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"Nora", at NTB, a performance by Chris Simion-Mercurian

25 January 2024

On Friday, December 15, 2023, the Atelier Hall of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre in Bucharest presents the preview of Nora by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Chris Simion-Mercurian. The performance is part of G53 Sens Unic, a project supporting the "GRIVITA 53 - the first theatre built from scratch" approach, funded by EEA grants 2014-2021, within the RO-CULTURA program.

The new staging has Irina Movila in the title part, alongside Ioan Andrei Ionescu, Serban Pavlu, Amalia Ciolan, Mihai Muntenita, Bianca Marinescu, Geo Visan, Robert Herea. The set design is by Maria Miu, choreography by Ioana Marchidan, light design by Alin Popa and original music by Calin Topa. "Nora" is a co-production of the National Theatre "I.L. Caragiale" - Cultural Association "Grivița 53".

"I returned to the hall where I made my debut, the Atelier Hall of the National Theatre in Bucharest. Twenty years have passed like a blink of an eye. I'm excited. This time the meeting is on a major text of a classic that I am staging for the first time: Nora. Though written almost 150 years ago, it retains the force of a manifesto, and Henrik Ibsen remains by far a modern and necessary playwright. Nora is not just a story about an abusive love affair, it is an axiomatic demonstration that humans need lies to live. Until when? What is the limit? Who sets it? Society? Prejudice? The need for truth of one's self? Behind everything Ibsen wrote there is a guidance or encouragement to be better and to become aware of one's own identity as an individual. The human being has the power to decide for oneself and is responsible for everything that happens in one's life. Man is above society and has the freedom to fight for his salvation. Nora is an iconic text that has allowed me to construct an extremely fragile, special, vulnerable, topical universe that you will be able to enter from the end of this month", confessed Chris Simion-Mercurian.

The project G53 - Sens Unic also includes a series of directing, scenography, choreography and light design workshops that will take place from November 12 to December 15, 2023, workshops supported by the team of the performance and created for young theatre students.

The G53 SENS UNIC project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture.
Partners of the project: ARCUB, Garanti Bank, Aqua Carpatica, CBRE, Lemon.

Chris Simion-Mercurian is a graduate of the National University of Theatrical and Cinematographic Arts "I.L. Caragiale", Bucharest, department of Theatology (2000) and Theatre Direction (2005). She has published ten books, including What we say to each other when we don't speak, 40 Days, Which of us, Every day, God prays to me, Imperatives of adolescence
Her latest book - Dictionary of Optimism.
Give to exist further! - that's how we could describe Chris' personality in one sentence.
Chris Simion-Mercurian is one of the most vocal and beloved artists of her generation, a creative, original, innovative personality, a lively, exploratory spirit who has established herself in contemporary culture through courage, strength, passion and morality. Although she is recognized both nationally and internationally and holds several awards that might have encouraged her arrogance, Chris maintains her modesty and relentlessly cultivates her humble nature. She is a human being connected to the Universe, a human being of an era that could begin.
She has directed more than 40 plays, including Oscar and The Lady in Pink, Mr. Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran, Noah's Child after Eric Emmanuell Schmitt, Maitreyi after Mircea Eliade, The Chairs by Eugene Ionesco, Love Lasts 3 Years after Frederic Beigbeder, The Divine Child and What Can I Get You? by Pascal Bruckner, Mechanics of the Heart by Mathias Malzieu, Someone is going to come by Jon Fosse and many others. She initiated the UNDERCLOUD Independent Theatre Festival, now in its 16th year. She started the Grivița 53 project (www.grivita53.ro), building the first private theatre from scratch.
She also made her debut in cinema, directing her first film-essay, Which One of Us, based on her own experience in the fight against cancer and is active in supporting women going through this oncological diagnosis with the R.O.Z. Association.

Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Auditions at NTB – "Romeo and Juliet", directed by Andrei Șerban 17 July 2026

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest announces auditions for the lead roles in the production of Romeo and Juliet by Robert Icke, based on Shakespeare, directed by Andrei Șerban. We are seeking actors and actresses—graduates or students—aged 27 or younger. To apply, interested candidates must send the following materials to auditii@tnb.ro by August 7: - Resume - 2 photos - a filmed monologue or a 2–4-minute excerpt from the Balcony Scene (with a scene partner). For this stage, Shakespeare’s text will be used, preferably in Virgil Teodorescu’s translation - the video must begin with a brief introduction (name, age) Based on these materials, a preliminary selection will be made of the candidates who will participate in the final selection round, August 19–26, 2026, at NTB. Important: A mandatory requirement for those registering for the audition is full availability for rehearsals from October 20, 2026, to January 10. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

The Box Office Reopens on August 24 10 July 2026

The Box Office will be closed for the summer! Tickets for the opening performances of the 2026–2027 season can be purchased exclusively online through the bilet.ro platform. Starting August 24, 2026, the box office will reopen with its regular hours: Monday: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Tuesday–Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. We wish you a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you at our performances during the new 2026–2027 theater season! Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

The NTB production "Any Other Candidates?" — selected for the NTF 26 program 09 July 2026

The Bucharest National Theater’s production, Any Other Candidates? a play-concert based on A Lost Letter by I.L. Caragiale, has been selected for the program of the 36th edition of the National Theater Festival, which will take place from October 16 to 25, 2026. The festival’s curatorial team—composed this year of theater critics Raluca Cîrciumaru, Alina Epîngeac, and Sebastian-Vlad Popa—has included the NTB production on an exclusive list of 36 titles that define the excellence and complexity of this year’s Romanian theater scene. The concert-performance Any Other Candidates?, whose concept, adaptation, music, and songs were created by the well-known artist Ada Milea, stands as undeniable proof of the creative strength of the show’s artistic team—a team that brings together actors Petre Ancuța, Emilian Mârnea, Florin Călbăjos, Laura Gabriela Oana, Aylin Cadîr, Tiberiu Enache, Natalia Călin, Emilia Popescu, Mihai Munteniță, Silviu Biriș, Vitalie Bichir, Alina Petrică, and Florentina Țilea. The creative team is rounded out by Anca Hanu (co-writer of the songs, alongside Ada Milea), set designer Maria Constantin, and choreographer Florin Fieroiu, with sound design by Victor Pamfilov and lighting design by Daniel Tiuntiuc. The concert-performance was produced at the National Theater’s “Ion Sava” Center for Theater Research and Creation. In this production—which, incidentally, kicked off the current summer season at the NTB Amphitheater—Ada Milea’s inventiveness meets Caragiale’s genius and the Bucharest National Theater actors’ enthusiasm for the craft, in 70 effervescent and humorous minutes. Met with enthusiastic applause from the audience, "Any Other Candidates?" is a production that has stood out for its originality and the bold way it connects classic satire with current events. Starting with the new season—which opens on September 5, 2026—NTB will present the performance "Any Other Candidates?" in the Pictură Hall. In order to welcome the audience, tickets will go on sale online at www.tnb.ro starting July 10, 2026. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

NTB at the End of the Season and the Beginning of a New Management Vision 06 July 2026

The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest (NTB) is wrapping up its 2025–2026 theater season. Beyond the artistic excitement, this season marks the beginning of an institutional restructuring, as Ada Hausvater, the winner of the project competition organized by the Ministry of Culture, takes over as artistic director. The past ten months have been marked by the premieres of the 2025–2026 season: Nothing is by Chance, written and directed by David Schwartz (September 19, 2025), No Magic Pill by Christian O’Reilly, directed by Laurențiu Rusescu (December 13, 2025), Of People, Doctors, and Rhinoceroses adapted by Claudiu Goga from Arthur Schnitzler, directed by Claudiu Goga (March 13, 2026), The Bride's Time and Her Gown, written and directed by Gavril Pătru (April 18, 2026), Yen by Anna Jordan, directed by Ciprian Chiricheș (April 19, 2026) and, last but not least, the premiere of the concert-performance Any Other Candidates?, created by Ada Milea, at the Open-Air Amphitheater (June 24, 2026), an event that kicked off the summer program on the NTB rooftop, with the NTB’s summer season set to take shape soon. The National Theater of Bucharest’s performance of Mary Stuart by Robert Icke, based on Friedrich Schiller and directed by Andrei Șerban, at the opening of the 7th edition of the Kielce International Theater Festival in Poland, as part of the 13th edition of the prestigious MITEM (Madách International Theater Meeting) in Budapest, and also as part of the National Theater Festival, represent key moments of the season that has just concluded. NTB’s decision to develop an artistic research component took shape through workshops led by actor Răzvan Oprea, choreographer Judith State, casting director Domnica Cârciumaru, director Ada Milea, theater scholar Oana Borș, as well as through a series of staged readings resulting from the Playwriting Workshop coordinated by Mimi Brănescu. This special project focused on identifying, developing, and presenting to the public texts by playwrights of the new wave, as well as on testing their works through performance. Finally, the NTB’s openness to the public and its desire to create diverse artistic experiences were reflected in its visual identity projects and in the 15 exhibitions hosted in the theater’s lobbies throughout the season. This spring brought a breath of fresh air to NTB. Ada Hausvater—NTB’s first full-term manager following an interim period that lasted nearly five years—began her tenure on May 1, 2026, with a mandate dedicated to transforming the NTB into a hub of creative excellence, reaffirming its status as the country’s premier theater and a beacon of European culture and civilization. Ada Hausvater’s recent initiative to appoint director Andrei Șerban as honorary director of the NTB is a clear signal that the doors of NTB are open to excellence, human generosity, and uncompromising performance. NTB will remain active in the coming period as well: with the opening, on September 5, 2026, of the new season—a season currently being organized — the National Theater of Bucharest aims to create a rich theatrical program for its audience, supported by a series of new cultural and artistic initiatives and memorable encounters with leading figures in Romanian and international theater. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

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