On the 50th anniversary of the first theater festival in Oradea – Short Theatre Week, the Regina Maria Theatre announces the selection of the 10th edition of the Oradea International Theatre Festival (FITO), financed by the Bihor County Council, which will take place between 11–20 September 2026. This year's anniversary edition brings to the fore a broad and diverse program, built around the two already established sections: the 28th edition of the Short Theatre Festival and the 6th edition of the Arcadia Children's Theatre Festival, which resumes after an 8-year break. The program of performances will be supported by a series of other events that will transform FITO into a meeting place between artists, professionals in the field of performing arts and the public.

Following the open call addressed to theaters in the country and abroad, launched on May 15, 2026, over 100 performances were registered. During the ten days of the festival, performances selected from those entered in the competition, guest performances and productions of theaters in Oradea will be presented. The FITO 2026 selection was made by Victoria Balint, interim manager of the Regina Maria Theater, director Bobi Pricop and theater journalist and translator Raluca Rădulescu.

This year's selection brings together productions from public and independent theaters, theater schools in Romania, award-winning shows, international creations and productions by some of the most acclaimed directors of the moment, in a diverse program from an aesthetic and thematic point of view. The selection in alphabetical order is as follows:

• Abuse of the stage, by Sivan Ben Yishai, directed by: Andrei Han, Alexandru Ceban, Ioana Dajbog – „Babeș-Bolyai” University Cluj-Napoca
• Songs to scare fear, based on ideas from texts by Herta Müller, concert-performance by Ada Milea – „Lucian Blaga” National Theatre, Cluj-Napoca
• Club 27 by Cătălina Mihai, directed by: Alex Bogdan – Metropolis Theatre, Bucharest
• From the depths, after Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas, directed by: Răzvan Mazilu – Stela Popescu Theatre, Bucharest
• awakening by Doru Vatavlui, directed by Bobi Pricop – Regina Maria Theatre, Oradea
• Disorientation / Losing the North, a KatlZ RIGA production, based on an idea by Evghenia Şermeniova (Latvia), dramaturgy: Maxim Isaev (France) – Evghenia Şermeniova, with the participation of Alexei Priyma (Lithuania)
• Dreamin'’, free adaptation by Carla Oncescu based on the film's script California Dreamin'’ by Cristian Nemescu and Tudor Voican, directed by: Carla Oncescu – National University of Theatre and Film „ILCaragiale”, Bucharest
• Happiness Hunters, physical theater-dance performance, directed by: Györfi Csaba – Szigligeti Theater, Oradea
• Things I know to be true by Andrew Bovell, directed by Vlad Bălan– Regina Maria Theatre, Oradea
• Messiah by Martin Sherman, translated by Lorena Luchian, Alexandru Panait and Andrei Măjeri, directed by Andrei Măjeri – State Jewish Theatre, Bucharest
• Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, directed by Yuri Kordonsky – Excelsior Theatre, Bucharest
• Broken mirror, a screenplay by Roman Doljanski after Arthur Miller, directed by Timofei Kuliabin – Regina Maria Theatre, Oradea
• Oxygen by Ivan Vîrîpaev, director: Pálffy Tibor – Tamási Áron Theatre, Sfântu Gheorghe
• Uprising, by Alexa Băcanu, based on the novel by Liviu Rebreanu, directed by: Dragoș Alexandru Mușoiu – Reactor of Creation and Experiment, Cluj-Napoca
• Olive-green vegetable substance with a pungent odor by Alma Klein, directed by: Maria Filipache and Teodora Simion – National University of Theatre and Film „ILCaragiale” and Replika Educational Theatre Center, Bucharest
• Showcase,script based on students' improvisations, directed by: Cristian Ban – Târgu Mureș University of Arts
• Uncle Vanya by APCehov, directed by Cristian Ban – Regina Maria Theatre, Oradea
• Vanya by Simon Stephens, direction, adaptation, sound design: Sorin Miron, Point Hub, Bucharest
• Viscount by Eugène Ionesco, directed by Slava Sambriș – „Luceafărul” Republican Theatre Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
• Yerma after GG Márquez, adapted and directed by Eliana Furma, Proyecto (Puerperio), Santiago de Chile, Chile
• Category B goddesses by Alexandra Felseghi, based on an idea by Andrei Măjeri, directed by: Andrei Măjeri – creart/Teatrelli, in partnership with the "Lucian Blaga" National Theatre in Cluj-Napoca, the "Regina Maria" Theatre in Oradea, the "Mihai Eminescu" Theatre in Botoșani

The selection for the Arcadia Children's Theatre Festival was made by Andreea Costea, the director of the Arcadia troupe, which proposes a program dedicated to the youngest spectators and their families. The audience will have the opportunity to discover invited performances from Arlechino Theater Brașov, Prichindel Theater Alba Iulia, Colibri Theater Craiova, Baia-Mare Municipal Theater – puppet section, Ion Creanga Theater Bucharest, along with two productions that stood out at this year's UNITER Awards Gala, signed by Puck Theatre Cluj-Napoca and Merlin Children and Youth Theater Timișoara.

Tickets will be on sale soon on the Poftim Cultura platform, and starting in August they will also be available for purchase from the Regina Maria Theatre agency.

We are waiting for you at FITO!