class="">Come to the National Theatre Festival!

October 19^th  2015

Just a few days left till the beginning of the 25^th edition of the National Theatre Festival (October 23^rd– November 1^st, Bucharest) and things are as simple as at the beginnings of theatre: artists need audiences to feel truly fulfilled.

And since the principal goal of the National Theatre Festival is bringing people together, we have asked a few of the actors and directors presenting performances within the NTF to formulate an invitation to the festival. One impossible to refuse.

Mihai Măniuţiu, director

„ Why come to see «The Lesson»? I don’t know a better play about dictatorship, brainwashing and the complex of the voluntary victim. I had the opportunity to work with the best actor to play the Professor, Constantin Chiriac. At the same time, come for the high level of the ensemble and the technical crew. And I also invite you to „Vertigo”  a confession, about suffering, love and the glissade of a beloved one (my mother) into the fogs of the Alzheimer empire.

Mihai Măniuţiu directed „The Lesson” by Eugène Ionesco, set design by  Adrian Damian, set design by design by Irina Moscu, produced by the „Radu Stanca” National Theatre Sibiu and „Vertigo”, for which he also wrote the text; set design Adrian Damian, produced by the „Aureliu Manea” Theatre Turda

Constantin Chiriac, actor

The Professor is one of the major challenges in the collection of parts from universal dramatic literature. It’s a part that needs an actor who’s physically very fit and has an extraordinary capacity of switching emotions and I am very happy to have been able to enter this adventure, received with lots of enthusiasm when we play in Sibiu or abroad.

“BUFFALLOS URBAN FABLE #2” and “Nathan the Wise” are performances of high artistic quality, they are creations, they are special, have excellent concept and acting. And they are very diverse. I am convinced that Bucharest – and not only- audiences will fill the auditoriums because these performances are, in different ways, unique. And we also have a special participation within the NTF, with „Antisocial”, part of this year’s project called „Manifest for Dialogue”.

The „Radu Stanca” National Theatre Sibiu, under Constantin Chiriac’s direction, will present the following productions at the NTF 2015: „The Lesson” by Eugène Ionesco, directed by  Mihai Măniuţiu, „BUFFALOS Urban Fable #2”, after Pau Miró, directed by Radu Afrim, „Nathan The Wise” after  Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, directed by Armin Petras

 

Tompa Gábor, director

„The Visit is a bitter and absurd comedy, about how easy it can be to bargain a little provincial town with its mediocre, ridicule, impersonal community. Mrs. Magda Stief, returns from Germany to play this part and brings more glamour to the ensemble of the Hungarian Theatre in Cluj. I think this is a good reason to go see this play”.

Tompa Gábor directed „The Visit” by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, set design by Helmut Stürmer, costume design by Carmencita Brojboiu, a performance produced by the Hungarian State Theatre in Cluj.

Lucian Vărşăndan, theatre manager

 

The audiences should come to see «Electra», directed by Bocsárdi László, because it is a contemporary and unexpected reading of the classical text, that doesn’t alter the depth of it, even in a performance of just 75 minutes. And also, the spectators will enjoy seeing one of the most recent works of this important director and some remarkable acting.

The performance „Moliendo Café” is a result of the improvisation of the actors of the German and Hungarian State Theatres in Timişoara, as a result of the fact that both Silviu Purcărete and myself found it somehow impossible to find a suitable text, to be shared between German and Hungarian in a dramaturgically coherent way. Joining the two ensembles together was a great gain itself: practically, what we see on stage is a great and strong ensemble and the fact that the actors come from two different theatres is absolutely unnoticeable.

Lucian Vărşăndan is the manager of the German State Theatre in Timişoara, present at the NTF with „Electra” after Aeschylus and Euripides, adapted by Benedek Zsolt, directed by László Bocsárdi,  set design by József Bartha, costume  design by Zsuzsanna Kiss and  „Moliendo Café”, an improvisation, directed by Silviu Purcărete,  costumes  and set design by Dragoş Buhagiar

Radu Iacoban, director

„Cats’ House“ is an honest endeavor in an intimate space, at the venue of Teatrul Foarte Mic –  starring three super- actresses. Emilia Dobrin, Andreea Grămoşteanu Ilinca Manolache, it’s them who deserved the selection. And the space conceived by Mihaela Ularu (n.r. / the set-designer of the show). What I’d like people to know about Cats’ House in 50 years? That it’s a story that still stands in 100 years.”

Radu Iacoban wrote and directed „Cats’ House“. The performance is a production of Teatrul Mic

Vava Ştefănescu, choreographer

„Vertigo” is indeed a stunning experience. Working on the topic of forgetting the self, of disconnecting from the body, from the others, in such a poetic and at the same time rough style as Mihai Măniuțiu did, made it at times difficult to resist the intensity. It resembles a bit to the preparation of another performance presented at the NFT, “L’oubli” (2001), written by George Banu, adapted and directed/ as in the case of „Vertigo” / by Mihai Măniuțiu. For “L’oubli”, I was sharing the stage with Sylvain Groud (France) now I dance together with Andrea Gavriliu. In „Vertigo” we are two very different bodies, but these images are transformed and brought to becoming…one.

Vava Ştefănescu is part of „Vertigo”, written and directed by Mihai Măniuţiu, set design by  Adrian Damian, produced by the „Aureliu Manea” Theatre in Turda and „Ubu Slammer!” after „Ubu In Chains” and other texts by Alfred Jarry,  adapted and directed by Tompa Gábor, set design by: Carmencita Brojboiu, produced by the “Lucian Blaga” National Theatre Cluj-Napoca

Ana Ioana Macaria, actress

„Come if you wish to see a thriller with comic accents and an unexpected ending! “

Ana Ioana Macaria plays in “Conversations after a Burial” by Yasmina Reza, directed by Alexandru Darie, set design by Octavian Necula, produced by The Bulandra Theatre, Bucharest

Alina Ilea, actress

„Our performance is about a harmonious and balanced family, from which all want to run away. Come and you won’t regret! You will surely discover yourself in one of the characters!“

Alina Ilea plays in „Blowing” by Jeroen van den Berg, directed by Traian Şoimu, set design by Zsolt Fehervári, produced by The „Mihai Eminescu” National Theatre Timişoara

Bokor Barna, actor

„«God fights the Devil, the battlefield is the human heart». This is one of my lines in the performance  «The Karamazovs», a performance of great theatrical and spiritual intensity. Loooking forward to seeing you there!“

Bokor Barna  plays in the „The Karamazovs” după F.M. Dostoyevsky, directed by István Albu, set design Tenkei Tibor, costume design by Bocskai Gyopár, produced by The National Theatre Târgu-Mureş, „Tompa Miklós” Company

Amalia Ciolan, actress

„«20 Years Siberia» is a performance based on the memoir by Aniţa-Nandriş Cudla, a small and very bewildering episode of our history “.

Amalia Ciolan plays in „20 Years in Siberia”, by Aniţa Nandriş-Cudla, directed and designed by Sorin Misirianţu, produced by The „I. L. Caragiale” National Theatre Bucharest

Balázs Attila, actor

„The Beggar’s Opera is a very serious critic towards society, written 300 years ago. I am afraid that today the situation is not much different. Or maybe not…Come to see!“

Balázs Attila plays in „Beggar’s Opera”, based on the text by John Gay, directed by: Kokan Mladenović, set design: Marija Kalabić, costume design by Tatjana Radišić, produced by The „Csiky Gergely” Hungarian Stat Theatre Timişoara

Katalin Berekméri, actress

„A man, several women, a mother who’s an actress and possessive. How can he find tranquility? My colleagues and I expect you at our favorite show, directed by Radu Afrim“.

Katalin Berekméri plays in „Tranquility” after Attila Bartis, directed by Radu Afrim, set  design by Adrian Damian, costume design by Erika Márton, produced by The Târgu-Mureş National Theatre, „Tompa Miklós” Company

Cristian Gheorghe

„It’s a life or death comedy about us, about us, about our elation and our shyness, about love, our qualities and flaws. One hour of tumultuous life, which we expect you to witness“.

Cristian Gheorghe plays in „A Marriage Proposal” by A.P.Cehov, directed by Felix Alexa, set design by Andrada Chiriac, produced by The „Fani Tardini” Dramatic Theatre Galaţi

Gabriel Apostol

„It’s an intriguing, contemporary performance, about birth, life, death. A performance about the human being, told, created by…birds“.

Gabriel Apostol plays in „The Assembly of the Birds” by Farid Uddin Attar, written, directed, designed by Cristian Pepino, produced by The Ţăndărică Puppet Theatre Bucharest

Antoaneta Cojocaru, actress

« I’m in a phase of my life when I find classical texts extremely valuable. I don’t know why it seems we do not need them any longer, or we don’t know how to do them. There are so many opportunities in a classical text: first of all, to cultivate yourself, as an actor and then to make new discoveries. This time it’s Strindberg and it’s again a research laboratory on the means of the actor. We tried to have two very distinct levels: a tangible one,  and one in which things that the two characters would only want to experience happen. It’s a performance like a poem, a very, very beautiful one.”

Antoaneta Cojocaru plays in „The Stronger” by August Strindberg, together with Mihaela Teleoacă. Set design by Vladimir Turturică,  produced by the Comedy Theatre.

Bogdan Georgescu, director

“I have always had an interest in the stories of “irrelevant” people, often invisible within the society they are part of and essential contributors to. And yes, as with other projects, what we aim at most is to incite discussions, to make us question, analyze and finally reinvent ourselves. It’s an analysis, from several points of view, with humor and distance, of one real life situation: a number of pupils have created a secret group on Facebook, where they were mocking about their teachers. One of the teachers succeeded to infiltrate into the group with the help of one of the youngsters and this was our situation. We are now in a moment when we have to work with people who have lived with internet since they were born, to which access to information is limited only by excess of quantity. The educational system cannot remain structured as it is, the condescending formula maestro- disciple being absolutely not functional. New realities demand new educational systems. In the online world, we all exist together, as equals. “

Bogdan Georgescu created the performance „Antisocial”, produced by The „Radu Stanca” National Theatre Sibiu

Material assembled by Maria Sârbu, Florina Tecuceanu, Dan Boicea, Andrei Crăciun, Pompilius Onofrei

See the complete festival program here! Other video invitations of the artists to the festival productions on www.fnt.ro and on  www.mystage.ro!

October 19^th 2015