The curatorial team of the Romanian National Theater Festival 2022, namely curators Mihaela Michailov, Oana Cristea Grigorescu, and Călin Ciobotari, have selected performances that fit this edition’s theme – Fragile Borders. Fluid Histories - from amongst the national and international performances produced in the previous season, 2021-2022.

The section entitled Fragile Borders proposes the observation of hybrid aesthetics. The curators say they paid attention to interferences with other genres, the integration of technologies, the hybridity of aesthetic territories, and also to artists and performers whose poetics are dynamic and coagulate courageous directions.

While Fluid Histories groups together performances that revisit the relationship with the past and question the present, reread collective and family histories from subjective perspectives, and question controversial episodes in official history.

The curators have shared the principles by which they were guided in choosing what to include in the festival’s program: "The the ability of performances to question the present, taking the risk of unsettling the audience and abandoning the predictable reflexes of easy entertainment. The innovative dimension of stage production. Beyond the sad truth that the budgets of most theaters in Romania do not allow for significant technological adventures, we have been sensitive to the search for new, inventive forms, to the effort to diversify and nuance the means of scenic expression. Acting. We do not believe that the new theatrical aesthetics that our century is bringing to the table are oriented towards an annulment of the actor. On the contrary, more than ever, the actor is called upon to strengthen the scenic voice of the human, We are excited, as we believe the audience will be, by examples of genuine, powerful acting. Geographical representation. Although it is a debatable criterion from the point of view of aesthetic rigor, we have taken into account, without compromise, the ideal principle of an optimal geographical distribution of theatrical performances."

Here are some of the performances that one can see during the festival:

Fluid Histories

Antonin Artaud.The Cenci Family after Shelley and Stendhal, translation George Banu, directed by Silviu Purcărete, scenography by Dragoș Buhagiar, original music by Vasile Șirli, National Theater Vasile Alecsandri Iasi

Children of the Night by Andrei Radu, directed by Alexandru Weinberger-Bara, scenography Corina Grămoșteanu, video design Sebastian Hamburger, National Theater Mihai Eminescu Timișoara

Parents and Children by Brian Friel, dramatization based on Turgheniev's novel, translation and directed by Vlad Massaci, set Adrian Damian, costumes Luiza Enescu, movement Florin Fieroiu, lighting design Cristian Șimon, video design Constantin Șimon, I.L. Caragiale National Theater Bucharest

Betrayal by Harold Pinter, translated and directed by Bobi Pricop, set design by Oana Micu, choreography and music Eduard Gabia, light design Attila Kászoni, National Theater Târgu Mureș - Liviu Rebreanu Company

dog with man, dog without man, texts by Lia Bugnar, Dan Coman, Simona Goșu, Maria Manolescu, Oana Pellea, Radu Tudoran, and Radu Afrim, directed by Radu Afrim, scenography Irina Moscu, choreography Flavia Giurgiu, video effects & animation Cristian Niculescu, lighting design Dodu Ispas, video Orlando Edward, Marin Sorescu National Theater Craiova

Hamlet by William Shakespeare, based on the Hungarian translation by Arany János, dramaturgy András Visky, directed by Gábor Tompa, set design András Both, costumes Bianca Imelda Jeremias, original music Vasile Șirli, choreography Melinda Jakab, Hungarian State Theater Cluj

Vinegar Tom by Caryl Churchill, translation and artistic direction Dragoș Alexandru Mușoiu, set design Răzvan Chendrean, costumes Luiza Enescu and Oana Cernea, original music by Cári Tibor, choreography by Denisa Irina Vlad, Regina Maria Theater Oradea - Iosif Vulcan Company

Fragile Borders

(anti)aging, concept, choreography, and performance by Mădălina Dan and Mihaela Dancs, National Dance Center Bucharest, E-motional Bodies & Cities Foundation

Love and Other Crimes, based on the screenplay of Stefan Arsenijević, dramaturgy Krisztián Kiliti, directed by Theodor-Cristian Popescu, set design and video concept Mihai Păcurar, music and sound design Andrei Raicu, light design Cristian Niculescu, Tamási Áron Theater Sfântu Gheorghe

The Tempest after William Shakespeare, indicative translation Cristi Juncu, direction, music and lyrics Ada Milea, scenography, video and light design Andu Dumitrescu, electronic music Alin Teglaș, Bulandra Theater Bucharest

Münchausen by Alexa Băcanu, directed by Ovidiu Caița, scenography and live graphics Sebastian Rațiu, video design Mihai Nistor, sound design Nelu Zlei, Matei Vișniec Theater Suceava

Part 1. Love, texts by the whole team, dramaturgy Cosmin Stănilă and Petro Ionescu, directed by Petro Ionescu, scenography Alexandra Budianu, music Alexandru Condurat, Creation and Experiment Reactor Cluj

The festival will also be hosting a series of satellite events, discussions, and workshops, as follows:

I. Fluid pedagogies

1. Art opens the school. This module will present plays in Bucharest schools, followed by discussions with the artistic teams. The module also includes a series of workshops by local artists and performers, who will work with groups of children and teenagers during the festival.

2. Theater Departments in the FNT. At a difficult time for theater schools in Romania, affected by the pandemic, FNT aims to host their productions, thus giving them a platform for visibility and dialogue.

3. Who else writes about theatre? For 5 days, students of theater departments will meet with theater critics and theorists from the performing arts to explore multiple approaches to theatre criticism and theory.

 4. Without Borders – an interdisciplinary workshop for graduates of the last two years of art faculties in the country, which will address methodologies and practices centered on working in mixed creative teams. The workshop is coordinated by director Radu Apostol and choreographer Florin Fieroiu.

II. Fragile. Dramaturgies of the present

Four performative readings from contemporary dramaturgy (texts from Germany, UK, Poland, and Romania) will be presented for 4 days in the FNT. The texts address acute socio-political issues and explore experimental dramaturgical languages. The module of performative readings is coordinated by director Bobi Pricop.

III. Theatrical realities in debate

This year's debates honor two international theater personalities, Peter Brook and Hans-Thies Lehmann. The debates will focus on themes that have marked the phenomenon of local and regional performing arts: abuses in the theatre faculties, with the focus on the solutions and transformations in academic environments; the status of the cultural worker and the imminent challenges facing the independent sector; repertory strategies of Romanian children's and teenage theatres; and the role of theatre education programs in schools.

IV. Theater Book Fair

Presentations of the most relevant theater books of the last year and meetings with their authors.

V. Exhibitions dedicated to Romanian theater personalities

VI. Borders. Risks. Emergencies

A performative marathon in which artists from different areas will have 10 minutes in which to address an issue they consider to be urgent for their area of artistic interest.

VII. FNT on-air - Radio theater

maia@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Uniter)