Constanța State Theater - recap and thoughts for the new year

Constanța State Theater - recap and thoughts for the new year
20-12-2022

At the end of a difficult year, with many succesful projects, the Constanța State Theater sends its audience the most honest of thank you's for your loyalty, applause and for the feedback which help us evaluate ourselves and helps us to build projects so that they are the most interesting, useful and valuable for the community.

We also thank the journalists, who serve as the most direct link between us and the audience, supporting us in sharing information, following our journey, and valuing our work.

Last but not least, we would like to thank our financers – the Constanța County Council – who supported us with the necessary budget to achieve our projects.

Thanks to a valuable artistic, technical, and administrative team, as well as everyone mentioned above, we achieved the following milestones in 2022:

Five Premiere Performances

  • January 23, 2022: #SafeZone – an installation-performance co-produced by Marin Sorescu National Theatre in Craiova, Andrei Mureșanu Theatre in Sfântu Gheorghe, State Theatre Constanța, and North Theatre in Satu Mare. Written by Ionuț Sociu, directed by Bobi Pricop. Details here.
  • March 27, 2022: Parallel Universes by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Radu Iacoban. Details here.
  • April 16, 2022: Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, directed by Diana Mititelu. Details here.
  • July 1, 2022 - World Premiere: Prometheus '22 – a co-production of the Hungarian State Theatre in Cluj, State Theatre Constanța, and the National Drama Theatre of Ljubljana. The play is performed in four languages: Romanian, Hungarian, Slovenian, and English. Adapted from Aeschylus by Ágnes Kali and Gábor Tompa, directed by Gábor Tompa, with Erwin Șimșensohn as assistant director. Details about the performance here.The Constanța premiere is scheduled for January 26, 2023.
  • October 26, 2022: Seaside Stories by Marius Chivu, Lavinica Mitu, Dan Alexe, Simona Goșu, Tudor Ganea, and Nicoleta Dabija. Directed by Radu Afrim. Details here.

Festival Participation and Cultural Events

1. On May 21, at the Gulliver International Animation Festival in Galați, with the performance 8 TAȚI by Tina Müller, translated by Ciprian Marinescu, artistic direction by Irisz Kovacs, and set design by Theodor Niculae;
2. On May 26, at the Elvira Godeanu International Theatre Festival in Târgu Jiu, with the performance MARIA TĂNASE. O POVESTE, written and directed by Carmen Lidia Vidu;
3. On June 16, at the Buzău / Love / Theatre Festival, with the performance UNIVERSURI PARALELE by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Radu Iacoban, with Cătălina Mihai winning the Festival Award for Best Actress;
4. On June 27, at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS 2022), the most prestigious theatre festival in Romania and Southeastern Europe, with the performance DOI TINERI DIN VERONA by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexandru Mâzgăreanu;
5. On July 3, also at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS 2022), with the installation-performance #acedesiguranță, directed by Bobi Pricop, a co-production between the State Theatre Constanța, the National Theatre "Marin Sorescu" in Craiova, and the "Andrei Mureșanu" Theatre in Sfântu Gheorghe;
6. On July 6, at THEATER NETWORKING TALENTS - International Festival for Young Directors in Craiova, with the performance 8 TAȚI by Tina Müller, directed by Irisz Kovacs;
7. On August 16, at IDEO IDEIS - National Young Theatre Festival in Alexandria, with the performance 8 TAȚI by Tina Müller, directed by Irisz Kovacs;
8. On September 24, at the Brăila 2022 International Theatre and Performing Arts Festival, with the performance UNIVERSURI PARALELE by David Lindsay-Abaire, directed by Radu Iacoban;
9. On September 27, at the Romanian National Theatres Reunion in Chișinău, 7th edition, with the performance DOI TINERI DIN VERONA by William Shakespeare, directed by Alexandru Mâzgăreanu;
10. From November 5 to 13, selected for the National Theatre Festival (FNT), with the performance 8 TAȚI by Tina Müller, directed by Irisz Kovacs, in the Fluid Histories: Micro-Histories category.
11. On October 12, 2022, at the Galați National Comedy Festival - 33rd edition, with the performance Goi Pușcă by Simon Beaufoy, directed by Vlad Cristache;
12. On November 25, at the INTERFERENȚE International Theatre Festival in Cluj-Napoca, with two performances of JOCURI ÎN CURTEA DIN SPATE by Edna Mazya, directed by Diana Mititelu;
13. On November 26, at the same INTERFERENȚE festival in Cluj-Napoca, with the performance PROMETEU '22, directed by Gábor Tompa, an international co-production between the Hungarian State Theatre in Cluj-Napoca, the State Theatre Constanța, and the National Drama Theatre in Ljubljana. The show premiered in Cluj-Napoca and Ljubljana, with the Constanța premiere scheduled for January 26 and 27, 2023.
14. On November 23 and 27, participating in the Luceafărul program of the Csíki Játékszín Municipal Theatre in Miercurea Ciuc, with the performances JOCURI ÎN CURTEA DIN SPATE by Edna Mazya, directed by Diana Mititelu, and MARIA TĂNASE. O POVESTE, written and directed by Carmen Lidia Vidu.

Organized Events

 

  1. SEAS 2022 - THE SUMMER SEASON OF PERFORMANCE ARTS – an event organized by the State Theatre Constanța and funded by the Constanța County Council, held during July and August 2022, for eight weeks, in three venues – the Soveja Summer Theatre, a specially designed stage in the Archaeological Park in the city center, and on the Seafront near the Casino. The event included 41 performances of theatre and music shows produced by cultural institutions from across the country, with over 10,000 spectators in attendance, and more than 600 guests, including artists and technical staff.
  2. The DbutanT Festival-Competition, 7th edition – first stage, the INTERNATIONAL SCENOGRAPHY PROGRAM "METAMORPHOSES", held from September 19-24, 2022, in Ovidiu/Constanța, organized in co-production with the "Andrei Mureșanu" Theatre in Sf. Gheorghe and with the support of the Romanian Centre OISTAT.

Distinctions

  1. The Order of Cultural Merit, Commander Grade, Category D "Performing Arts," awarded to the State Theatre Constanța on the occasion of its 70th anniversary and after more than 400 premieres – presented by the President of Romania during a ceremony at the Cotroceni Palace in January 2022.
  2. UNITER AWARD FOR BEST TV THEATRE / TELEPLAY, awarded to the performance "ZIUA Z," directed by Bobi Pricop, produced by the State Theatre Constanța, at the UNITER Awards Gala.
  3. Nomination of director Irisz KOVACS for the UNITER Award for Debut, for directing the performance "8 TAȚI," produced by the State Theatre Constanța.
  4. Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role awarded to actor Marian ADOCHIȚEI at the National Comedy Festival in Galați (performance GOI PUȘCĂ, directed by Vlad Cristache, produced by the State Theatre Constanța).
  5. Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role awarded to actress Cătălina MIHAI at the Buzău Loves Theatre Festival (performance UNIVERSURI PARALELE, directed by Radu Iacoban, produced by the State Theatre Constanța).

New Theatre Hall

One of the greatest achievements of the State Theatre Constanța is the establishment of a new theatre hall in Constanța, a unique event in the landscape of recent decades.

The new Studio Hall of the TSC, located at 2A Ion Lahovari Street, was inaugurated on March 12, 2022, and is designed in the "black box theatre" model, an adaptable structure that, despite its small size, is very attractive to theatre creators due to the freedom it offers in arranging the space as well as the intimacy created by the proximity of the actors to the audience.

The Studio Hall was a solution of necessity, as the headquarters of the State Theatre Constanța entered, in November 2021, a process of thermal and electrical rehabilitation, funded by European grants. The theatre's office space was transformed into a performance hall in record time, initially with the effort of the TSC staff, and later with the support of an architectural office and a construction company.

The Studio Hall will continue to be used even after the rehabilitation of the main headquarters of the TSC, which will allow for the diversification of the repertoire and events organized.

Upcoming Productions

  • January 12, 2023: Premiere of a new production (details to come).
  • Also, on January 26 and 27, 2023, at the "Oleg Danovski" National Opera and Ballet Theatre, made available for this occasion by the institution's management, our audience will have the opportunity to watch the Constanța premiere of the show PROMETEU '22 – a co-production between the Hungarian State Theatre Cluj, the State Theatre Constanța, and the National Drama Theatre Ljubljana. The performance is presented in four languages: Romanian, Hungarian, Slovenian, and English, with Romanian subtitles. The show is an adaptation of Aeschylus by Ágnes Kali and Gábor Tompa, directed by Gábor Tompa, with assistant director Erwin Șimșensohn. The TSC actors you will see in this performance, alongside Hungarian and Slovenian actors, are Mirela PANĂ, Florin AIOANE, Ecaterina LUPU, Cătălina MIHAI, and Dana DUMITRESCU.

In February 2023, the show PROMETEU '22 will participate in the Finisterra International Theatre Festival in the city of Porto (Portugal), a festival organized by the Union of European Theatres. It will have two performances, on February 10 and 11, at the São João Theatre.

The State Theatre Constanța team wishes everyone happy holidays, a peaceful and prosperous 2023, and plenty of theatre!