest continues until the beginning of July, featuring in the next period on its billboard highly successful plays, such as: The Dinner Game, Old Clown Wanted, Gossip, Rumors and Lies, L’Om Dada, The Lourcine Street Affair, The Idol and Ion Anapoda, Little Hell, Five Women in Transition, Anonymous Venetian and Shadows, the most recent premiere of the season, whose last representation coincides with the season closing, on 2nd July 2017. We invite you to follow the NTB programme, on the theatre website (www.tnb.ro), the the NTB box office, as well as on MyStage.ro., for the last shows of the season 2016-2017!   Translated by Simona Nichiteanu