Events

The most successful edition of the Gates Open Day event, organized annually by the Cluj-Napoca National Theatre, enjoyed, for its 27 March 2016 edition, the presence of approximately 5.000 spectators! Both the events for children and those for adults attracted large audiences willing to spend with us this day of celebration for the theatre world.   

The event is organized annually on 27 March, on the occasion of World Theatre Day. This year it was the seventh edition. As always, entrance was free.

The moments from the first part of the event gathered hundreds of children at our theatre. The non-verbal production for children, MIMOROZART, directed by Mrs. Palocsay Kisó Kata  (production of "Puck" Puppet Theatre in Cluj), was performed on the main stage of the National Theatre. Afterwards, our guests from Boom Party Club offered the children moldable balloons and face painting sessions. At the same time, the actresses Diana Buluga and Raluca Lupan, from Create.Act.Enjoy, held a Theatre and Improvisation Workshop for children ages 5-12, which gathered over 20 children. Then, the author and translator Florin Bican delighted our young guests by reading some excerpts of stories written and translated by him.

The events for adults enjoyed a great number of participants. The audience could see, in premiere in Cluj, some archive films, projections organized by our theatre to mark the Constantin Brâncuşi Year. The projected films are collages of short films made, on the one hand, by Man Ray, who filmed Brâncuşi in various situations (either working, or surrounded by acquaintances), and on the other, films made by Brâncuşi himself with a camera given to him by Man Ray. The projections was followed by another archive moment, the "Restitutions" Corner, when, as it was the case every year, spectators had the possibility to see the screening of a production from the archives of National Theatre. This year it was the production BRIGHT WEEK by Mihail Săulescu, directed by Mihai Măniuţiu at the Cluj-Napoca National Theatre in 1994. After the screening, the audience had the opportunity to discuss with two of the creators, the actress Miriam Cuibus and the director Mihai Măniuţiu. After that, the representatives of cultural institutions from Cluj-Napoca discussed with the audience, in a debate moderated by Ştefana Pop-Curşeu, about Performance Arts in Cluj - perspectives and directions.

Our special events, both the traditional ones, and the ones created especially for this edition, gathered large audiences as well: the backstage tours guided by the actors of the Cluj-Napoca National Theatre, the living statues, the contest Quiz in the afternoon (organized, this year, by  The Londoner - Great English Pub) and the Film Booth (the interviews with the participants will become a film that will be screened during the event Gates Open Night). The interactive sound and light installation, The Metal Wood, especially designed for this event, gave the participants the possibility to create their own small sound and light performances, by activating its metal elements. Each element, activated by one participant, set off a certain sound or light effect, reminiscent of the natural forest sound or light effects, together creating a symphony.

Throughout the event, visitors could enjoy pottery and egg painting workshops, a colorful traditional fair (objects and products offered by our guests, the Folk Craftsmen Association of Cluj), a fair with objects designed by children with disabilities (the Derzelas Association), as well as the presence of the Bookstory and Cluj-Napoca National Theatre libraries, and of The Londoner - Great English Pub.

At the same time, the winners of the selfie competition, organized a week before, received awards consisting of invitations to our performances. The competition asked participants to take a photo of themselves against the doors set up on Eroilor Bulevard, from 21 to 27 March 2016, and to post these photos on Facebook. The photos with the most likes were declared winners.

The special guest of the day, the actress MAIA MORGENSTERN, ended the event, with a meeting, on the main stage of the theatre, with the director MIHAI MĂNIUŢIU. The actress answered questions from the audience and offered autographs.