News

A new theatrical season for children, containing up-to-date Romanian Fairytales Starting Sunday 10th November 2013, 11 a.m., at the Media Hall, the project National Theatre for Children will be back in the repertory of the National Theatre of Bucharest (NTB). The attractive and interactive project has enjoyed a constant success for twelve theatrical seasons. The National Theatre for Children is a project initiated by the Abracadabra Foundation, which is run by the actor Marian Râlea in partnership with the National Theatre of Bucharest. Here, children go on stage and become the fairytales' heroes. As in a true magical place, the children, "armed" with only simple elements of costumes and décor, learn how to conquer their fears and bravely fight the evil spirits and dark forces found in old and new Romanian fairytales. The Fairytales Magician and his crew invite the theatre's little spectators to a theatrical season, titled Romanian fairytales, which will be full of events and novelties,. Playing Theatre will once again be the key element of the Sunday get-togethers so loved by the little ones and also by parents and grandparents. Soon, a new project for both young and older children will come to life. It will appear under the title "Theatre as a Game" and will be a Club for initiation in theatre. The National Theatre of Bucharest has changed its appearance. The complex modernisation process includes both the current theatrical season and the ones which are to follow. In this context, the Theatre for Children is challenged to redefine its mission in this new, complex and powerful cultural centre. We invite you to whiteness this transformation. The entrance to the Media Hall is from Batiștei Street, on the newly built avenue linking the Studio Hall to the Great Hall, through NTB's Ticket Agency. All tickets cost 20 lei. Running time: 2 hours.      Translated by: Ivan Diana Ioana MTTLC, The University of Bucharest

The first informal meeting held in Bucharest with a view to the preparations of the future international theatrical NETA Festival 2015 has recently taken place at the National Theatre "I. L. Caragiale." The initiative of the meeting, a first-timer, belonged to Ion Caramitru, TNB's Director and was put forward in September in Ljubljana (occasioned by the NETA General Meeting). The meeting in Bucharest welcomed the presence of the NETA's Secretary General, Damir Domitrovič, who made an introduction to the international network of theatres and their major projects among which the very ambitious one of creating their own network television station, NETA ART TV.        The NETA network (New European Theatre Action) to which it belongs as a charter member (since 2005, when it was founded) The National Theatre "I. L. Caragiale" in Bucharest has as main objective strengthening the ties between the S-E European countries. Their promising cultural potential recommends them as a worthy future partner in relation to other European countries. Promoting a pro-european artistic expression is, by all means, the main NETA message as well.  Currently, NETA integrates a network of 50 theatres and theatrical representations in 19 European countries. The international festival of theatre NETA that would be scheduled to take place in Bucharest in the year when it celebrates its 10th anniversary since the network founding, were meant to bring for the first time, under the same roof that of the future National Theatre (reconstruction works having been finished by then) the most  important theatrical representations selected from the production of the NETA theatre members. "The most outstanding artistic production comes exactly from this area of Balkans, so much historically tried where there are powerful dramaturgy theatres and profoundly humane writings (...). The same post-communist historical experience brings us together, a spirit that strikingly resembles us, a good cultural education and the same drive to travel - at least virtually - to the universal cultures" - thus Ion Caramitru substantiated his initiative to hold the inclusive theatrical festival. Mrs. Jadranka Sturm Kocjan, the Republic of Slovenia ambassador in Bucharest was among the people invited at the TNB meeting, who expressed her support and commitment for the future project of the NETA Festival in Bucharest. The ambassador underlined the fact that the project will strengthen the cultural ties between the Europe S-E countries, in the spirit of "culture off borders." The Romanian Counsellor Ion Matei, deputizing at the meeting for the Ministry of Culture, affirmed in his turn, the support for this project on behalf of the Ministry. In order for the festival to come to life, the support and joint involvement of all the local authorities of the NETA member countries is required. This would be the next step towards the materialization of this challenging theatrical project, which was started by the first meeting occasioned in Bucharest at the National Theatre.   Translated by: Coșoianu Mircea MTTLC, The University of Bucharest

The Bucharest National Theatre announces the reopening of Atelier Hall with a new show, Fool for Love by Sam Shepard, directed by Claudiu Goga. The play opens on Sunday, November 3rd 2013, at 8 p.m.  The play is translated by Andrei Marinescu and it is a coincidence that it is performed in Atelier Hall, on the same stage on which the play was first performed in Romania, in English at that time, directed by and starring Adrian Pintea.   The play belongs to one of the most famous contemporary playwrights, a rebellious and nonconformist artist, famous not only in the world of theatre, but also in the Hollywood film industry and who has been successful from the beginning of his career. As a playwright only he has written more than 50 plays in five decades. He played Eddie in the film adaptation "Fool for Love", directed by Robert Altman, where he starred alongside Kim Basinger.   For his remarkable career as a playwright, scriptwriter, actor and producer, Sam Shepard received important prizes such as a Pulitzer, a few Obie prizes - two only for this play (in 1984), the Gold Medal for Drama on behalf of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and many other prizes.   According to the producer of the present production, "Fool for Love" is "a story about guilty loves and tragic family secrets, about the past that turns into a demon and gives birth to a strong inner conflict in the protagonists. This conflict is the source of the violence and irrationality of their passions and actions - a provocative performance about love and its demons...". It is a drama based on numerous bitter revelations, about two incompatible lovers and the desperate lives that bring out each other's dramatic nature. Gavril Pătru, Mihai Călin and Ioan Andrei Ionescu return along with their younger colleague, Diana Cavallioti, on her debut at the Bucharest National Theatre. Ștefan Caragiu designed the scenery for the play, Liliana Cenean the costumes and Valentin Luca composed the music. The next performance will take place Tuesday, November 5th, at 8 p.m. You are invited to the new Atelier Hall, which is now more welcoming and intimate, with a modern design and ample space for exhibitions.                                                                                 Translated by: Diaconescu Alina MTTLC, The University of Bucharest

After undergoing complete metamorphosis and development over the past two years, the National Theatre I. L. Caragiale will acquire this season new halls which will help the future cultural complex take a more definite shape. Besides the Small and Media Halls, opened at the end of 2012, this year in October two new halls will be opened at the 40 year anniversary of the inauguration of the theatre's actual edifice. These are the Painting Hall (built on the old location of NTB's painting workshop, hence its less conventional name), with a seating capacity for 232 people and the Studio Hall (the former hall of the theater, where "Opereta" performed for over three decades), with a seating capacity for 541 people. From a scenic-technic point of view, the latter is the most generous hall, since it can undergo the transformation from an Italian theatre hall into an Elizabethan or an arena hall in less than 20 minutes, making it one of a kind in Romania. The Workshop Hall will also rejoin the theater circuit this season; freshly rebuilt, this is most directors' favorite hall due to its assemblies' flexibility. The public's access to the above mentioned new halls can be made from Batiștei Street towards the newly built esplanade across the theater's façade (overlooking the Intercontinental hotel). The tickets can be bought in this same area. Since the Big Hall has been under construction from July, undergoing renovations and restructurings, most of the shows of its repertory will be adapted and temporarily "recast" in the new halls. Therefore, from October 12th, 2013, you will be able to enjoy The Dinner Game in the new Studio Hall. We look forward to seeing you at the new plays in the new halls.   Translated by:  Ștefan Andreea MTTLC, The University of Bucharest

The end of the season was marked also by the preparation of the premiers which will be performed this fall, at the opening of the season 2013-2014: The Man who saw Death by Victor Eftimiu - directed by Dan Tudor - the Small Hall The Little Hell by Mircea Ştefănescu - directed by Mircea Cornişteanu - the Painting Hall Fool for Love by Sam Shepard - directed by Claudiu Goga - the Media Hall, and afterwards in the Black Box The Government Inspector by Gogol, directed by Felix Alexa - the Studio Hall.. The reopening of the season is scheduled for mid-September 2013, when the public will be welcomed with new shows and numerous surprises. The Painting Hall (built on the grounds of the former NTB's painting workshop, from which it also has its temporary name) and the Studio Hall (the former hall of the Operette), as well as new adjacent spaces, for exhibitions and spectacular foyers will be added to the Small and Media Halls, inaugurated at the end of 2012. The new halls, with ultramodern facilities, have multiple functionalities and a variable geometry, which will make possible the staging of the most diverse performances.

The last performances of the 2012-2013 season at the National Theatre from Bucharest are organised by FestCo, starting with June 18, for four consecutive days. In these days the performances staged within the program The Caragiale Year at NTB will mark a well-deserved end to a season realised in the name of the great playwright, the spiritual patron of the theatre. Notable performances, first class theatrical creations in directorial and scenic views of high reference, the shows ‘TaRaTaTam', ‘Lottery Tickets', ‘Master Leonida facing the Reactionaries', ‘The Letter' and ‘Scourge' were highly appreciated by both, the public and the critics, theatre people, selection juries, etc.. The National Theatre from Bucharest received the ‘Award of excellence' for the ‘outstanding design and implementation of the Program Caragiale 2012', at the 21st edition of the UNITER Awards Gala. The director of the show ‘Lottery Tickets', Alexandru Dabija was awarded the Prize for best director, the set designer Helmut Stürmer was awarded the Prize for best scenography, and before that, at the Radio Romania Cultural Awards, Mr. Ion Caramitru, the general director of the National Theatre, was awarded the Theatre section Prize, for the Caragiale Year. The end of the season was marked also by the preparation of the premiers which will be performed this fall, at the opening of the season 2013-2014: The Man who saw Death by Victor Eftimiu - directed by Dan Tudor - the Small Hall The Little Hell by Mircea Ștefănescu - directed by Mircea Cornișteanu - the Painting Hall Fool for Love by Sam Shepard - directed by Claudiu Goga - the Media Hall, and afterwards in the Black Box The Government Inspector by Gogol, directed by Felix Alexa - the Studio Hall.. The reopening of the season is scheduled for mid-September 2013, when the public will be welcomed with new shows and numerous surprises. The Painting Hall (built on the grounds of the former NTB's painting workshop, from which it also has its temporary name) and the Studio Hall (the former hall of the Operette), as well as new adjacent spaces, for exhibitions and spectacular foyers will be added to the Small and Media Halls, inaugurated at the end of 2012. The new halls, with ultramodern facilities, have multiple functionalities and a variable geometry, which will make possible the staging of the most diverse performances. The work on the A section of the theatre's building start in July, especially at the Great Hall, which falls under repair and restructuring. In autumn, some of the performances from this hall will be adjusted and moved to the two new halls, mentioned above. We wish our spectators a beautiful holiday and we wait for them to return in the fall, well-rested and eager for theatre, at the performances from the ‘I.L. Caragiale' National Theatre! Until the actual inauguration of the new National Theatre, we invite you to familiarize yourself with its new configuration by accessing the virtual tour of the building and the new halls on www.tnb.ro.

Sunday, May 26, at 11.00, at the NTB's Small Hall, Mihail Gălățanu will hold a conference on Our everyday wine. Ticket price: 16 lei. Wine is life. And it is life in itself. Life broken out of passion, moreover, a meeting of all the arts, and a synthesis at the same time: symphony, logos, perfume, a palette of colours. Mihail Gălățanu About Mihail Gălățanu He was born on 11 September 1963, in Galaţi. He graduated the Faculty of Physics-Mechanics, 1988. He worked in research at the Polytechnics Bucharest. He is a graduate at a postgraduate school from Paris, majoring in International Relations from 1994 to 1995. Twice a Fellow of the French Government (1994) and the European Community (1995).

Last year's most applauded representation, "Caramitru - Mălăele, Spinning a Yarn" is an improvisation show, because "improvisation is an actor's state of grace," as Horațiu Mălăele says. Therefore the rhythm is always different, the show is always interpreted in full force, it is funnier and more profound from one edition to the other. Monday, Mai 20, 2013, at 20:00 The National Theatre Bucharest   Price / Ticket: Category 1: 106 lei Category 2: 85 lei Category 3: 64 lei Category 4: 32 lei   Details   

The twenty-first edition of the UNITER Awards Gala will be held Monday, May 13, 2013, the Great Hall of the National Theatre "Vasile Alecsandri" from Iaşi. According to the statute of the Theatre Union of Romania, the UNITER Senate grants within the UNITER Awards Gala the award of excellence, the awards a lifetime achievement and the special awards. The award of excellence: to the National Theatre from Bucharest for the outstanding design and implementation of the Program Caragiale 2012. The lifetime achievement award: to the actor Matei Alexandru. For the twenty-first edition of the UNITER Awards Gala, the Union's Senate decided that the nominating jury will be composed of the theatre critics: Mircea Morariu, Ion Parhon and Maria Zărnescu. The NTB nominations are: Debut - Rareş Florin Stoica for the role Claudio in the play The boy in the last row Best scenography - Helmut Stürmer for the scenography of the play Lottery tickets Best actor in a secondary role - Marius Manole for the role of the narrator in the play Lottery tickets Best actor in a leading role - Lari Giorgescu for the roles in the show Mess around Best actress in a leading role - Tania Popa for the role in the play The Girl from the rainbow Best director - Radu Afrim for the direction of the play Scourge at the National Theatre Bucharest Best director - Alexander Dabija for the direction of the play Lottery tickets Best representation - Mess around by Gigi Căciuleanu           Translated by: Izabella Feher

Sunday, May 12, at 11.00, at the National Theatre's Small Hall, Prof. Dr. Florin Tudose will hold a conference on The Dream - from Divination and Dream Interpretation to the Dream Reading Machine. Ticket price: 16 lei. At the suggestion of the participants from the conference held on April 7, entitled The 21st Century Psychiatry, between Psychoanalysis and Cybernetics, the famous psychiatrist Florin Tudose returns to the Bucharest National Theatre with a new conference. On May 12, Prof. Dr. Florin Tudose will initiate us in the mysteries of the dream, but he will also try to answer to as many of the public's questions as possible, because he owes them explanations regarding the depths of the human soul.