class="">RNTF Curatorial Statement & Selection The 36th edition

The National Theatre Festival is a strategic cultural project funded by the Ministry of Culture.

Co-producers: Bucharest City Hall (through ARCUB – Bucharest Cultural Centre),  the Romanian Television Society.

Partners: The “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre of Bucharest; the Romanian Centre of the International Theatre Institute (ITI).

Traditional media partner: Radio Romania.

Theatre critics Raluca Cîrciumaru, Alina Epîngeac and Sebastian-vlad Popa, the curatorial team of the 36^th edition of the Romanian National Theatre Festival, hereby present their statement and selection for this year’s edition.

[…]perfectly human. FNT36

The 2026 edition of the National Theatre Festival finds us in the midst of a profound paradigm shift in our understanding of the meaning of being human. We are living through a moment in which we are recalibrating and renegotiating our roles in relation to ourselves, to one another, to society as a political, economic, social and cultural mechanism, and–for the first time–to technology as a quasi-conscious partner. Reality is becoming a space for questions that, until recently, would have seemed improbable, each giving rise to countless others. A vivid and often polemical dialogue is emerging between nature–ever more anthropomorphized–and technology – its features becoming increasingly familiar and recognizably human– both on stage and beyond it.

Theatre has always stood at the intersection of multilayered reality, filtered through creative sensibilities, and believable fiction. Through the selection presented for FNT36, the curatorial team places at the heart of this edition humanity’s most vulnerable characteristic: (im)perfection as both the defining quality and the inherent flaw of the enduring human spirit.

We have witnessed a theatre season marked by unpredictability, constraints imposed by forces beyond artistic intent, and both individual and systemic uncertainty. Against this backdrop, the selection process itself had to adapt to a reality shaped by the same inherent imperfection. In many cases, viewing video recordings of candidate productions required a particular mode of professional assessment capable of compensating, as far as possible, for the absence of the live theatrical experience. Economic constraints made presence at a certain number of the theatre season’s premieres impossible, and thus generated a series of the challenges that determined us to question the increasingly rigid limits within which our profession now operates. Freedom is a profoundly human attribute, and the ways in which we understand and negotiate it is part of that same ambivalence that the theme of (im)perfection implies.

How important is it for a work of art to get close to perfection, and how important is it for it to preserve its humanity? The questions we seek to explore through the productions selected for the 36^th edition of the festival arise directly from the experience of this theatre season. The outlines of professional authority and creative freedom, on the one hand, and consumer culture, emerging technologies and economic constraints, on the other, are naturally fading out, giving rise to a cultural climate that is vibrant, dynamic, more attentive to the values it promotes and, perhaps, more responsive than ever before. Does space- time for a patiently crafted perfection still exist, despite the fact tha careful attention to detail is being frenetically displaced by an artificially generated demand for novelty? The array of questions we hope to generate through this year’s theme and program remains intentionally perfectly open.

The diversity of themes, aesthetics and creative approaches brought together in the selection below is united by a single constant: professional excellence, filtered through the consensual perception of the three curators. Both the program and this curatorial statement reflect the meeting point of three distinct perspectives on the 2025–2026 Romanian theatre season. Striving for equilibrium has been one of our guiding principles, and the various forms of representation have been carefully calibrated to maintain counterbalance. Out of more than 150 productions viewed, we selected 36, an imperfect number (yet perfect, like every number), still carrying the symbolistic of the humanity that characterized the selection process we went through during the four months in which we acted as the curatorial team of FNT36.

Raluca Cîrciumaru
Alina Epîngeac
Sebastian-vlad Popa

SELECTION OF PRODUCTIONS / NATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL (FNT)

16–25 October 2026

9 SHAMES and Other Scandalous Tableaux from Romania’s Recent History, by Cosmin Stănilă, Sașa Ceban, Ionuț Caras and Diana Buluga; directed by Ionuț Caras; video design by Andrei Cozlac and Radu Marțin; music by Magor Bocsárdi; costume consultant Mirela Grindean; Teatrul Național „Lucian Blaga” Cluj-Napoca

Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare; translated by Mihnea Gheorghiu; stage version by Adrian Nicolae; directed by Andrei Huțuleac; set design by Maria Nicola; lighting design by Lucian Moga; stage movement by Elena Anghel; Teatrul Dramatic „Fani Tardini” Galați

Arădeanca, by Elise Wilk; directed by Cristian Ban; set design by Irina Chirilă; video projection by Dan Varga; music by Paul Tonca; lighting design by Alex Dancu; Teatrul Clasic „Ioan Slavici” Arad

The Bald Soprano, by Eugène Ionesco; translated by Vlad Russo and Vlad Zografi; directed by Mihai Măniuțiu; set design by Adrian Damian; costume design by Luiza Enescu; music by Mihai Dobre; Teatrul Național „Mihai Eminescu” din Timișoara

The Comedy of Errors, by William Shakespeare; translated by George Volceanov; directed by Sânziana Stoican; set design by Valentin Vârlan; Teatrul „Nottara” București

De Profundis, after Oscar Wilde; directed and choreographed by Răzvan Mazilu; costumes and original soundtrack by Răzvan Mazilu; set design by Oana Micu; lighting design by Costi Baciu; Teatrul „Stela Popescu”, București

The Tót Family, by István Örkény; dramaturgy by Enikő Orbán; directed by Hunor Horváth; set design by Előd Golicza; costume design by Andreea Săndulescu; choreography by Matilde J. Ciria and Tünde Baczó; music by Tibor Cári and Tamás Kolozsi; stage movement by Endre Melles and Julcsi Ádám; lighting design by Nichita Teodorescu; video design and projection mapping by Dan Basu and Ilinca Popescu; film direction by Laura Brumă; soundscapes by DJ K-Lu; sound design by Zsolt Kupán; Teatrul Maghiar de Stat „Csiky Gergely” Timișoara

Woman – Battlefield, by Matei Vișniec; dramaturgy by Diana Nechit; directed by Botond Nagy; set design by Raul Cioabă; costume design by Ioana Ungureanu; lighting design by Cristian Niculescu; sound design by Claudiu Urse; choreography by Alice Veliche; Teatrul Național „Vasile Alecsandri” Iași

Funny Games, after the film by Michael Haneke; directed by Botond Nagy; stage adaptation and original texts by Diana Nechit and Andrei C. Șerban; set design by Theodor Cristian Niculae; original music and sound design by Claudiu Urse; lighting design by Ruxandra Ilie and Botond Nagy; Teatrul Grivița 53

My Beloved Enemy, written and directed by Gianina Cărbunariu; set design by Adrian Ganea; music by Oscar Ungvári; Teatrul Național „Marin Sorescu” Craiova

Ivanov, by Anton Chekhov; translated and adapted by Raluca Rădulescu; artistic direction and cinematography by Eugen Jebeleanu; set design by Velica Panduru; music by Rémi Billardon; lighting design by Sabina Reus; video artist Ovidiu Zimcea; Teatrul Național „Marin Sorescu” Craiova

Lirda, written and directed by Leta Popescu; set design by Bogdan Spătaru; music by Csaba Boros; Teatrul de Comedie București

The Cherry Orchard, by Anton Chekhov; translated and adapted by Raluca Rădulescu; directed by Andrei Măjeri; musical direction by Andrei Măjeri; set design by Oana Micu; choreography by Andrea Gavriliu; sound design by Claudiu Urse; lighting design by Sabina Reus; Teatrul de Stat Constanța

Any Other Candidates?, a concert performance after I.L. Caragiale; concept, adaptation and music by Ada Milea; songs by Ada Milea and Anca Hanu; set design by Maria Constantin; choreography by Florin Fieroiu; sound design by Victor Pamfilov; lighting design by Daniel Tiuntiuc; Teatrul Național „I.L. Caragiale” din București. A project of the „Ion Sava” Centre for Theatre Research and Creation.

Mein Kampf, by George Tabori; translated by Márk Cristopher Demeter; directed by Marcel Bélai; set design by Zsuzsi Szőke; costume design by Kata Mihály; music by László Bakk-Dávid; Teatrul „Andrei Mureșanu” Sfântu Gheorghe and Teatrul Masca, București

The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka; collective translation; adapted and directed by Yuri Kordonsky; set design by Oana Micu; lighting design by Cristian Șimon and Victor Pâslari; sound design by Andrei Doboș; Teatrul Excelsior București

We Apologise for the Inconvenience Caused, written and directed by Radu Iacoban; set design by Tudor Prodan; original music by Aida Šošić; Teatrul Mic București

The Extraordinary Story of Abul Hossein of Yemen and His Flight into the Desert (after One Thousand and One Nights), directed by Silviu Purcărete; set design by Dragoș Buhagiar; original music by Vasile Șirli; Teatrul Național „Radu Stanca” Sibiu

Nora, by Sivan Ben Yishai; translated by Ciprian Marinescu; directed by Bobi Pricop; set design by Raul Cioabă; musical direction by Eduard Gabia; choreography and movement direction by Filip Stoica; Teatrul Național Târgu Mureș – Compania „Liviu Rebreanu”

Men and Gods, written, directed and musically illustrated by Andrei Măjeri; translated by Mária Albert; set design by Adrian Balcău; choreography by Andrea Gavriliu; music consultant Katalin Incze G.; sound design by Adrian Piciorea; video design by Andrei Cozlac; lighting design by Samu Trucza; Teatrul Național Târgu Mureș – Compania „Tompa Miklós”

A Lost Letter, by I.L. Caragiale; directed by Alexandru Dabija; costume design by Maria Miu; Teatrul ACT București

Zero Hour, written and directed by Iulia Grigoriu; set design by Andrei Dinu; game design by Levent Crăcea; sound design by Adrian Piciorea; lighting design by Andrei Ignat; creart / Teatrelli, București

Orlando, by Sarah Ruhl, after Virginia Woolf; directed by Florin Caracala; set design by Ana Ienașcu; choreography by George Pleșca; stage dramaturgy by Daria Ancuța; lighting design by Lucian Prasti; video design by Silviu Luda; Teatrul de Stat Constanța

The Uprising, adapted by Alexa Băcanu after the novel by Liviu Rebreanu; directed by Dragoș Alexandru Mușoiu; music by Csaba Boros (Act I), Danaga (Act II) and Radu Dogaru (Who Could I Have Been); musical coaching by Renata Burcă; vocal coaching by Adonis Tanța; set design by Mihai Păcurar; choreography by Sergiu Diță; diagram illustrations by Lucia Mărneanu; sound and lighting / video projections and surtitles by Cătălin Filip and Alex Maftei / Călin Deneș; sound engineering by Radu Boancă; Reactor de creație și experiment Cluj-Napoca

Rave by Ravel, concept, choreography and musical direction by Andrea Gavriliu; lighting design by Andrei Ignat; Teatrul Masca București

King Lear, by William Shakespeare; translated by George Volceanov; stage adaptation and direction by Silviu Purcărete; set design by Dragoș Buhagiar; original music by Vasile Șirli; Teatrul Național „Marin Sorescu” Craiova

Exit the King, by Eugène Ionesco; Hungarian translation by György Gera; directed by Gábor Tompa; set design by András Both; costume design by Angéla Balogh; music by Csaba Boros; movement direction by Ferenc Sinkó; lighting design by Romeo Groza; puppet sculptor Ilona Varga-Járó; Teatrul Maghiar de Stat Cluj

Rhinoceros, by Eugène Ionesco; translated by Dezső Mészöly; dramaturgy by Réka Dálnoky and László Bocsárdi; set design by József Bartha; costume design by Zsuzsi Szőke; music by Magor Bocsárdi; lighting design by Tamás Bányai; choreography by Zsuzsanna Vass; Figura Stúdió Gheorgheni and Teatrul „Tamási Áron” Sfântu Gheorghe

Rostopasca, by Alex Tocilescu; directed by Monica Stoica; set design by Alina Pențac; original music by Adrian Piciorea, Robert Găgeată, David Luncă, Damian Gerard and Robert Anton; choreography by Tamara Găgeatu; lighting design by Dani Buglea; Asociația Hearth / Casa Kerim, București

Sun, Love and Darkness, original script by Ionuț Sociu and Alexandru Mâzgăreanu, after Journal. 1935–1944 and Holiday Game by Mihail Sebastian; directed by Alexandru Mâzgăreanu; musical direction and lighting design by Alexandru Mâzgăreanu; set design by Alexandra Boerescu; Teatrul Tineretului Piatra Neamț

Sopro – Whispers from the Shadows, by Tiago Rodrigues; translated by Réka Dálnoky and Szabolcs Király; dramaturgy by Réka Dálnoky; script by László Bocsárdi and Réka Dálnoky; directed by László Bocsárdi; set design by József Bartha; costume design by Zsuzsi Szőke; choreography by Franciska Szabó; lighting design by Tamás Bányai; masks by Szilárd Szabó János; video projections by Alfonz Geng; sound by István Geszti; Teatrul de Nord Satu Mare – Trupa „Harag György”

Supernormals, by Esther F. Carrodeguas; dramaturgy by Alex Gorghe; directed by Mara Oprea; set design by Gabi Albu; sound design by Adrian Piciorea; lighting design by Nichita Teodorescu; creart / Teatrelli, București, in partnership with Instituto Cervantes Bucharest and the National Disability Council of Romania

Timon of Athens, adapted by Anamaria Feraru and David Schwartz after William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton; translated by Vlad A. Arghir; directed by David Schwartz; set design by Andrei Dinu; music by Paul-Ovidiu Cosovanu; choreography by Paula Dunker; lighting design consultant Milena Muranyi; Platforma de Teatru Politic București, in partnership with Centrul de Teatru Educațional Replika and Galeria 26

Sadness and Joy in the Life of Giraffes, by Tiago Rodrigues; directed by Edda Coza and Dan Coza; set design by Andreea Tecla; costume design by Maria Ștefănescu; choreography by Mariana Gavriciuc; music and sound design by Adrian Piciorea; lighting design by Tony Macpela; puppet design by Ana Crăciun Lambru and The Puppet Masters; Asociația Tangent, Teatrul Mic București and Teatrul „Alexie Mateevici” Chișinău

Vanya, by Simon Stephens; translated by Silvia Năstasie; adapted, directed, performed and with sound design by Sorin Miron; set design by Ariana Miron-Presan; lighting design by Lucian Moga; POINT București

Flight from the Nest, by Pavel Dan; dramatized and directed by Radu Afrim, sound universe by Radu Afrim; set design by Irina Moscu; lighting design by Samu Trucza; video design by Andrei Botnaru; Teatrul Național Târgu Mureș – Compania „Liviu Rebreanu”