Press release – THE ORADEA INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL BEGINS
The Regina Maria Theater, in partnership with the Bihor County Council, the Oradea City Hall, the FITO Cultural Foundation, DDIP Bihor and UNITER, organizes the 5th edition of the ORADEA INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL between September 24 and October 1.
The Oradea Theater Festival is a cultural event with tradition, which has won over the years the appreciation of the Bihor public, as well as of theater people who enthusiastically respond to our invitation to participate in the festival. For eight days, Oradea becomes a city of theatrical art, a meeting place between artists and the public, in which the emotion of the show and the magic of the stage become protagonists.
This year's edition of the festival will include two large sections: the competition section - the Short Theatre Festival, now in its 23rd edition, and the INVITE SHOWS section - OFF COMPETITION.
During the Short Theatre Festival, 14 performances from theatres across the country, selected by theatre critic Mircea Morariu, will compete for the five awards offered by the jury, namely: the award for the best performance, the award for the best direction, the award for the best scenography, the award for the best actor and the award for the best actress. The jury is made up of theatre critics Doru Mareş, Ion Parhon and Octavian Saiu.
The Short Theatre Festival also includes the "Dramatic Creation Competition Dedicated to Short Plays", to which 13 texts were entered. The winner will be designated by the jury formed by theatre critics Elisabeta Pop and Claudiu Groza and the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Familia" Ioan Moldovan.
In the Guest Shows – OFF section, the Oradea audience will be able to enjoy 13 extraordinary shows, either invited from theaters in the country or appreciated productions of the Oradea theater and two concerts. In fact, the festival will open on September 24 with a premiere of the Regina Maria Theater - "The Stag King", by Carlo Gozzi, directed by Alexandru Colpacci.
At the same time, between September 27 and October 1, we are waiting for the residents of Oradea to attend the three shows and two concerts that will be held outdoors, on the Mobile Stage located in Unirii Square, which will have free admission, with the mention that for the show "In the Heart of the Night - The Lear Episode", due to the limited number of seats, prior reservation is required.
As we have accustomed the public to every year, in addition to the theater performances, we invite culture lovers to a series of related events, which will include three book launches and a colloquium coordinated by theater critic Mircea Morariu and organized in collaboration with AICT TEATROLOGIE on "Arguments in favor of a Short Theater Festival. History, developments, thematic and aesthetic dominants. Controversies".
The events within FITO 2017 will take place in six different spaces, exploring both the conventional, through performances at the Great Hall of the Theatre and the Arcadia Hall, and the unconventional, through performances with the audience on stage at the Trade Unions' Culture House, the Bihor National Center for Tourist Information and Promotion, the Szigligeti Studio Hall and the mobile stage located outdoors.
The Oradea International Theatre Festival, one of the most important cultural events in Oradea, will thus bring together this year again big names in Romanian theatre, from shows created by great directors, such as Felix Alexa, Andrei Şerban, Bobi Pricop, Vlad Massaci, to actors such as Florin Dobrovici, Constantin Cotimanis, Catrinel Dumitrescu, Mircea Diaconu, to prominent cultural personalities, including Nicolae Prelipceanu, Alina Epingeac, Florica Ichim, Oana Cristea Grigorescu, Raluca Rădulescu, Zeno Fodor.
We would also like to thank everyone who supported us in the realization of the festival, starting with the Bihor County Council, Oradea City Hall, FITO Cultural Foundation, DDIP Bihor, UNITER, Raiffeisen Bank – the official partner, Inteva Products, Mic Mobilier Trans, Varadia, Lions, Dc, Hotel Continental, Farmacia 3, R&R, Scala, the National Center for Tourism Promotion, Magnolia and all the media partners who are always with us.
Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Ticket Agency from Tuesday to Friday between 10:00 and 19:00, and on weekends between 10:00 and 13:00. You can also purchase tickets one hour before the show or online at www.biletmaster.roFor additional information and ticket reservations, please call: 0259/440.742.
We are waiting for you at the theater!
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Premiere of the show "The Awakening"„
The Regina Maria Theatre announces the premiere of the show "Deșteptarea", a contemporary text by Doru Vatavlui, directed by Bobi Pricop, which will take place on January 17 and 18, 2026, from 7:00 PM, in the theatre's Great Hall. The show is specifically dedicated to the adolescent audience, but is also addressed to parents, teachers and all those interested in how the digital world influences identity formation and relationships between generations.
Self Guided Audio Tour – TRM Theater @Night
Welcome to TRM Theatre @Night, the experience that gives you the opportunity to discover the Regina Maria Theater from a different perspective: not just as a spectator, but as an explorer of a hidden world.
Tonight, the theater opens its doors differently.
With the help of this audio guide, you will be able to walk the route prepared especially for the event on your own and discover stories about the building's architecture, the history of the Oradea theater, the backstage spaces, the stage mechanisms and the small details that the audience usually does not have the opportunity to observe.
From the foyer and the Great Hall, to the boxes, balcony, and the spaces that support the magic behind a show, this tour invites you to look at the theater not just as a place for performances, but as a living organism, in which every corner has a story.
How does it work?
- Press play on the audio file below.
- Follow the route indicated during the event.
- Stop in each space and let the story reveal the theater to you, step by step.
Approximate tour duration: 30 minutes
Recommendation: Use headphones for the most immersive experience.
Location: Queen Maria Theater, Oradea
Start the audio tour and let the theater tell you its story.
