Mihaela Michailov Romania: Theatrul National „Marin Sorescu“ (National Theater “Marin Sorescu”), Craiova

The National Theater “Marin Sorescu” of Craiova holds a special place in the history of Romanian theater. Founded in 1850, it has continued to function despite the turmoil that has characterized the history of the country. The arrival of a group of prestigious actors at the theater in 1956 marked a turning point. They would eventually be considered the golden generation of the Romanian theater and would modernize the organization’s approach to acting and performance. Today, the theater presents a contemporary repertoire, including invited productions by artists such as Eimuntas Nekrosius, Robert Wilson, Lev Dodin, and Peter Brook. The theater gained international visibility thanks to the Shakespeare Festival, organized in collaboration with the William Shakespeare Foundation under the direction of Emil Boroghină. Over the course of six editions, it succeeded in gathering the best companies and performances from all over the world and creating a space for debate on Shakespeare’s work. In May 1997, the British magazine The Stage compared the National Theater of Craiova with Brecht’s Berliner Ensemble and Peter Brook’s Royal Shakespeare Company.

Play Synopsis: Ana is trying to record a personal history of the Communist years and her husband’s protest efforts for some local kids’ project, but her daughter Cristina is deeply frightened with sharing their family’s story. The wounds of that scary time are brought to the surface as Ana and Cristina debate how to remember and share the past.