Romanian National Theater Festival

A special section was dedicated to the famous playwright to celebrate the Ionesco Year. It includes the only foreign production presented in Bucharest this year with support from the French Institute: La cantatrice chauve, directed by Jean Luc Lagarce, a production of Les Intempestifs Company. Despite financial difficulties, the National Theater Festival attempts to preserve the international scope it has reached in recent editions: the 2009 program includes a series of film projections of theatrical performances, documentaries or artists’ portraits.
Another new addition to this edition is the Opera Revival section that includes five opera performances staged this year by renowned stage directors, containing an inherent, hefty dose of theatricality. However, as an opera show is hard to itinerate, they will be played at their own venues, albeit as performances selected for the NTF. The aim of this section is to draw the attention on an important tendency in recent years that has been leading to the revitalization of the opera performance through cooperation with theater people, which has been happening for a long time in World Theater. The NTF will organize the transportation of a group of theater critics and journalists to the shows and discussions about them.
The program includes, as usual, events such as: conferences, book launchings, and debates on topical issues, as the Festival seeks to offer again a platform for presentation, debate and connection to the theater of our time.
The most important related event will be the organization of a series of presentations and discussions in cooperation with the International Association of Theater Critics under the generic title “Romanian theater after 20 years: openings, personalities, influences, tendencies”, to which theater professionals are invited to contribute; a selection of the works presented will be published in a bilingual volume.

THE NATIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL, 19TH EDITION, 2009
Romanian Showcase
1. Zoika’s Apartment by Mikhail Bulgakov, directed by Alexandru Tocilescu; Comedy Theater, Bucharest
2. The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Alexandru Dabija; German State Theater, Timisoara (IONESCO EVENT)
3. The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Tompa Gabor; Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj (IONESCO EVENT)
4. How Barbie Gets Through the World Crisis by Mihaela Michailov, directed by Alexandra Badea, Mihai Eminescu National Theater, Timisoara
5. The Epic of Gilgamesh, written and directed by Dragos Galgotiu, Odeon Theater, Bucharest
6. Beautiful by Jon Fosse, directed by Vlad Massaci; Toma Caragiu Theater, Ploiesti
7. The Tempest by William Shakespeare, directed by Cristi Juncu; Toma Caragiu Theater, Ploiesti
8. Joan and the Fire by Matei Visniec, directed by Catalina Buzoianu; Comedy Theater, Bucharest
9. Krum by Hanoch Levin, directed by Cristian Theodor Popescu; Nationa Theater, Targu Mures
10. Black Milk by Vassily Sigariev, directed by Claudiu Goga; Sica Alexandrescu Drama Theater, Brasov
11. Lear by William Shakespeare, directed by Andrei Serban; Bulandra Theater, Bucharest
12. Lucia Skates by Laura Sintija Chernyauskaite, directed by Radu Afrim; Andrei Muresanu Theater, Sf. Gheorghe
13. Danton’s Death by Georg Buchner, directed by Mihai Maniutiu; Hungarian State Theater, Cluj
14. The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, directed by Radu Afrim; Maria Filotti Theater, Braila
15. the day after tomorrow, the day before yesterday, a show by Gianina Carbunariu; Little Theater, Bucharest
16. The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexander Hausvater; Mihai Eminescu National Theater, Timisoara
17. Psychosis4.48 by Sarah Kane, directed by Mihai Maniutiu; Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj
18. Psychosis 4.48 by Sarah Kane, directed by Razvan Muresan (NTF debut); Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj
19. The Suicide by Nikolai Erdman, directed by Felix Alexa; National Theater, Bucharest
20. Three Sisters by A. P. Chekhov, directed by Ada Lupu; Mihai Eminescu National Theater, Timisoara
21. Three Sisters by A. P. Chekhov, directed by Tompa Gabor; Hungarian State Theater, Cluj
NTF premiere
Princess Turandot after Carlo Gozzi, directed by Andryi Zholdak, set design by Dragos Buhagiar, Radu Stanca National Theater, Sibiu
NTF debut
1. The Concretes after Vladimir Sorokin, directed by Alexandru Mihaescu; LUNI (Monday) Theater at Green Hours
2. Make Room! by Mihaela Michailov, directed by David Schwartz; Luni (Monday) Theater at Green Hours
3. Hippies and Bolsheviks by Amiel Gladstone, directed by Felix Crainicu; Arca Theater, La Scena Club
4. Pool. No Water by Mark Ravenhill, directed by Alexandru Mihaescu; German State Theater, Timisoara
5. Romania! I Kiss You by Bogdan Georgescu, directed by David Schwartz; Vasile Alecsandri National Theater, Iasi
Focus 1: IONESCO EVENT
1. The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Alexandru Dabija; German State Theater, Timisoara
2. The Bald Soprano by Eugene Ionesco, directed by Tompa Gabor; Lucian Blaga National Theater, Cluj
3. Discussion moderated by George Banu
4. La cantatrice chauve, directed by Jean Luc Lagarce; a coproduction of Nouveau theatre – Centre dramatique Besancon, Theatre de la Roulotte, Espace Planoise
5. Book launching: Theater of the Absurd by Martin Esslin, translation by Alina Nelega
Focus 2: OPERA REVIVAL (shows performed at their original venues)
1. Eugene Onegin, directed by Ion Caramitru, National Opera, Bucharest
2. Gianni Schicchi, directed by Silviu Purcarete, National Theatre, Cluj
3. Macbeth, directed by Petrica Ionescu, National Opera, Bucharest
4. Orpheus and Eurydice, directed by Alexandru Darie, Bulandra Theater, Bucharest
5. Othello, directed by Mihai Maniutiu, National Opera, Cluj
Focus 3: FILM/THEATER
Night film projections of theatrical performances, artists’ lives docudramas, etc.
Focus 4: CONFERENCES/DEBATES
1. Aleks Sierz – In yer-face theatre (New Writing for the Theatre in Britain Today)
2. George Banu – (title pending) (IONESCO EVENT)
3. Richard Schechner – A 3-day presentation
4. Debate: Romanian theater after 20 years: openings, personalities, influences, tendencies (in cooperation with the Romanian section of IATC)
Book launching
1. Introducere in teoria “performance-ului” (working title) by Richard Schechner, translation by Ioana Ieronim
2. Teatrul absurd (Theater of the Absurd) by Martin Esslin, translation by Alina Nelega (IONESCO EVENT(
3. Teatrul postdramatic (Post-dramatic Theater) by Hans-Thies Lehmann, translation by Victor Scoradet