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The new repertoire strategy of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest: seven programs for an open, modern theatre connected with its audience

26 August 2026

The "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest (TNB) is defining its new strategic vision for the coming period, aimed at strengthening its status as the country's leading stage. NTB aims to become a living cultural space, anchored in the realities of society and recognized as an essential node in the European theatre network.

Thus, starting this season, the institution's repertoire will be structured around seven major programs. This complex system ensures a balanced ratio between the aesthetic and thematic diversity of the productions, while also streamlining the theatre's internal organization. The main goal of the new strategy is to strengthen a permanent and open dialogue with the audience. The seven programs that will define NTB's activity starting with the new season opening in early September are:

1. Teatrokosmos (The Pillar of Great Productions)
Dedicated to the great works of classical and contemporary, Romanian and universal dramaturgy. The program brings to the wider public large-scale productions, stage adaptations, and original scripts, creating a dialogue between humanity's fundamental texts and the questions of the present.

2. Sensorium (Theatre, Emotion, and Technology)
An innovative program that transforms the performance hall into a space of aesthetic exploration, proposing the meeting of art and technology. Multimedia technology, virtual reality, dance theatre, and musicals come together to stimulate all the spectator's senses. It is dedicated primarily to young audiences, but also to the general public eager for new experiences.

3. Agora (Theatre and Community)
This program will draw on dramaturgy with strong social impact, offering productions on pressing social themes, based on documentary research and urban memory. The program will challenge the general public to turn the cultural experience into an active debate and a civic exercise.

4. Genesis (Incubator of New Generations)
A launching platform for young artists and a hub of cultural innovation. The program combines research with production, giving emerging artists the resources needed to turn contemporary visions into landmark productions. The program encourages current dramaturgy and theatrical education, aimed especially at young people, but also at the general public.

5. Proscenium (Laboratory of Excellence)
A program dedicated exclusively to the professional development of the NTB team and the training of future specialists in stagecraft. It includes laboratory-productions, workshops, and masterclasses, the results of which will be presented periodically to the public.

6. Axis (National and International Openness)
A program aimed at NTB's national and international connectivity within international theatre networks: it will include, in NTB's mobility platform, national and international co-produced or guest productions, and will take the form of sets of performances for each production within the program.

7. Sirinx (Theatre in Unconventional Spaces)
A dynamic program offering theatre, music, dance, film, and experimental performance shows in unusual spaces and at various hours. The project is aimed at the general public, but also seeks to attract spectators who do not usually attend the theatre.

The repertoire architecture proposed by NTB's manager, Ada Hausvater, builds NTB's profile as an essential civic landmark, a place of encounter, reflection, and cultural joy for the entire community.

We remind you that starting September 5, 2026, the doors of the National Theatre will reopen wide to the public, with a rich offer of more than 80 performances scheduled night after night throughout the month of September, in all 5 performance halls under the theatre's roof: the "Ion Caramitru" Hall, Studio, Pictura, Atelier, and the Small Hall.

Tickets can be purchased both online and in person, at NTB's recently reopened Ticket Agency.

Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

“Summer Nights, Up on the Theater.” The NTB Amphitheater Reopens 01 August 2026

The open-air amphitheater of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest reopens on August 4, 2026, ushering in a new summer season in a venue unique in Romania, 24 meters above University Square. Electrifying concerts and a variety of theater performances make up the program for “Summer Nights, Up on the Theater, in the cool late-August evenings. This year’s program brings together artists who wanted to return to the charm of evenings spent under the open sky—from the Mădălina Pavăl Orchestra to Ada Milea, Luiza Zan, and Oana Pellea and Lari Giorgescu in "The Little Prince"—as well as names who will take the stage at the Amphitheater for the first time. The audience will enjoy seeing well-known artists—the band Taxi, Mihail—and will discover unconventional offerings, such as the modern and thrilling adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy in "Othello Hip Hop", or the beloved show The Placebo (D)Effect, which returns in a new format to the venue it inaugurated in 2019. The TNB Amphitheater’s program is available on tnb.ro and bilet.ro. Tickets can be purchased exclusively online, and starting August 24, they will also be available at the NTB Box Office. "Summer Nights, Up on the Theater" at the Open-Air Amphitheater is a program put together by the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater Association of Bucharest and is sponsored by PPC Romania. Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

Media TNB – The Digital Media Center of the National Theatre in Bucharest, a resource dedicated to media representatives 24 July 2026

In a media landscape where rapid access to information and the quality of visual content are essential, the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest offers media representatives “Media TNB – Digital Media Center,” an online platform designed for journalists, theater critics, and creators of cultural content. Available on the institution’s official website at https://www.tnb.ro/ro/materiale-foto-video, the platform provides access to a constantly updated multimedia archive that includes official photos of performances and can provide trailers, videos, and other resources designed to illustrate articles, reviews, reports, and broadcasts dedicated to the activities of the Bucharest National Theater. The Bucharest National Theater reminds media representatives that this resource is available and may be used to document and illustrate journalistic pieces dedicated to the performances and projects of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest. Media TNB is part of the initiative to modernize and digitize institutional communication, undertaken as part of the Bucharest National Theater’s management project, which aims to develop modern tools for engaging with the public and the institution’s partners. The platform helps facilitate the press’s access to official multimedia resources and supports the professional promotion of the theater’s performances and events. Access for Media Professionals Access to the platform is free and is intended exclusively for media representatives and specialized content creators. To protect the copyright of the materials and ensure their use for journalistic purposes, access is granted through an individual account. Journalists and theater critics can create an account directly on the platform’s website, and applications are reviewed and approved by the Bucharest National Theater team. Once approved, users receive the login credentials needed to access the multimedia library via email. The platform allows for quick identification of materials through search and organization features, providing an efficient tool for newsrooms and cultural publications. A constantly expanding multimedia archive The NTB Media Library is constantly updated with photos and video footage of premieres, repertoire performances, festivals, press conferences, and other events organized by the Bucharest National Theater. By developing this platform, the institution demonstrates its commitment to transparent, effective communication tailored to the digital environment, facilitating the press’s access to high-quality resources and encouraging the promotion of the arts in the public sphere. Media representatives who wish to access the platform can create an account by visiting the page: Media TNB 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

Ada Hausvater’s project for the NTB is being developed under the banner of excellence: director Andrei Șerban, appointed Honorary Director of the NTB, with the support of the Ministry of Culture 23 June 2026

Ada Hausvater, General Director of the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest, is implementing a fundamental strategic direction of her management plan: the principle of recognizing and integrating major artistic and human milestones. To this end, with the full support of the Ministry of Culture, renowned director Andrei Șerban has been appointed Honorary Director of the NTB. This decision reflects the vision Ada Hausvater has for the country’s premier theater: the evolution of NTB as a center of excellence that recognizes and cherishes its values at the highest level. The initiative was fully aligned with the vision of the Ministry of Culture, which supported the decision, recognizing the cultural significance of this move. The awarding of this honorary title to director Andrei Șerban reaffirms the place that NTB and Romanian theater occupy in the history of world theater. NTB General Director Ada Hausvater elaborated on the principle underlying this project: “A national theater develops through the memory and recognition of its own values. My management plan is based on this principle: we have the opportunity to bring together the people who are leading Romanian theater toward universality. The appointment of Andrei Șerban is a clear signal that the NTB’s doors are open to excellence, human generosity, and uncompromising performance. “I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture for its openness; it promptly supported this initiative, confirming the importance of this moment.” For his part, director Andrei Șerban emphasized the coherence of this shared vision: “I assume that the initiative by the manager and the minister to confer upon me the title of Honorary Director is based on recognition of the National Theater’s achievements during my three years as director, which began in 1990—years during which, despite immense difficulties, a mini-cultural revolution took place, enabling the country’s premier theater to live up to its name. The Greek Trilogy sparked a collective energy as vibrant as the tumultuous life on the streets in those days, and, together with the productions that followed, paved the way for a new, bold, daring, and vibrant theater. Above all, vibrant, with an upward aspiration toward this essential word: Quality. Artistic quality, impossible without human quality. This symbolic title confers upon me no rights, obligations, or benefits. I thank the manager and the minister, and I accept it with joy and with the hope that, by evoking the effervescence I inspired while at the helm of the NTB, the living spirit of those years will be reawakened under Ada Hausvater’s leadership.” Translated by Andreea Codrea-Boeriu

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The new repertoire strategy of the "I.L. Caragiale" National Theatre of Bucharest: seven programs for an open, modern theatre connected with its audience

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