11th edition, 28 September - 2 October 2022 IDENTITIES
Wednesday, 28 September
11 am, Cluj National Theatre, Euphorion Studio
A STORMY NIGHT by I.L. Caragiale | directed by: Dragoș Pop | performance screening
free entry within the limit of available seats.
5 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Euphorion Studio
WARTIME THEATRE | texts by Natalia Vorojbit, Tetiana Kitsenko, and Natalia Blok | a readers theatre performance | directed by: Ionuț Caras
8 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Main Stage
THREE SISTERS by A.P. Chekhov | adapted and directed by: Răzvan Mureșan
Thursday, 29 September
11 am, Cluj National Theatre, Foyer, 2nd level
THEATRE, MON AMOUR | lecture by Marina Constantinescu, followed by discussions
free entry within the limit of available seats.
4:30 pm, Cluj Art Museum
SURVIVOR’S SYNDROME by Andriy Bondarenko | directed by: Ștefana Pop-Curșeu | performance followed by panel discussion: THEATRE IN LIMIT SITUATIONS, with the participation of Ukrainian authors Andriy Bondarenko, Neda Nejdana,Tetiana Kitsenko, Natalia Blok, and the directors Tudor Lucanu and Ionuț Caras | facilitators: Ștefana Pop-Curșeu and Raluca Rădulescu
free entry within the limit of available seats.
8 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Main Stage
A LOST LETTER IN CONCERT, based on A Lost Letter by I.L. Caragiale | concert-performance by Ada Milea
Friday, 30 September
4 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Euphorion Studio
MAIDAN INFERNO by Neda Nejdana | a readers theatre performance | directed by: Tudor Lucanu
7 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Main Stage
THE COMPETITION (The Casting in Kursk) by Alexander Galin | directed by: Ionuț Caras
Saturday, 1 October
11 am, Cluj National Theatre, Foyer, 2nd level
DRAMATIC WRITING AND THE MOTIVATIONS OF CONTEMPORARY PLAYWRIGHTS | lecture by Matei Vișniec followed by the presentation of the anthologyPlays from Romania: Dramaturgies of Subversion, edited and translated by Jozefina Komporaly, Bloomsbury, 2021
free entry within the limit of available seats.
3:00 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Euphorion Studio
BOOK LAUNCHES
Cristina Modreanu: Teatrul ca rezistență. Oameni de teatru in arhivele Securității [Theatre as Resistance. Thespians in the Archives of the Secret Police], Polirom Publishing House, 2022 | presented by Anca Hațiegan
Liviu Malița (coord.): Să nu privești înapoi. Comunism, dramaturgie, societate [Don’t Look Back. Communism, Dramaturgy, Society], Cluj University Press, 2022 | presented by I.B. Lefter
Alexa Visarion: Caragiale vizionarul [Caragiale the Visionary], Romanian Academy Publishing House, 2022 | presented by Cristina Modreanu
free entry within the limit of available seats.
4:00 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Euphorion Studio
THE MAN IN THE CIRCLE by Matei Vișniec | video-performance | directed by: Răzvan Mureșan
free entry within the limit of available seats.
7 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Main Stage
HANG UP, CALLS WAITING by Alexandra Felseghi | directed by: Adina Lazăr
Sunday, 2 October
11 am, Cluj National Theatre, Foyer, 2nd level
WARTIME THEATRE AND POLITICS | lecture by George Banu, followed by book presentation and signing: George Banu: Povestirile lui Horatio – portrete și mărturii ale maeștrilor scenei europene [Horatio’s Tales – Portraits and Testimonies of Masters of the European Stage], Tracus Arte Publishing House, 2021, and George Banu: Obiecte rănite [Wounded Objects], Nemira Publishing House, 2022
free entry within the limit of available seats.
4 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Euphorion Studio
MURDER WITH BB GUN by Horia Gârbea | directed by: Emanuel Petran | followed by a meeting with the playwright
7 pm, Cluj National Theatre, Main Stage
THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT by R.W. Fassbinder | directed by: Eugen Jebeleanu
As we try to understand what can be conveyed through theatre in a post-Covid world, plagued by the Russian-Ukrainian war which threatens Romania, Europe, and the internal balance of the entire world, it is interesting to consider The International Meetings of the National Theatre in Cluj, an institution headed by executive director Mihai Măniuțiu and artistic director Ștefana Pop-Curșeu. (...) The main theme of the festival had to do with the multiple IDENTITIES of people today: political, social, sexual, and cultural. The international dimension was ensured by the presence of several Ukrainian playwrights, as well as journalists, writers, translators, critics and other people from the world of theatre, coming from England, USA, Germany, Greece, Italy, Sweden, and the Republic of Moldova. (…) The general enthusiasm and the quality of all productions and conversations were a catalyst for the local community and for those who took part in the festival, arriving in Cluj from various countries and cities. By bringing together different voices and perspectives, The International Meetings of the National Theatre in Cluj managed to encourage empathy with Ukrainian dramaturgy, Romanian dramaturgy, causes such as feminism and sexual emancipation, as well as an interest in the reconsideration and the reevaluation of our past, including the communist period.
After the whirlwind of the pandemic, which had a huge impact on the world of theatre, at the beginning of a new season, the cultural and theatrical life of Cluj begins anew, proving that it can still bring people into the local theatre halls. Moreover, the directors of the “Lucian Blaga” National Theatre of Cluj have managed to organise the 11th edition of The International Meetings of the National Theatre in Cluj between the 28th of September and the 2nd of October 2022. The central theme of this edition had to do with Identities. Creative, cultural identities, which build a bridge – over the pandemic interval – taking us back to an old local tradition. Once again, we become familiar with the main theatrical values of the moment, with the latest innovations in the field of directing and performance. For this five-day festival, the organisers planned performances – the best productions of the National Theatre – as well as conversations with various personalities from the world of theatre, stage readings, special guests, book launches on theatre-related themes.
The 11th edition of The International Meetings of the National Theatre in Cluj had as its central theme the concept of “Identities”: openness towards the others and, at the same time, individual plurality. A major theme dominated the event from the very start: theatre in wartime, which was reinforced through the presence of four Ukrainian playwrights and came up again and again during the conferences and book launches included in the festival (…) every show was put on by an admirable team of actors who did their work passionately and managed to overcome this difficult period; we could also witness the bold approaches and the solutions found by the directors.
