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On Tuesday afternoon, the Minister of Culture, Mr. Lucian Romașcanu, had a working meeting with the entire staff of the National Theater from Bucharest. The meeting lasted more than two hours and was attended by both TNB actors and the technical and administrative teams of this institution. During the meeting the most pressing issues that the institution faces were approached, issues that are related to expenses, bills and salaries, but also issues related to the recent discussions that took place in the public space. However, the main initiators of the steps so much promoted by the media in the recent days did not participate in the latter.

"I am extremely careful and eager to make everything that depends on the Ministry of Culture work, of course, in accordance with the needs and desires of the actors and employees of this theater. You all need to benefit from comfort, understanding, and an environment that facilitates the creation and, in all this ensemble, a space that can lead you to performance, and a part of all this belongs to us”, the Minister of Culture, Lucian Romașcanu, stated in front of those present in the beginning of the meeting.

The first to speak was the actor Marius Manole, who wanted to know when will the public contest for the position of general manager of the National Theater take place and why has it not been organized yet. The actor asked the Minister of Culture for assurances about the transparency of this contest.

With the promise of a transparent selection, this contest will take place, according to the Minister of Culture, during the summer, after the end of the current season: "I assure you that I am very open to do what needs to be done, provided that what is happening is accepted and moves forward. In the social and artistic environment there is a special need to challenge our leaders. It is natural, it leads to progress, but it must not block what is happening. I'm happy that Mr. Mircea Rusu is the interim manager and the season is ok, a few days ago I was here attending a play, the theater was full, the sales of tickets are growing, people are happy. I hope that whoever comes to fill this position for a full term, will make things work just as well.”

The Minister, Mr. Lucian Romașcanu was informed about the need to purchase stage equipment, but also about the need to schedule the theater's repertoire for a longer period.

The issue of the type of contracts for the staff of the theater and of the specific legislation in this field was also raised. "I would like to have an open discussion on the status of the cultural worker, because we have an obligation through the PNRR to elaborate it. I am delighted with the desire of those in the room to be part of the working group that will be set up within the Ministry for the elaboration of a law dedicated to the status of the cultural worker", said the minister.

Regarding the issues of young actors who do not yet have commitments in theaters, a possible solution proposed by the Minister of Culture would be to implement the program "9G at TNB" nationally as it is a real success. Lucian Romașcanu expressed his hope that this idea will be supported by the local authorities as well.

The issue of the acute need for technical staff faced by the Bucharest National Theater was raised again, an older issue that came to the public's attention through intense media coverage in the summer of 2019, when the budget cuts applied to cultural institutions imposed the termination of the contract with theater performance technicians who, in the absence of positions in the staff scheme, had been hired through an employment agency.

In support of the continuation of the contracts with the technical colleagues, the actors, together with several employees of the National Theater, protested, then, spontaneously, in Victoriei Square. Following the protest and the insistent requests of the TNB management, a meeting of the National Theater Directorate took place with representatives of the Government from that time. Thus, the dismissed technicians were rehired immediately. Unfortunately, with the difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, TNB had to suspend these contracts again, so the issue regarding the lack of the technical staff of the theater still needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

The discussion with the Minister of Culture was also attended by the interim general manager of TNB, Mircea Rusu and the artistic director of the theater, Marius Bodochi. Among the actors who asked questions or came up with ideas during this meeting were Mihai Calotă, Gavril Pătru, Alexandru Bindea, Monica Davidescu, Liliana Hodorogea, Răzvan Oprea, Ioan Andrei Ionescu and Marius Manole, the leader of the TNB actors' union. Referring to the discussions recently reflected in the press, around the National Theater, the Minister of Culture called for dialogue.

"Every trade union must be a dialogue partner and not a part of the front. The union must do its job, it's very good that you make your voice heard, that you are putting pressure! But before pressure, it's good to have a dialogue. In my opinion, it is good to stay in the area of defending the rights of the actors, within the frontiers of the theater as in industry, for the theater.”

Lucian Romașcanu promised that he will return in the immediate future with answers to all the questions, doubts and wishes of TNB employees and that such meetings with the representatives of the institutions subordinated to the Ministry of Culture will be more frequent.

"I think it's a gesture of normalcy to have this kind of meetings. I am extremely careful and eager to do everything I can to make what depends on the Ministry of Culture work (and the National Theater one of the first places). You, the employees, the actors, you are the ones putting your lives in the service of this theater and you have to have material and spiritual comfort, you have to be understood, you have to have an environment that facilitates the creative process. It was a joy to be among those who are constantly working on this fine fabric which is the Romanian culture and which continues to make TNB a landmark institution. I thank everyone for the openness with which they communicated and for the presence in such large numbers. We managed to identify the priorities together, we clarified a series of misunderstandings and we will come up with specific solutions", the minister said at the end of the meeting.

Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu