About Odeon Theatre

The ODEON Theatre, one of Bucharest’s leading theatre companies, was founded in 1946 as Giulesti Theatre. Inaugurated in 1974 the Majestic Hall of the theatre, in the very heart of the city, is the most elegant auditorium from Bucharest and the only one in Europe with sliding ceiling. In 1990, The Giulesti Theatre changed its name into The Odeon Theatre.

The Odeon Theatre is a repertory theatre with a permanent company of 32 actors, two stage directors, one stage designers. It has a stage a l’italenne with the capacity of the auditorium of 300 seats and a studio hall.

During the time, its performances had been invited to various international festivals and had many tours, like the one in Great Britain, with the director Mihai Maniutiu’s version of Richard III (1994) or the one to Bratislava, Slovakia with The Barber of Seville, directed by Dinu Cernescu (1996). At the Gipsy Women, directed by Alexander Hausvater was invited at Oldenburg, Germany (1996). Saragosa- 66 days, directed by Alexandru Dabija, was invited to the Theatre der Welt Festival, in Berlin, 1999 and at the World Exhibition, in Hanover, 2000. Bios and Eros, directed by Dragos Galgotiu, took part in the Experimental Theatre Festival, in Cairo, Egypt; The Gossip Ladies toured Canada and Alexandru Dabija’s The Boss Grady’s Boys was invited in Berlin, 2001.

In 2003, Why does the child boil in the polenta directed by Radu Afrim participated at Journées théatrales de Carthage, in Tunis and in 2004 at New Plays from Europe Theatre Biennale in Wiesbaden, Germany.

In 2006, Thursdayparty directed by Radu Afrim was presented in Hungary, in Budapest and Debrecen, while The Picture of Dorian Gray directed by Dragos Galgotiu was showcased in Brussel, Belgium. In 2007, Un tango mas was invited in Jerusalem (Israel), at Budapesta (Hungary), at Bassano del Grappa (Italy), for the OperaEstate Festival Veneto Festival, and in 2008 at Madrid during The Romanian Theatre Week.

Also in 2007, Ionesco – Five Sketches directed by Alexandru Dabija was presented in Paris at La Huchette Theatre. Block Bach was showed in 2007 in Prague, in Paris; in 2008 in Bruxelles and Athens, in 2010 in Poznan (Poland) within the Romanian Culture Week and in 2011 in Berlin.

In 2008, The Presidents directed by Sorin Militaru was presented in Madrid during The Romanian Theatre Week, Hamletmachine directed by Dragos Galgotiu was invited at the International Shakespeare Festival, Gdansk (Poland), Just la fin du monde directed by Radu Afrim was invited in Rennes, France during the International Theatre Festival “Mettre en scene”, and Confession at Tanacu directed by Andrei Şerban was presented in Paris, at The Romanian Embassy headquater.

In 2009, the same play was invited in Lodz (Poland), at the International Festival of Pleasant and Unpleasant Plays.

Odeon's performances won a lot of awards: the Award for Best Performance, at the Arezzo Festival, Italy, 1979, The Award for Excellence in 1991 and 1992, The Theatre of the Year in 1993, The Best Performance Award at the National Theatre Festival, 1994, The Best Performance Award at the Romanian Comedy Festival, 1995. After 2003 won many prizes at the Romanian Theatre Festivals in Piatra Neamt, Galati, Timisoara, Brasov and UNITER Prizes. As one of the purposes of Odeon is to educate young spectators, every week there are organized tours behind the stage followed by workshops for children and teenagers, within the programme THEATRE AND SCHOOL.

Starting with 2001 the theatre presents the program TEXT ALIVE PERFORMANCES of contemporary drama followed by debates with the audience.

In October 2001, was initiated by the choreographer Razvan Mazilu the programme DANCE AT ODEON, meant to present professional foreign and Romanian dance, in some Extraordinary Galas, that took place monthly. Following the big number of spectators and the enthusiastic reviews, this programme is still running with new openings. The most recent shows are Un Tango mas, a performance on Argentinean tangos by Razvan Mazilu, Block Bach, Shadows of Light, Depeche Dance.

Also in 2001-2002 season was launched the program YOUNG DIRECTORS, CONTEMPORARY TEXTS for students or graduates of art academies. The competition was by projects which have been included in the current repertoire: The Alchemist based on Paulo Coelho's novel, directed by Anca Maria Colţeanu, norway.today by Igor Bauersima, directed by Andreea Vălean, Genocide or My Liver is Pointless by Werner Schwab, directed by Sorin Militaru, Marisol by Jose Rivera, directed by Alexandru Berceanu, Dead and Alive by Stefan Caraman, directed by Ana Margineanu. In 2003, the project continued with the show Why is the Child boiled in the Polenta based on Aglaja Veteranyi, directed by Radu Afrim, and in 2004 with Fireface by Marius von Mayenburg, directed by Felix Alexa. In 2009 the contest was revived and the winners were Mariana Camarasan and Alexandra Penciuc with The Hell is the Memory Without the Power to Change It by Jonas Gardell and Alexandru Mihail with the play Tlicked by Pintilei Gabriel. In May 2006, Odeon Theatre initiated the programme ARTE (American – Romanian Theatre Exchange) in partnership with Lark Play Development Center in New York. ARTE consists in a theatre exchange between the playwrights from Romania and The United States, offering them the possibility of upgrading the quality of the plays and translations trough the participation at joint work sessions, workshops, meetings and residential taking place at Odeon Theatre and Lark Theatre, New York.

In 2006, was launched a new international programme, ODEON.ART, dedicated to the culture of one country from the European space, which was initiated the same year with Hungarian Theatre Week and continued with the Czech Theatre Week, in 2007 withThe Dutch Culture Week, in 2008 with The Polish Theatre Days and in 2009 with The Israeli Culture Week.

On September 23, 2010 was reopened after 62 years, the Studio Hall with the premiere Tlicked by Gabriel Blifat Pintilei. Odeon Studio is a flexible, multipurpose space, the floor consists of modular platform allowing the organization and location of public and acting area in various ways.