East European Performing Arts Platform in Cooperation with IETM

East European Performing Arts Platform in cooperation with IETM a project financed by the Ministry of Culture in the 80s, but after 1990 only a few of the Iulia Popovici, subsidised companies have continued to provide it with accurate information. The Miruna Runcan small team of theatre researchers from the Institute of Arts Histo- ry (under the umbrel- la of the Romanian Romania Archive(s) Academy) publishes academic research articles in the internal In the absence of a and managers active photographs and journal Studies and Re- Theatre Institute or before 1989 – all disparate documents search on Arts History. any similar institution make the question related to famous Theatre, Music, Cinema in Romania, theatre of archiving theatre artists associated from time to time. archiving doesn’t exist a sensitive issue of with the institution. A as a regular, coherent politics of memory. similar one exists as a The foundation that practice of preserv- department of the Iasi publishes the quarter- ing the artistic legacy Archives, by their Museum of Literature. ly Teatrul azi (Theatre (in terms of working very definition, have None of them have Today), one of the few processes and prod- an aura of objectiv- full time researchers, theatre magazines in ucts). Unfortunately ity, authenticity and except the manager of the country, has also Romania has a long truth in preserving the Bucharest Mu- published a number of and constant tradition the past, even when seum3. The National books (in the collec- of ignoring its cultural dealing with such Institute for Heritage tion entitled Galeria legacy, and theatre subjective fields as (http://www.cimec. Teatrului Românesc/ is no exception. The arts – but what is ro) has digitalised the The Gallery of the dismantling of the usually overlooked entire collection of Romanian Theatre) by archives belonging to when discussing them the most important or about established public theatres (those is that researchers theatre magazine of actors and directors – that still exist are, and individuals work- the communist period, mainly of the commu- with few exceptions, ing with archives are Teatrul (Theatre), in a nist times, sometimes chaotic and disorgan- in fact the ones cre- not very user-friendly in the form of lengthy ised), the restricted ating meaning; and version; and has also interviews4. access to the archives meaning is often the created an online of the former secret subject of not-so-ob- alphabetical inventory police (Securitate)1 jective agendas.2 of artists, playwrights, and other political institutions and institutions under performances active/ The Bucharest Na- Communism, and the produced between tional Theatre has a subjective motivations 1944 and 1989 museum of its own: (www. for the altering of actually, a display of cimec.ro/Teatre/Star_ personal memoirs and This data costumes and props, Home.htm). accounts for artists base has its origins in These archives Ionuț Nicules- dedicated to famous It also reflects (in the include surveil- cu, from the theatre directors from opposite ‘ideolog- lance and col- 3 Museum of the the 60s. From time ical’ direction) the 1 laboration files National Thea- to time the National treatment, between of many artists (rele- tre Bucharest is also Television rediscovers 1944/1948 and 1990, vant, for instance, for a historian, and pub- its own archive of re- of the archives (and by the rehearsing process lished documents and corded performances extension cultural and in specific theatres of historical commentar- which has not been social history) deal- that time, and for the ies in several series yet entirely indexed. ing with the previous dynamics of social of the collection „The In contrast, the Ro- period. A period when life in the theatre), as Library of I.L.Caragiale manian Radio Broad- the political affilia- well as reports and National Theatre“. casting Company has tion of the artist had informative notes on a complete audio become a criterion of censored performanc- In societies archive on theatre and professional/artistic es between 1948 and where fac- circulates it both as value, and the polit- 1989, performances tual memory CD collections and on ical ‘engagement’ of that – because they 4 was subject the internet5. the artistic work was were censored – are of selective preser- considered a form of difficult to document vation (something This is what the aesthetic validation. otherwise. In fact, the that leaves no official, landscape of archiv- This “politics of mem- secret police was the documentary trails ing Romania looks ory” leaves research- best and most truthful doesn’t exist…), per- like: an empty space ers with an emphasis arts critic, since its sonal memories can with random signs on union and workers’ materials were not in- be placed on the same of actual life. With theatre (extremely tended for publication. level as. the exception of the marginal before 1944, The restricted access – online archive/data due to the low level of to these archives but base of the National industrialisation), on also to those belong- A number of research- Institute for Heritage, minor directors and ing to the National ers in Cluj, led by access to the past is playwrights (in ex- Archives, etc. – refers Liviu Malița, published not direct and neutral. treme cases ‘invented’ not to availability to documents related to Instead it is mediated on the spot), and no the general public but and studies on cen- through the selection actual data on the pri- to the arbitrary way sorship practices in of information and vate theatre compa- in which researchers theatre before 1990, subjective use of doc- nies which dominated themselves are given also documenting uments which are not pre-1944. For the access to documents. specific cases of cen- always (almost never) communist regime, sored performances. directly available to the ‘real’ theatre was More about the Numerous PhD theses the reader. This situa- born in Romania after 7 way archiving deal with theatre be- tion is not specific to WWII. 2 provides mean- fore 1990, but not all theatre – or even the ing and artistic of them use original arts in general – but In the cultural field practices in working research and docu- to everything relat- now, the interpreta- with archives, in Mat- mentation, and only ed to the public (and tion/politicising of the thew Reason, wedu/ some of these have sometimes private-) past is directly linked pages/classes/bkg/ been published. The life of the communist to the dominating methods/reason.pdf. Theatre and Film Uni- decades, leading to intellectual narrative versity of Bucharest a general practice of of ‘anti-communism’ has published several politicising memory6. – a general symbolic collections of articles framework of reading society for copy- university-level train- especially through the the communist era rights, which makes ing for theatre artists, careful selection of as a time of ‘external the whole process etc. But all this was materials made avail- occupation’ and total rather lengthy and possible, in a rather able.9 The history of internal resistance.8 expensive. The same short period, because the Romanian theatre Even if in communist kind of copyrighting there was already a during Communism is Romania there was issues are, in many certain tradition in generally presented actually no intellec- cases, preventing the professional thea- as a constant one-to- tual opposition and National Television tre. Its whole history one struggle between very few dissidents, from making public (at was re-written in the the ‘good’ artists and post-1990 intellec- least through broad- following decades, the ‘bad’ propagan- tuals have strongly casting) part of its including the ‘import- da machine. In this supported the idea of video archive. ed’ Western (not local interpretation, the a ‘resistance through and popular) origins high artistic quality culture’: practising The most obvi- of Romanian theatre. makes everybody an an apolitical form of ous example is ‘anti-communist’, no high culture, as un- related to the The Romanian matter the actual connected to reality 6 wide practice ‘anti-com- actions of the person as possible, positioned of disclosing names munism’ is a in question, his/her as an active form of 8 personal history and and files of Securitate specific post- protesting against the informants in sensi- 1990 ideology, forged the general context of political system. By tive moments as part by intellectuals, fo- a continuum between virtue of this defini- of specific political cused on self-legit- political position and 10 tion all established battles. imation (there was aesthetic validation . artists and intellectu- very little open intel- This post-factum ide- als are considered as ological interpretation From a certain lectual opposition to ‘anti-communists’ after of the past strongly point of view, communism before 1990 – and their work affects that part of es- it was invent- 1989) and nostalgia is usually read exclu- 7 for the interwar Ro- tablished artists’ work ed after WWII sively through this with genuine leftist/ – the first decades of mania (more precisely, frame. Marxist inclinations. It communism saw the for the middle-class happens with the first founding of public living style and cultur- period of activity of theatres throughout al life of that time; in directors such as Ghe- the this understanding of orghe (György) Harag coun- it, interwar Romania who was originally try is synonym with the interested in con- Traditional (be- internationally famous temporary plays with fore, Mircea Eliade, Eugène assumed social im- the- Ionesco and Emil pact, before becoming atre Cioran). known as the director archives — com- of classical stagings, panies or institutions such as The Cherry Or- The dynamics only existed in a As a direct conse- chard. Or Radu Penci- of publication handful of big cities) quence, the archiving ulescu and his perfor- is strictly de- and the emergence of artistic practices mances made in the 5 of the idea of ‘reper- such as theatre tends pending on the 50s11, which culmi- approval of Copyro, tory public theatre’ to emphasise and nated with a staging the main collecting itself, the extension of be focused on the ‘opposition’ factor, of Rolf Hochhuth’s The of the ‘Romanization’ collaboration with the ‘righteous’ artists and Deputy in 197212. The of the party apparatus. secret police (some their work. lack of organisation of them well-known and even availability A total silence covers but kept under lock by Penci- of archived materials all theatre works fall- the theatre commu- ulescu is which are difficult to ing outside the narra- nity); aesthetic ‘com- widely place in their proper tive of “high culture” promises’ (stagings 11 acclaimed context, alongside – not only amateur or of plays inconsistent as the author of a the predisposition workers’ theatre, but with the apolitical revolutionary King towards an ‘anti-com- alswo the corpus of aesthetic frame of the Lear (in 1970) and an munist’ reading, also plays written before ‘resistance through excellent professor, affects the method- the 80s13 and their culture’); audience as well as for leaving ology possible for stagings. When in practices; the amateur Romania in protest researchers. Facts that 2010, director Theo- and workers’ theatre for Ceaușescu’s na- are informal common dor-Cristian Popescu in general and the tionalist politics. He knowledge among started his endeavour ‘exchanges’ between has never denied his theatre scholars and to critically re-stage them and professional (disillusioned) Marxist the theatre commu- a famous communist theatre; the collabo- views. nity are generally comedy of the 60s, rative mechanisms in ‘missed’ by researchers Aurel Baranga’s Pub- the so-called special The Deputy 14 in cultural or political lic Opinion , in what viewing of perfor- or a Chris- history. Artists praised was to be an original mances by censorships tian Trag- by their former stu- performance with doc- committee etc. 12 edy is a dents, now famous, as umentary and re-en- controversial play good acting profes- actment elements, The well- insinuating that Pope sors are automatically he faced numerous known (at Pius XII knew and was presented as ‘great’ and sometimes insur- least local- indifferent to the Jews’ actors themselves mountable difficulties 10 ly) intellec- Holocaust in WWII; it even when they were in finding archive tual Monica Lovinescu served as an inspira- not. Actual reviews, materials on the first (daughter of the es- tion for Costa Gavras’ testimonies or record- staging of the play. teemed literary critic filmAmen (2007). ings being difficult to Eugen Lovinescu, she access, and the temp- was an important fig- The 80s tation to make conjec- ure of the Romanian saw in the tures too big. Known ‘culture-in-exile’ – she Romanian artists of Jewish origin This program- was living in France 13 playwriting protesting in party matic ideolog- since 1947 – and one a revival of the absurd meetings against the ical selection 9 of the most listen to and highly metaphori- new state policy are includes elud- voices of Radio Free cal language. reconfigured as dis- ing elements like: pre- Europe in Romanian) sidents persecuted vious involvement of even forged the un- At the for their ‘democratic’ artists in the far-right translatable concept ‘Radu Stan- views, even when the movement during of est-etică (‘Aesthetics’ ca’ Nation- actual context in the WWII and their public reformulated as ‘East- 14 al Theatre mid-1950s is that of political options in ern-ethics’) for a sort in Sibiu and video long-term leftists los- general; the artistic of a parallel canon of ing their political po- ‘compromises’ with the footage of the author, sitions in the process propaganda system; even though Baranga potential cases of was an acclaimed and as community and in ‘official’ cultural • Bălan Teodor, Istoria well-promoted play- devised theatre. The policies regarding the Teatrului Romanesc în wright of his period. most representative preservation of cul- Bucovina [The History example is that of the tural/theatre heritage. of Romanian Theatre Rahova-Uranus Pro- It seems more plau- in Bucovina], Bucureș- Nonetheless, even if ject, an artistic inter- sible to expect these ti, Editura Academiei the lack of interest in vention in a disenfran- changes coming from Române, 2005. archiving, document- chised neighborhood some kind of a bot- ing and interpreting of Bucharest which tom-up strategy of the • Bercovici Israil, O historical data seemed lasted for around six theatre community sută de ani de teatru to be the general rule years (2005/2006 – itself. evreiesc în România. for a long time – for 2011/2012). The team 1876-1976 [One Hun- both authorities and of artists (among dred Years of Jewish public institutions. them, Maria Drăghici, Bibliography — Theatre in Romania], But one can detect a Irina Gâdiuță, Bogdan Bucureşti, 1982. change in perspective Georgescu) visually • Darvay Nagy Adri- and practices from documented all their enne, Libertate înlăcri- several subsidised or activity (theatre and mată. Impresii despre independent theatre music performanc- interferenţele scenice companies. On one es, workshops with româno-ungare 1989 hand, some public in- children, open-air - 1999 [Freedom in stitutions have begun happenings…) and Tears. Notes about the the process of digital- made this archive Hungarian-Romanian ising their own portfo- available online and Theatrical Interferenc- lio of old photos and through publication. es 1989-1999], Bu- posters, and have even The same happens curești, UNITEXT 2003. made their own data with artists working in bases of performances documentary theatre, • Darvay Nagy Adri- public (see references some of them deal- enne, The Fabulous below); an initiative ing themselves with Holy Bird, Budapest, with no financial or materials from his- 1992. professional support torical archives that • Florea Mihai, Scurtă from the central or they confront with istorie a teatrului local authorities. their own documen- românesc [A Short tation: for example, —Books — History of the Romani- On the other hand, Heated Minds – David an Theatre], București, archiving as an ar- Schwartz and Mihaela Editura Meridiane, • Alterescu Simion, tistic practice has Michailov’s perfor- 1970. appeared in Romania mance on the miners’ Zamfirescu Ion (eds.), as a reaction to the violent intervention in Teatrul românesc • Ionescu Medea, A specific condition of Bucharest in 1991. contemporan 1944- Concise History of The- artistic memory and 1974 [The Romanian atre in Romania, Bu- its huge potential For the moment, it’s Contemporary Theatre. curești, Editura Științi- for manipulation. It nearly impossible to 1944-1974], București, fică și Enciclopedică, is mostly a practice imagine a profound Ed. Meridiane, 1975. 1981. of artists and collec- and systematic change • Alterescu Simion tives working with (ed.), An Abridged marginal, atypical History of Romanian forms of theatre such Theatre, Ed. Academiei R.S.R., 1983. • Kántor Lajos, Kötő Caragiale”, Seria a V-a, • Vasliu Mihai, Istoria • “Symbolon”, Târ- József, Magyar színház Nr. 7., Editura Nemira, teatrului românesc gu-Mureș, Editura Erdélyben: 1919-1992 2003, Bucureşti. [The History of Ro- UArtPress [Hungarian Theatre manian Theatre], from Transylvania: • Oprescu George (co- București, Editura 1919-1992], București, ord), Istoria Teatrului în didactică și pedagog- — Digital Editura Integral, 1998. România [The History ică, 1995. Of Theatre in Roma- Data Bases of • Mancaș Mircea, nia], vol I-III, Editura theatres — Trecut și prezent în Academiei RSR, 1965. — Online cul- teatrul românesc [Past and Present of • Popescu Marian, The tural/theatre • www.huntheater.ro/oldal. Romanian Theatre], Stage and the Carnival. php?soid=32&mm=37 București, Editura Em- Romanian Theatre after journals — • www.teatrulnationalcluj.ro/ inescu, 1970. Censorship, Editura index.php?page=spectacole_ar- Paralela 45, 2000. h&sm=12 • www.teatrul-azi.ro/despre-noi • Massoff Ioan, Tea- • www.teatrul-odeon.ro/istoric/ • Radu Oana & • www.revistascena.ro/inout trul românesc. Privire istoric_spectacole.htm Ferchedău, Ștefania • www.observatorcultural.ro/ istorică, VIII: Teatrul • www.teatrultineretuluint.ro/ (eds.), A short Guide to • www.suplimentuldecultura.ro românesc în perioada stagiuni/STAGIUNI.html the Romanian Cultural • revistacultura.ro/ 1940-1950 [Romanian teatrulreginamaria.ro/trupa-arca- sector Today. Map- • www.romlit.ro/ Theatre. A Historical dia/istoric/ ping Opportunities for • yorick.ro/ View, VIII: The Roma- • www.fanitardini.ro/arhiva.html Cultural Cooperation, • www.artactmagazine.ro/ nian Theatre between www.bulandra.ro/ro/arhiva-spec- ECUMEST & Romani- • www.ziarulmetropolis.ro/ 1940-1950], Bucureşti, tacole.html an Cultural Institute, a • www.liternet.ro Ed. Meridiane, 1981. • www.comedie.ro/spec- project commissioned tacole-arhiva.php • Mazilu Alina, by Royal Netherlands • www.teatru74.ro/spectacole/ Wiedent Medana, Wolf Embassy in Bucharest, — Academic arhiva.html Irina (Eds.), Das Rumä- 2005. journals — • www.tnrs.ro/# nische Theater nach • www.teatrulbacovia.ro/afise. 1989, Frank & Timme; • Runcan Miruna, php Auflage: 2010. Teatralizarea și retea- • “Studii şi cercetări tralizarea în România. de istoria artei. Te- • Radio Theatre Encyclopedia: • Nica Radu Alexan- 1920-1960, [The The- atru, muzică, cine- http://teatrale.nobody.ro/lista-al- dru, Nostalgia Mit- atricalization in Roma- matografie”, Institutul fabetica-pieselor/ tleeuropei. O istorie nia. 1920-1960] Cluj, de Istoria Artei „G. a teatrului german Editura Eikon, 2003. Oprescu“ al Academiei din Romania [Mit- Române teleuropa’s Nostalgia. • Vasile Cristian, Istoria A History of German teatrului românesc în • “Sudia Dramatica”, Theatre in Romania], primii ani de comunism Cluj, PUC: www.studia. Cluj, Eikon, 2013. [The History of Roma- ubbcluj.ro/serii/dra- nian Theatre in the matica/ • Niculescu Ionuț, First Communist Dec- Clepsidra Teatrului ade], Revista Istorică, • “Performing Arts cel Mare, ,,evocări, 2005, 5-6, p. 99-110 Journal”, Bucuresti, documente, mărturii”. (101). UNATC: www.unatc. Colecţia Biblioteca Te- ro/cercetare/docu- atrului Naţional ,,I. L. mente/2013_rpaj.pdf sibility of replicating the model of the interwar private theatre Iulia Popovici 4 companies . Of course, their experience in the state theatre didn’t match the challenges of the post-commu- ROMANIA nist market economy A short history of inde-

and these endeavours pendent theatre ended in financial disasters. (Weirdly enough, even today, many artists working “Private”, “alterna- ulated sub-system), The first attempts at in the subsidised the- tive”, “experimental”, the artists involved in “independence” ap- atre don’t have a clue “underground”, even this non-mainstream peared on the Roma- about how expensive “new theatre” – all theatrical practice nian scene straight af- performing arts re- terms used to de- opted for the term “inter 1990 as a reaction ally are.) The ‘second note a type of artistic dependent”. It is more to the sudden drop in phase’ of this primary practice outside the neutral but at the popularity of the type independence dealt mainstream public same time a stronger of theatre practised with the generation repertory theatres that statement of their before the revolution of artists who grew form the core of the innate incompatibility (stylised metaphors up amidst protests performing arts sys- with the public/state constructed upon and had problems in tem. All of them mix theatre.1 The next best classical plays of adapting to the met- production conditions option, “underground” a-temporal value). aphoric, apolitical, ex- (public subsidy vs. – still in circulation – “The theatre was in clusively middle-class public project grants has much to do with the street”, according subsidised theatre, and private financing) the first independent to the famous phrase, with its stiff actors, and aesthetic posi- venues being actual and Romania was dis- and personnel in gen- tioning (traditional vs. basements; and it is covering the pleasures eral. Their theatrical experimental, large used in a derogatory of active citizenship3. approach was bold, vs. small audience manner, suggesting a Those attempts came but in the absence etc.). At some point kind of theatre lurking from actors of the rep- of independent ven- in its evolution (in in the darkness. So the ertory theatres who ues and with limited the years 2002-2004, artists prefer now to were looking for more financial resources in when it started to consider that they’ve freedom and were a chaotic economy, grow into an artic- moved “above the confident in the pos- ground”.2 they depended on the and their innate fear that founded them, which expected them public theatres for of risk makes them their memory was to be clones of their space and therefore reluctant in producing very cherished – in a predecessors. They they also failed; even outside of the main- legendary manner. were in a rebellious if some productions stream aesthetics, the mood that the ‘elders’, are considered even one that most of the For the ups and the gatekeepers of today as theatrical artists and members downs of the the public theatre, accomplishments.5 of the audience ad- independent couldn’t understand; here to. 5 especially since it took theatre in its Financial resources childhood, see Theo- took the form of disre- have remained lim- “Underground” dor Cristian Popescu, spectful language on ited, and there are is also the Surplus de oameni sau stage. A ‘manifesto’ in still enough holes name of a pio- surplus de idei, Eikon, this direction was Sex, in the legislation to 2 2011. Popescu’s own Drugs and Rock’n’Roll, neer project in make the mere idea of the Romanian inde- staging of Angels in a one-man show in independent company pendent landscape America by Tony Kush- 2002 based on texts a sort of chimeraW, but – a venue in the… ner, in 1999, is one of by Eric Bogosian, around 2000-2002 the basement of the Ariel the accomplishments performed and direct- basic conditions were Puppets Theatre in of that time. ed by an actor, Florin met for the emer- Tîrgu-Mureș (a public Piersic jr., who could gence of a stronger, institution), where the There have have easily found a more lasting inde- author Alina Nelega never been a place in the main- pendent movement. has developed a play- specific form stream theatre, but What were the basic writing programme. 6 didn’t want to7. of organization conditions? First, the for the activity of ‘pro- ground had been pre- Roughly until ducing art’, so produc- There was also a third pared by the previous 1992, the coun- ers, venues and artists condition: a lack of phase of independ- try and espe- alike work either as a pressure on young ence, so 3 artists to start earning cially its capital non-profit NGO or as a were living a time of commercial company, on the same terms unprecedented rest- a system that leaves as their parents; the I alternate the lessness, with mass the people involved in beginning of a certain words public, protesting and violent the field with very lit- economic prosperity at 1 state, sub- conflicts, which par- tle protection in terms a national level; and sidized and adoxically gave the of social security or the emergence of po- sometimes main- theatre the needed healthcare. tential venues, artistic stream because all respite to reinvent spaces (not exclusive- and only the public itself. ly theatrical) willing theatres are subsi- the artists knew what to give them the dized, the subsidies As everywhere they wanted and what freedom to take risks. come from public in Europe, to expect. Then, there “Risk” is actually the money, not only are Romania had was a high degree of word that the whole these theatres state- 4 discontent among the idea of independent a respectable owned but they also number of such pri- youngest artists about theatre is based on. tend to be controlled vate companies before the coercive, repro- by the state in terms 1945, and due to the ductive strategies of of the values and fame of the actors the subsidized system, ideology they reflect, Going back to the the Dramafest; as It defined itself as youth rebellion and first basic conditions did Cristi Juncu, later dedicated to sustain- high quality. Taking for the emergence of known for translating ing and promoting the into consideration a new wave of inde- and staging plays by new drama. Without most of the festi- pendence: at the core David Mamet, Neil being activists, their vals and venues that of Romanian inde- LaBute and several focus on topicality has self-identify as independent theatre is the contemporary Russian led them towards a pendent9 we might break with the long writers. The festival in socially and political- suggest it is usually: tradition of text-rein- Tîrgu-Mureș marked ly engaged theatre, • a performance of terpretation, according the beginning of the addressing difficult a contemporary text to which directors and collaboration between or taboo issues like (not necessarily Roma- actors alike proved Royal Court Theatre social marginality, nian, not necessarily a themselves through (with its residencies) Romanian-Hungarian first staging); the ‘original’ staging and the local play- relations, and peo- of a canonical play, writing scene, which ple trafficking. Issues • involving young preferably a drama had a huge impact on unlikely to enter the artists and/or not in or tragedy – Shake- Romanian new dra- official public theatre.8 the mainstream circuit speare, of course, but ma. Dramafest helped Their survival in the and/or exploring new also Chekhov, Ibsen, forge the idea of play- independent world by territory (i.e. a known and Ionesco. The first writing for stage as a taking necessary risks actor turned director); attempts towards this collaborative practice, was inspiring for most break had been made with emphasis on the of the artists now • a minimalist produc- by directors like The- text rather than the active on the inde- tion in terms of cast, odor Cristian Popescu director as author of pendent scene (Bog- set design and stage and playwrights like the performance. After dan Georgescu, David equipment used. Alina Nelega. Nelega’s 2000-2002 it also Schwartz, Mihaela Dramafest – a new became the centre Michailov, Peca Ștefan, The other ‘man- drama festival in the of dramAcum activ- Ioana Păun), artists ifesto’ is Gianina Transylvanian city of ities – a playwriting who have moved 7 Cărbunariu’s Tîrgu-Mureș – which contest followed by forward, in the fields Stop the Tempo had only two editions a period of develop- of community theatre, (December 2003), a in 1997 and 1998, was ment of the winning documentary drama, climax of minimalism instrumental in legit- texts, staged readings, theatrical interven- that used three flash- imising the practice etc. The emergence of tion, site-specific lights and no other of new playwriting in author-directors like performances. stage equipment in Romania. Alina Nelega herself, order to tell the story or Gianina Cărbunariu of three young peo- Andreea Vălean, au- and Bogdan Georg- ple on an anarchistic thor, director, and one escu, is a by-product — Multiple trip of disconnecting of the founders of the of this rehabilitation definitions — clubs, bars and super- dramAcum collective of the playwright as markets. – arguably the most creator. dramAcum influential group in was founded by a The Romanian inde- Their working the Romanian in- group studying stage pendent theatre is strategy was dependent theatre directing in Bucha- still hard to define a long time a after 2000 – made her rest – among them, because as its chief 8 form of part- début as a playwright Andreea Vălean and characteristics are nership with public in the framework of Gianina Cărbunariu. freedom of expression, institutions, especially rule, more interested atre, which has ended money and mobility. Theatre Foarte Mic in in the theatre writing up in an increase of The programming of Bucharest, a second- than the director-driv- the number of avail- independent produc- ary stage of a theatre en mainstream thea- able venues. (At the tions is unpredictable, subsidized by the City tre. end of the 1990s this they tour more and Hall that made its rep- was the ‘magic for- in more precarious ertory out of experi- The minimalist set mula’ of the Theatre conditions than the mental performances and necessary tech- LUNI at the Green repertory productions, by independent artists. nical equipment also Hours: a bar and a and, logically if taken This way, the thea- make the production performing venue.) into consideration the tre could claim little more versatile, of- At the same time, the young age of the inde- responsibility for the fering more oppor- closing of the public pendent theatre as we performances if they tunities for touring, theatres, unable to know it in Romania failed but also praise since the main tool bring new people in (about 15 years), it has itself in case of suc- of survival for most their companies and grown with its artists. cess. independent ven- with big cuts in their The older generation ues is diversification budgets, leading to of artists (especially and the number of productions closing, actors) doesn’t share has pushed the young with their younger All these features are performances of the artists towards the colleagues the same interconnected and same production in alternative of inde- experience of social dependent on several the same venue is pendence. The real and professional pragmatic conditions: extremely limited. estate crisis has made precarity, and very the choosing of a Even in Bucharest, it possible for them to few of them resonate contemporary play is is common now to see look for and found with the aesthetics motivated not only the same production their own (very small) of the independent by the desire to re- travelling from one independent theatres theatre (especially its flect topical issues, to location to another, such as, in Bucharest, more direct acting and which artists and au- usually for only one the Art Theatre, UN- everyday language)12. dience can both relate, performance, which is TEATRU, Theatre in On the other hand, but also by shorter not an inspired strate- the Wings… The years it is obvious that for rehearsal periods gy, audience-wise. after 2008 amplified the generation, now and scarce technical Since the financial the distinction be- in their late 30s or in means, common in the crisis, a new phenom- tween two subtypes their 40s, that grew venues where inde- enon has appeared of independent artists up, artistically, with pendent productions in Bucharest: both – the independents by the independent are performed10. At dramatically hit by choice and the inde- theatre and entered the same time, it has the drop in consump- pendents by necessity, the ‘hall of fame’ of to do with the need of tion, the restaurants/ with important differ- the mainstream, the finding a ‘place under bars/cafés and the ences in their theatri- independent stage of- the sun’ for itself – so, independent theatre cal practice. fers a form of profes- the independent the- have ‘joined forces’. sional experience that atre exploits the lack The pubs and other complements their of interest on the part establishments have The fact that this work in the public of the public thea- become interested in kind of theatre works theatre2. This middle tre in new, unknown offering their clients with young artists generation might be and non-traditional new forms of enter- is also – but not the last one to benefit authors11, being, as a tainment, such as the- only – a question of from both the public/ tution, as it does not product of their work), approach goes well mainstream and the have its own company everything else comes beyond the production independent aesthet- of actors, and does down to the one mag- practice of the public ic practices (we will not call itself a thea- ic word: risk. This is theatre, as in: discuss later the role tre – qualifies in many from where the inde- experiment and of the independent occasions as an ‘independent theatre feeds • innovation in address- theatre as a ‘waiting pendent producer’). its duality (ending up ing social/ political/ room’ for the repertory in a bizarre duet with • the experimental community issues; system). its evil twin brother, or unconventional, Production conditions the subsidised public original nature of the • interest in atypical and the lack of em- theatre). Depending theatrical language performing spaces pathy for independ- on the degree of risk and/or the themes/ (i.e. the ‘apartment ence are not the only it assumes, the in- issues addressed; theatre’, an otherwise reasons for the young dependent theatre ‘ancient’ practice re- age of artists in the • the social, politi- relates differently to discovered in Romania independent theatre: cal and/or aesthetic the state theatre. In after 2005, initially it also reflects the stance and relevance its soft meaning, it is as an anthropologic type of audience that of the given perfor- either a waiting room experiment15); these productions at- mance; or a playground where tract and its expecta- one plays and polish- • audience develop- tions.14 It is often also • the possibly uncon- es his/her manners ment (either develop- a mark of the status ventional production before being allowed ing an audience for of independence as a conditions/ original to enter the nice the independent the- ‘waiting room’ for the forms of relation (for grown-ups’ ballroom. atre in places where it public theatre, usually example, devised It takes advantage hasn’t existed before- for the independents theatre or collective of the less pressure hand, even if a public by necessity. creation or broadly on success on the theatre and a general public-independent non-public scene to theatre audience do co-production). Many of the festivals, exercise the master- exist, or working with venues, and artists ing of the mainstream groups or commu- self-identified as inde- With the exception theatrical language. In nities with little/no pendent leave aside, of the first element its stronger meaning, theatrical experience). as less important in (dealing with spe- it deals with testing the definition of the cific production bombs that could If the “soft” independ- above-mentioned in- and working condi- never find their place ence is a form of dependence, elements tions – hierarchical in the mainstream diversification of the like: and disengaged in subsidized ballrooms, public theatre offer, public productions either because there’s the ‘strong’ inde- • the independent, where artists are an inherent risk of pendence has to do non-public status either employees of failure (as in commis- with the theatrical of the producer (for or ‘service providers’ sioning/ first stag- evolution – but this instance, ArCuB – the for the owner of the ing of contemporary is sort of a vicious centre for cultural means of production, Romanian plays or in circle: the public projects of the Bu- non-hierarchical and applying strategies of theatre cannot afford charest City Hall that collaborative in inde- collaboration – inter- the trial and error has its own stage, pendent productions, disciplinary, multicul- logic of evolution for but doesn’t work as a where the artists tural, in co-production, ideological reasons, typical repertory insti- actually own the final etc.) or because the and the independent venues cannot afford in the public theatre. theatre system gener- For lack of money only risky perfor- (B.G. in conversation ally governed by the and interest (the mances for financial with Iulia Popovici, accidental. independent theatre reasons1. The long- Observator cultural no. is seen as very mar- term ideal would be 686, August 2013) Despite ap- ginal and irrelevant an integrated system pearances, in terms of number of of public-independent All of these there are audience members), theatre where there’s 13 there is no reliable being very not many a sharing of resources relative high-profile actors study about who goes and risks and a nego- 11 terms. For of the public theatre to see independent tiated working ethics. years, Neil LaBute and that work on a regular productions. David Mamet (who basis in independ- The Under- are neither new or ent productions – of The Bucha- cloud Inde- unknown) were shown course, usually they rest-based 9 pendent (of exclusively on the prefer the commercial 15 lorgean Everything…) independent scene, theatre and/or the theatre, Festival, the Inde- and were introduced television. In many founded by the writer pendent Theatre in the repertory thea- occasions though, they Jean-Lorin Sterian in Marathon – both in tre by the same di- see the independent its own studio apart- Bucharest, etc.; Thea- rectors that had first stage as a testing ment. tre LUNI at the Green staged their plays ground (with less Hours and Godot independently. In pressure for success The only Café-Theatre in Bu- general, introducing a in a system downright one that charest, Theatre FIX playwright for the first obsessed with it) for allows it- in Iași, Theatre 74 and time on the Romanian new approaches, espe- 16 self to work Yorick Studio in Tîr- stages is something cially when they want this way is the Cluj- gu-Mureș, etc. that happens in mys- to undertake directing based Brush Factory terious ways. (something that the but it is an artists-run The pre- actors don’t do in the multifunctional venue, carious The inde- Romanian theatre). where a number of 10 technical pendent artist studios, galleries equipment theatre This is and NGOs share the 12 has though space and the risks. available to artists more or schooled in a system brought notoriety to 14 less an lavish in theatrical a number of older empirical lighting devices, actors (Coca Blood, observation, based on sound-mixing desks Emilia Dobrin, Con- elements like per- etc. was, for one of the stantin Drăgănescu…), sonal experience, the directors/playwrights giving them a frame- specifics of the ven- most involved in the work for fulfilling their ues, the performing independent theatre potential in a way hours (many times, (Bogdan Georgescu), that the mainstream very late at night) the main reasons why, public theatre had and the profile of the at least in the years failed to provide. This generic theatre audi- 2004-2008, many only proves the risks, ence, as presented in people working inde- for individual artis- research studies made pendently were actu- tic personalities, of a by public institutions. ally looking for gigs Chișinău) were dis- solved again just over Miruna Runcan a decade later because of an economic crisis, only to be founded once again, equally spontaneously, four years later. After ROMANIA the Second World War the Banat region in On the Uses of a National Theatre

Like many other the other in Bucharest, three more such thea- the west of Roma- European institutions the two former capi- tres were established nia was also given a that date back to the tals of the provinces in Craiova (capital of National Theatre in nineteenth centu- Moldavia and Wal- the province Oltenia), Timişoara – a multi- ry and encompass lachia. The national Cernăuţi (capital of cultural city with sig- elusive concepts, ideal of the Enlight- Bukovina, currently in nificant German and “National Theatre” is enment turned these Ukraine) and Chişinău Hungarian communi- written with capitals state-funded theatres (capital of Basarabia, ties. In 1978, thanks to according to Roma- into one of the fun- the current Republic Ceauşescu’s strategy nian dictionaries. damental symbols for of Moldova). These of symbolic national- In common with all Romanianization of last two provinces had ist territory-marking, vague concepts, the a territory otherwise been integrated into the stylish theatre emotional-symbolic inhabited by popu- Russia for more than a of Târgu-Mureş, es- burden is greater than lations with entirely century; they included, tablished in 1947 as the material weight of different histories, de- apart from the mostly a Hungarian theatre the described entity. spite the fact most of Romanian population, – adding a Romanian In the 160 year span them spoke the same significant Russian, department in 1962 – of modern Romanian language. Ukrainian, German, also became a Nation- culture, this emotional Polish, and Jewish al Theatre. It remains discrepancy is outright In 1919 a third Na- communities. the only “National hyperbole. This small tional Theatre was Theatre” with two na- country, first estab- established in Cluj, Each of the impor- tionalities: Romanian lished in1859 through the capital of Tran- tant regions joined and Hungarian. the lucky union of sylvania, overnight by together under the two mono-linguistic the nationalisation concept of “the Ro- To the outside observ- provinces, had from of the town’s munic- manian nation” was er it may be strange to the beginning not one ipal theatre building, awarded a National discover that a collec- but two National The- formerly rented by a Theatre. Some of them tive psyche concerned atres: one in Iaşi and Hungarian company. (Craiova, Cernăuți and with the age-old After a short time, longing for national demagogues, highfli- Alexandru Turkish-Tatar, Ukrain- unity was substantial- ers, poltroons, deceit- Davila (1862- ian, Greek etc.) It is ly more compelling ful politicians, but 1 1929) was strange, then, that than material consid- also notable writers or a Romantic both in the collective erations such as the artists. In the course writer, but an innova- imagination and in its need for a city, prov- of a century and a half, tive, pioneering stage artistic activities the ince or a particular almost everyone has director. He was the Cluj Hungarian State community to have a had something to say general manager of Theatre is one of the theatre. The commu- about the National the National Theatre most coherent the- nist regime, from its Theatre. At the begin- Bucharest between atres in Romania: in first organisation-ac- ning of the twentieth 1905-1908 and 1912- relation to language tivist phase, had an century there was a 1914 and national litera- accurate perception director who replaced ture preservation, to of this unabashed Alexandru Davila1. the development of disproportion, rooted This newcomer, striv- So, what is a National its own audience, and in frustration: they ing to make peace Theatre in Romania? to education through established – despite after what amounted First, it is one of the culture. As the theatre the awful shortages to an artistic and po- tens of theatres fund- of an ethnic commu- caused by the war litical uprising against ed from the public nity that strives to and reconstruction the courageous writer, budget. Therefore, it survive culturally, its debts – nearly forty wrote a text on the should provide public national goals are – “State” theatres, apart mission of a Na- services, shouldn’t paradoxically – clearer from the five Nation- tional Theatre. This it? Next, perhaps we and more coherently al ones (Bucharest, text, written in 1908, should also know pursued. Iași, Craiova, Cluj and became, to a certain what a “nation” and, Timișoara). Currently, degree, canonical. Its corresponding to it, Otherwise, at a con- there are National author was an aca- “national” mean in the ceptual level, uncon- Theatres in Bucha- demic specialising in twenty-first century. sciously preserving rest, Cluj, Iaşi, Craiova, French literature and Here, we reach dra- its symbolic post-En- Timişoara, Tîrgu Mureş literary history, Pom- matic areas of discus- lightenment origins, and Sibiu. piliu Eliade. Like any sion, where political a National Theatre is respectful academic theories, propaganda considered a “large” The discussion of he stated that the pur- discourse, history, ge- theatre, perhaps the use and role of pose of the National ography, anthropology, having several halls, a National Theatre Theatre is “to be a collective psychology, which ingest capital, has been going on in school for the many” and symbolic image- energy, and resources. Romanian culture, like who came through its ry clash and rip into Its duty is to deliver some sort of genetic, doors. In the end, this one another; because a finished product, cyclically driven dis- definition of “theatre we have six national which is… Which is ease, since the second as school” became theatres and only one what? A good per- half of the nineteenth a commonplace, nation (according to formance? An excep- century. The succes- but each successive the constitution, the tional performance? sive platoons that generation loaded the Romanian state is A performance of a participated in the “educational mission” “national” and “united”, standard required in debate include in- according to their even if it is inhabited school? The “mission” contestable heroes, own particular value by many minorities: of these theatres is coryphaei, martyrs, systems. Hungarian, German, not the one of deliver- as well as all sorts of Roma, as well as Institutional Reform? Post-1989 Landscape – an Agenda of ing good performanc- Theatres do not com- Naturally, the enthu- es; that is the core mission dramatic texts siasm attached to the duty of any state or and very few of them first post-1989 years private, independent have encouraged con- extended as far as or experimental, Ro- tinuing, coherent com- the theatre scene in manian, Hungarian, or petitions for domestic Romania. The “need Jewish theatre, wheth- playwriting. The two for change” was in the er performing in Turk- exceptions are the Bu- air like a thick cloud; ish, French, English, charest Comedy Thea- menacing to some, en- Swahili or whatever, tre and the Timișoara thusiastically hypnotic whether in a backyard “Mihai Eminescu” to others; turning nor- or in the basement of National Theatre; the mal activities into a some building. latter holds an an- disorganised, pathetic, nual competition at sometimes brutal Perhaps, here and now, the same time as the carnival. The obvious a theatre designat- Festival of Romani- thing now, after more ed “National” should an Drama. However, than twenty years, generate “national in recent years, the is the absence of an culture” in a wider festival has extended “agenda” of reforms. sense: exemplary cul- with an international It is understandable ture at fertile levels, section which swal- that the mere collapse using performance lows up and eclipses of a system does not and more than per- the importance given instantly generate the formance. A National to dramatic writing. optimal pattern for a Theatre – and this And in any case, the new system. It is more practice has always extensive results of difficult to justify the been longed-for but this competition – continuing resistance never fully achieved quantifiable in degree — to change in Roma- here – should be a of absorption and nia’s theatre scene. nursery of domestic staging of the winning dramatic literature or nominated plays by In a society where through wide-ranging other, state or private, both education and programmes designed companies – remain subsidised culture to unearth talent, to irrelevant. have been founded inspire writers and to on top-down rules make the most of this A theatre funded from throughout its mod- literature. A literature the public budget and ern history, “from the about and for oth- ranked as “National” Ministry”, “from the ers, a literature that should be a sphere Government”, rather assists the audience of cultural research than on the principles in self-discovery and through art, as well as of a free undertaking self-questioning. one of public debate of ideas and prod- by the agency of art. ucts, it is no wonder Nonetheless, after 23 Not only about dra- that the full burden years of freedom, this matic art, but also the of responsibility has happens only by way other performing arts. constantly been on of exception. National Sadly, this happens the “vision” and on the only rarely in Romania. “strategies” projected from the centre to the or at least competed subtly, meaning the tion carried out under base. Modern Roma- against by a radical separation from the Caramitru’s ministry, nian culture, more so effort of renewal of exclusive model of when the majority of the theatre which is theatre policies in the subsidised theatre the performing arts more exposed and the ministry through- institution; a model institutions in Roma- expensive, benefited out the period of not affected by the nia were permanently for over a century and the Democratic Con- competition with passed under the ad- a half from the homo- vention (1996-2000, any other structures ministration of some geneity of official sub- while the actor and that naturally vali- local authorities most sidies. Everything or director Ion Caramitru date their efficiency. of the time confused, almost everything was 2, an icon of the Revo- The third principle to obtuse and complete- expected to enter the lution, was constantly consider would have ly ignorant in the official mainstream kept in the succes- been the one of (3) field of conception of with the artists’ naïve sive governments). encouraging ideas, cultural policies. Aside acceptance, as long as As such, a discussion forms of communica- from that, the politi- the state was the only on the becoming of tion, any products and cal game combined, (constant) source of the dramatic institu- institutions that pro- in the cultural field, funding. tions cannot ignore duce viable dramatic a passivity constantly these basic premises, art, on a free market, justified with cheap Hence the massive which are inherently based on free competi- propaganda system- crisis of perception connected with the tion. Finally, I believe atically invoking the and design at the confusions and weak the fourth principle lack of funds. time of actual reform. civic-political culture should have been the Few post-1989 minis- all across post-revolu- (4) decentralisation of Ion Caramitru tries have seen more tionary Romania. decision-making in the (b. 1943), found- frequent and pointless field of culture financ- 2 er and President changes of minister. But let us look at the ing, depending on the of UNITER (The In 23 years, sixteen issue at several lev- local communities’ Romanian Theatre ministers have suc- els. A reform agenda cultural priorities and Artists Union, 1990) ceeded one another should have had a corresponding poli- in office as ministry at the ministry: six in series of fundamental cies. of Culture between first seven years after principles. First, the 1996-2000. General the change of regime. (1) principle of “lib- In theory, almost all Manager of the Na- Politically speaking, erating” the cultural the governments and tional Theatre Bucha- the more peculiar space, particularly the ministers, from the rest from 2005. aspect is that the theatrical one, from philosopher Andrei 1992-1996 conserva- the controlling intru- Pleşu3 to date, may say Andrei Plesu (b. tive nationalist dom- sions of the political that, one way or an- 1948), writer, inant (which strived power. Secondly, the other, they were aware philosopher, and often managed to (2) principle of opening of these principles 3 journalist but produce disasters with the communication or at least bumped also a famous dissi- a political undertone, frontiers, either liter- sorely against them, dent in the 1980s. He precisely in the few ally, meaning the free or even worked in was in office as the theatre institutions exchanges between their favour, more or first Ministry of Cul- where attempts were the Romanian artists less visibly. In practice, ture after the 1989 made at an inter- and those from an- there was a single revolution (1990- nal reform) was not ywhere else in the episode of quick and 1991), then as Ministry visibly counteracted world, or a lot more brutal decentralisa- of Foreign Affaires (1997-1999) forming Institution Arts ter-canon in the Evolution of the Per Comparing Models, Canon and Coun Thus, the original in- For example, since tuition, from the peri- 2005, there has been od of Pleşu’s ministry, a public institution, that in Romania a sub- subordinate to the stantial reform should Ministry of Culture, rely strictly on leg- the task of which islative instruments was to finance, based and arguments was on a competition of (proven) accurate. And projects, the edito- this happened despite rial production of the fact that – or pre- independent cultural cisely because – the projects and projects theatre environment of national interest. exerted, in its turn, Despite the fact that, a keen resistance to at the time the Ad- the liberalising shears ministration of the of the law. While in National Cultural Romania, at long last, Fund was established, industrial colossi were the law provided that privatised, energy its budget would be consuming and nearly covered from a share impossible to revamp of the sales of elec- mines were closed, tronic equipment and the banking system from a fraction of was fully reconstruct- the National Lottery ed, the incredibly dif- profits, in fact, these ficult and erratic field provisions were never of primary, secondary applied, most of the and higher education funds coming again was redesigned etc., from the state budget. the legislation on the This is how, in reality, operation and organ- in 2012, the entire — isation of performing amount awarded arts institution re- exclusively through mains substantial- ANCF to cultural ly, even at present, projects represented after five Parliament approximately 7% of approved versions, a single institution’s tributary to the 1900 budget, namely the model. And the Roma- Bucharest National nian dramatic artist is Theatre. still, overwhelmingly, an employee of the state, a poor one, but with a… guaranteed

retirement scheme. - - Therefore, in post- ballet and holds great Of the many attempts than those of state 1989 Romania, there international achieve- made after 1989 to theatres (with the ex- are more than forty ments. establish private ception of the Bucha- dramatic or musical theatre institutions, rest National). In any theatres, of which All these theatres in the strictly com- case, in fifteen years, thirteen in Bucha- operate in repertoire mercial meaning of Teatrul Act has grown rest, all funded from regime. In 1991, an the phrase, in twen- a loyal, particularly the local budget or attempt was made ty-three years the only young and educated straight from the at the formula of the one actually surviving audience. ministry (the National “project theatre”, with has been Teatrul Act, Theatres). Some of the creation of the founded in 1997 in This obvious homoge- them have two de- Urmuz Theatre – later the basement of a neity of the form and partments (sections), to become Theatrum building on a central (imprecise) targets of either because there Mundi, originally road in Bucharest. the dramatic institu- is also a Hungarian dedicated to original Founded by a team of tion has been reflect- or German division, playwriting. For al- artists at the heart of ed, for a long time, or because there is a most a decade, how- which stands a fa- in the aesthetics and separate department ever, the system has mous stage and film styles of the perfor- for the musical the- been abandoned, and actor, Marcel Iureș, mances provided by atre. There are three at present, the corre- Teatrul Act is also the public theatres. autonomous Hun- sponding theatre hall established in line This aesthetics is, in garian theatres (Cluj, is occupied by Me- with the repertoire turn, homogeneous, Timișoara, Sfântu tropolis Theatre, also formula, but it has preferentially focusing Gheorghe), a German a repertoire theatre, also accommodated on the director and on one (in Timișoara) and funded by the City a coffee house-library the appeal of the work a Jewish one (Bucha- Hall of the capital. on the premises. The “as such” for the com- rest). There are almost secret of this survival munity of critics: the as many, about thirty, consists, on the one On the other hand, metaphorical-visual puppet and mario- hand, in the eclectic there are several performance. nette state theatres, repertoire itself, tar- cultural centres, in some of which also geting the contempo- Bucharest and in Particularly after 1990, include Hungarian rary playwriting, and, Iași (ArCub, “Nicolae for nearly a decade, sections. Two more on the other hand, in Bălcescu” Cultural the core of the rep- dramatic theatres with the hosting of experi- Centre, Tătărași Athe- utation of a theatre a repertoire for chil- mental performances neum), which develop was the degree of dren and adolescents by other independent various artistic pro- recognition abroad (Bucharest and Iași). companies, in co-projects and, every now of its “tour”, “festival” There are five (Na- duction conditions; and then, also produce productions. Most of tional) Opera Theatres finally, its survival theatre or opera/op- the times, the produc- and a Hungarian one, is also owed to an eretta performances; tions would rely on as well as a Nation- extremely careful according to tradition, free interpretations of al Operetta Theatre. management – a very the performances take classical texts, staged There are also three small team, actors are place, again, in reper- by “author” directors. or four more modest not employed on an toire conditions. Silviu Purcarete is, lyrical theatres, from indefinite contract – perhaps, the best among which the and to ticket prices known such example Constanţa company considerably higher (with performances specialises mainly in first put on stage in metaphorical, bookish ty Councils ask them? Craiova, then in Sibiu canon. At least accord- After two decades, or at the Cluj Hun- ing to the managers there is no visible sign garian Theatre, or in of important theatres of any such endeav- international, sump- and festivals or to the our. Which explains tuous co-productions largest part of the re- the quiet and undis- of these theatres with viewers, the model of turbed stagnation of The Management Problem foreign companies). the visual-metaphori- the entire mechanism, But in line with the cal performance is the self-complacent even same aesthetic canon favoured one. when it maintains, (even if their stylistics quite vocally, that it are partially dissimi- Questions on the does not have suffi- lar) and equally carry- functions of art in re- cient resources. ing the load of festival lation to the audience, reputation we find to communities, and At this level, the in- Andrei Șerban, Tompa to society, are only stitutional landscape Gabor, Mihai Măniuțiu, accidentally answered is still governed – in Alexandru Darie or, in (in press or civil soci- 2013 – by the rule a more nuanced way, ety debates) and, most of the “artists’ social Victor Ioan Frunză. often, are formulated welfare” rather than The aesthetic homo- incoherently. What is by the rule of com- geneity of the “au- the role of a theatre in munication through teur” model has worn the place where it ex- art with the audienc- thinner, to a certain ists (as a team or only es who need or may degree, after 2000, as a facility)? What need it. under competition separates a commu- from other anti-ca- nity’s theatre from nonical directions, another community’s which target simplici- theatre? Which are the ty, focus on the social objectives it intends and political context, to support this year as pay attention to the compared to the last contemporary text year? How do its pro- and to some degree of jects and programmes austerity of the visual combine with those of discourse, capitalising other artistic, social, on the actor’s creativi- educational, media ty. These diverse direc- institutions? These are tions – both in style only a few urgent and and in motivations, recurrent questions, most of them orig- which, even when inating in the inde- raised by state funded — pendent area, but also institutions, are not penetrating in the last answered through co- decade the stages of herent strategies. But public institutions – do the Ministry, the have not disturbed Town Halls, the Coun- the hegemony of the One of the blind spots particularly those who the new situation, the However, aspects of the Romanian the- had worked a lot and companies they have difficult to foresee at atrical life has been successfully in West- to manage are usually that time soon be- the constant man- ern countries, was not confused and reluc- came obvious. Beyond agement crisis. This at all wrong. In prin- tant. Thus, Vlad Mugur the frenzy of the stems immediately ciple, who else could returned from Ger- return, and despite from the (innocent or have produced radical many to the Giuleşti good intentions on guilty) incoherence systemic reforms if Theatre, which he both sides, the inher- and hesitations of not those who had renamed the Odeon, ited system would be the political deci- enjoyed, famous- but left after less than stronger than the one sion-making, which ly, the fruit of their two seasons; Lucian returning man’s ca- also caused the weak endeavours in differ- Giurchescu returning pabilities. Firstly, the legal backing of all ently shaped systems? from Denmark went to reform could not be the attempts at inter- Therefore, in the first the Comedy Theatre implemented through nal reform. Although two years, Bucharest and was dramatically the mere production the 2004 law requires and the rest of the rejected by the team of good and very a management agree- country witnessed a four seasons later; good performances ment and a detailed new wave of more- Liviu Ciulei came from by the “king director”. balance sheet at the or-less spectacular the USA – but only as Secondly, Western end of a mandate, on returns, the results of “honorary director” European competi- which the extension which turned out to – to Bulandra; Iulian tive models could not of the mandate de- be relatively benefi- Vişa returned from be applied while the pends (to be granted cial. Germany to Sibiu, was legal and economic by the Ministry in case a successful manager, principles stayed the of the National and Certainly, the most but sadly died after same. of the Cluj Hungari- visible (and even five seasons. Adrian an Theatre, or by the today controversial Lupu came from Israel The repatriation local authorities for and provocative) case to Galaţi and had experience, where it the other theatres), is that of the Romani- really fruitful activity wasn’t a failure, was reporting sessions are an-born American di- as director and man- at least a small drama. often delayed beyond rector Andrei Şerban, ager, but was wrongly Not from the point the deadline, their directing the Bucha- dismissed in 1999 of view of the artis- transparency is rather rest National Theatre. by the local author- tic creations, which formal. This is also His three seasons ities. Other directors were often successes true of the extension presence as a manag- returned later, but both at home and in or suspension deci- er at BNT, but most of without taking over a the many tours dur- sions. all some of the per- theatre because the ing 1990-2000. The formances he staged craze – and the enthu- failure related to the An early attempt at are still legendary. But siasm – had vanished. targeted innovating settling the manage- he was an exception. Although Alexander management, able to ment crisis, in 1990- Generally, this type of Hausvater returned reshape intrinsically 1991, was through “coming back from ex- from Canada in 1992 the theatrical sphere, repatriations. Essen- ile experience” holds and staged some of who had to fight a tially, minister Pleşu’s in itself a sort of sad the most resound- constant guerrilla war idea of bringing regularity: with few ing successes of the with slow and incon- established Romanian exceptions, the direc- decade. sequential change of artists back from exile, tors cannot adapt to legislation and with After 1996, Roma- tial one) is Alexandru together for more incoherent political nia witnessed the Dabija’s management than twenty years, in a intervention. creation of several at the Bucharest sound state and with One would have state-sustained cul- Odeon (1991-1994; an artistic authori- expected the emer- tural management 1996-2002). He pro- ty that many others gence of new stra- classes. This speciali- posed a consistent could only dream of. tegic solutions to sation also appeared reform system for the The Cluj Hungarian theatre management, in higher education. subsidised theatre Theatre also added to apart from repatria- Nevertheless, while institutions from with- its portfolio several tions. The sympathy the decision-making in, even against the prestigious interna- earned by the cultural structures remained mainstream. And this tional festivals, and – particularly theat- essentially the same, method is still applied in recent years it has rical – sphere in the little could be done. under the manage- organised constantly eyes of the West in Some management ment of the actress a European festival the first years after training beneficiar- Dorina Lazăr. The called “Interferențe” 1989 were impor- ies, graduating from starting point of this (Interferences). tant. Here, France courses followed at internal reform was and the UK were the home or abroad, chose the idea that theatre We also need to pillars of hope. Both other fields than must strive for more note several other countries’ embassies theatre, while others than the production as successful, though and cultural services later pursued univer- such; the theatre must considerably differ- enabled the provi- sity careers. Many got also become a place ent experiences, on a sion of fast-paced lost along the way; generally open to cul- longer or shorter term. management training others chose, with ture and dialogue, to One example would programmes. Some of good reason, to steer research, experiment be the typical “export” them took place in the their efforts towards and even to failure repertoire policy, built UK, through the direct emerging independ- along the way. Thus, on ample performance mediation of UNIT- ent production sector. within Odeon, a “new structures particularly ER (the Romanian Even today, when the philosophy” of the targeting touring. Usu- Association of The- rule of competition institutional image ally, this kind of policy atre Artists). Others for a management appeared, along with was anchored by the developed owing to position is established several programmes organisation of equal- the direct endeavours (although often the aiming to foster the ly complex festivals: of the first graduate authorities have a opening of theatre to- the best example of of a specific MA, at ready-made decision ward dance, imitative that vision was used Dijon, Corina Şuteu or the eligible com- arts, social debate, by the actor-manag- 4, aiming to create a petitors are too few), new playwriting and er Ion Borghină for European network of the prevailing aspect a new generation of more than a decade cultural projects and is the one of artist directors. at the Craiova Nation- programmes (with managers, preferably al Theatre and car- support from Europe- (stage) directors. Tompa Gabor at the ried forward to date an Expert Network in Cluj Hungarian Thea- by director Mircea Culture), with a focus On the other hand, a tre had similar vision Cornișteanu. Another on cultural manage- working solution was from the beginning would be the experiment. the “ongoing adjust- of his regime: a man- ence of more than a ment” to the manager ager and a theatre decade (1993-2003) position: one example institution which of the dramatist Radu (perhaps an influen- succeeded in working Macrinici at the Andrei tre of Efficient Communication Between Export Theatre and the Thea Mureșanu Theatre in Corina Şuteu The model of the am- Sfântu Gheorghe, rely- is a researcher ple performance, the ing on the alignment and an expert theatricality of which 4 consultant in of the repertoire to an relies on visual meta- international festi- the fields of cultur- phor, which is able to val of experimental al policies, cultural transcend language theatre, called “Atelier” management and barriers, and which is (Workshop). international cultural well served by refined cooperation. Formerly, choreography and Nevertheless, the she was Head of the music, seems to have most spectacular Cultural Management lost, at least partially, management formu- Unit at the Institut its weight, given the la is the one of the de l’Homme et de la subsidised institutions’ Sibiu “Radu Stanca” Technolgie based in financial situation in National Theatre, Nantes, France; Presi- the last decade. following the tragic dent of the European and unexpected loss Forum of Cultural There are multiple of director Iulian Vişa. Networks. Between causes for this: firstly, Here, in a National 2008-2012 she was after the year 2000, Theatre funded from in office as director of production costs the local budget and the Romanian Cultural became increasingly not from Bucharest, Institute in New York. more challenging to actors Constantin sustain, while finan- Chiriac and (the late) cial rationalisation Virgil Flonta have got considerably changed, through the more difficult. Financ- International Festi- ing sources through val, more than the sponsorship and theatre; they have public-private part- changed the city itself. nerships were few In 2007, Sibiu was the and unreliable. Sec- first Romanian city ondly, “exportability” designated European to Western festivals Capital of Culture, and has decreased, start- this is undeniably due ing around the same to the management period: the interest in model of the theatre the “exotic virtues of and the great theatre universal reflection of festival – a festival so the great Eastern Eu- impressive that later rope production” has its model spread to — shrunk, other topics a multiple network and (experimental) of other successive visions have con- festivals and events quered the market of in the city, throughout great cultural tourism. the year. At the same time, the market itself is antag- onised by dilemmas - and contradictions: Mutations have oc- tionship among film, Radu Afrim launched consider the 2005 curred with the gen- theatre and dance, in 2000 and quickly debate about the Av- eration change among particularly by re- obtained both fame ignon Festival, when the directors and writing and adapting, and his own – main- lots of critics and the actors. Through in his initial years of ly young – audience, artists accused the their productions, creation, a series of fa- irrespective of the festival’s management young directors have mous films (Kaurisma- city where he chose of incoherent selec- produced long-term ki’s I Hired a Contract to direct. His dramatic tions and cloudy con- fractures in the the- Killer, Scola’s Le Bal, aesthetics does not cepts on “experiment atre mentalities and von Trier’s Breaking counteract, for that values”5. The time of praxis, opposing – the Waves...) matter, the meta- large movements of some of them overtly, phoric-visual model, artistic companies – others discretely – the Alexandru Dabija, which had prevailed Andrei Șerban’s Greek homogeneous model was a director from throughout the pre- Trilogy, in 1991-1992, of metaphorical and the generation of the vious decade, but his had almost one hun- universal aesthetics. 1990s celebrities, productions, most of dred actors and tech- Some of the direc- author of a series of the times relying on nicians, Purcărete’s tors who entered the famous metaphor- very recent contem- Phaedra (1993) more scene between 1991 ic-allegoric stage porary texts (Vișniec, than fifty, hisDanaïdes and 2000 have shown productions (The Vîrîpaev, Berfuss, (1995) more than substantially more Orphan of Zhao, 1995, Dorst etc.) stand out one hundred, Mihai interest in anchor- Saragossa 66 Days, af- through the harmony Măniuțiu’s Richard III ing the performance ter Potocki, 1998) who of the topics (heroes’ (1994) more than fifty in contemporaneity, later proved his ex- fragility, violence, mar- etc. – has been left particularly by us- traordinary versatility, ginalisation, fracture somewhere behind, ing foreign or recent by combining cyclical- in communication) even if the dream of Romanian texts, on ly the performance of and through a lyrical it is not fully extinct challenging topics reinterpretation of the approach of the stage (see also the favour- and structures. Such classics (Chekov, Cara- image and of the able promotion and an example is Theo- giale, Büchner) with actor’s potently emo- success of Purcărete’s dor Cristian Popescu, a minimalist projects of tional performance. Faust at the Edinburgh cosmopolitan director, rewriting and reinter- Festival, in 2009). constantly interested pretation of the fairy At present the land- in the promotion of tale, in contemporary scape of the publicly However, despite the contemporary texts; key, for adults (Nikolaj funded productions at fact the system was or Vlad Massaci or Nosov’s Dunno – 2005, national level is more not reformed, per se, Cristian Juncu – both A Phone, an Omelette aesthetically varied despite the fact that, already recognised for and a TV Set – 2006, than a decade ago at the level of the their productions that OO! 2009, Absolut! – and, almost involun- policy-makers and a focus on the actor’s 2011 and The Goat tarily, this landscape large proportion of flexibility and creative, and Her Three Kids – has attained a deeper the critics, the ca- participatory strength; 2012, the last three interest in the effi- nonical model of the or Radu Alexandru based on famous sto- ciency of communica- performance is still Nica, a director with ries of the Romanian tion with actual local the one of the 1990s, a very dynamic pro- classic Ion Creangă). audiences rather than the landscape seems gramme, who relit the in exportability, which to change naturally. debate on the rela- I think is a sign of vigour. It is, however, equally All this had happened true that, in most of even though in the the large cities, par- last years the funds ticularly those with granted from the national theatres, that centre or by the local the establishment and authorities for such development of these events have decreased audiences depends considerably, bring- directly on the festi- ing about the disap- val system, which has pearance of an entire grown into a major series of smaller, but goal and an additional traditional festivals. It element of encourage- seems that, at least for ment for each theatre. the time being, even In Bucharest, apart though unaware of it, from the National theatre production in Theatre Festival fund- Romania (in Romanian ed by the Ministry of or not) is reformed Culture, but managed from within, in spite by UNITER (a festival of the absence of a constantly subject prospective cultural to controversies and policy. polemics), FestCo, organised by the Com- Cf. Olivier edy Theatre, has also Neveux, Poli- known a bold growth. tiques du In Timișoara, the 5 spectateur. Les Festival of Romanian enjeux du théâtre poli- Playwriting extended tique aujourd’hui, Paris, with a section on the La Découverte, 2013 European performing art. Iași boasts a festival of theatre schools. Oradea hosts a Festival of Short Plays. Craiova has a Shakespeare Festival. In Cluj, there are the National Theatre “In- ternational Meetings” and the Hungarian Theatre “Interferenc- es”. Finally, the reputation of the Sibiu FITS has exceeded, deserv- edly, the Romanian frontiers.