In front of full halls and an engaged audience, the show THE WAKE UP arrived on Thursday, June 18, on the stage of the "Lucian Blaga" National Theater in Cluj-Napoca, as part of the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF), and on Friday, June 19, at the Municipal Theater in Baia Mare, as part of the "Atelier" International Performing Arts Festival, being rewarded each time with long applause and a lively dialogue with the audience.

Invited to the program of the most important film festival in Romania, the show enjoyed an enthusiastic reception from the Cluj audience. The full hall, the constant attention of the spectators and the energetic applause at the end confirmed the interest in a production that addresses very topical topics, such as the impact of social networks on teenagers, the deepfake phenomenon, disinformation and the influence of technology on the way we perceive reality.

One of the defining elements of the production is the presence on stage of a group of teenagers from Oradea, who play alongside the professional actors of the Iosif Vulcan Troupe. Their experiences, concerns and perspective on the digital world contribute to the authenticity of the show, transforming it into an artistic endeavor that speaks about young people together with young people, not just about them. In Cluj, their performance was appreciated by the audience and added an additional dimension to the dialogue generated by the show.

The presence of the show DESTEPTAREA at TIFF also comes naturally from the artistic formula proposed by director Bobi Pricop, which brings together theatrical and cinematic language. Built as a live-cinema experience, the show combines real-time acting with live filming by actors via mobile phones, the images being instantly projected onto a large screen. The narrative is complemented by previously made video materials, podcasts and interventions by content creators known to young audiences, building a scenic universe inspired by the way information circulates and is consumed in the digital environment.

After the performance, the audience was invited to a moderated discussion with the participation of director Bobi Pricop, playwright Doru Vatavlui, composer and video creator Alin Ștefănescu (iRonic Distors), along with content creator Really Rux, whose video intervention is part of the show's universe. Questions and comments from the audience transformed the meeting into a debate about artificial intelligence, the influence of social networks, the responsibility of content creators and the challenges of a world where the border between truth and manipulation is becoming increasingly difficult to identify.

The tour continued on June 19 in Baia Mare, where DESTEPTAREA was presented at the International Festival of Performing Arts "Atelier", meeting a new audience interested in the themes it proposes. The performance confirmed once again the power of this show to generate dialogue and reflection, and the audience reactions and the discussions at the end highlighted the relevance of the topics addressed for young people and adults alike. Participation in two important festivals, in two consecutive cities, underlines the remarkable course of the production and its openness to diverse audiences.

Participation in TIFF and ATELIER represents a new important stage in the course of the performance DESTEPTAREA and a confirmation of the interest that this production generates both through its innovative form and through its ability to create bridges of dialogue between generations, between theater and new media, between artistic experience and the daily realities of the contemporary audience.

Born on August 4, 1961, in Doroțcaia, Dubăsari district, in the Transnistria region (Republic of Moldova), Ion Sapdaru built his artistic training between two important cultural spaces. He graduated from the Theater Institute in Chișinău (1979–1983), continued his studies at the prestigious VGIK Institute of Cinematography in Moscow (1985–1989), and later pursued a master's degree in directing in the Russian capital.

His artistic career combines theater and film acting with directing and dramaturgy. He is an actor and director at the "Vasile Alecsandri" National Theater in Iași, but he has acted and directed on numerous important stages in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, including the Oradea Theater. In cinema, he has collaborated on representative productions of Romanian film, being awarded the Gopo Award in 2007 for the best actor, for the role in the film Was it or wasn't it?, directed by Corneliu Porumboiu. At the same time, his artistic vocation also manifested itself in the pedagogical field, working as a professor at the "George Enescu" University of Arts in Iași.

On the occasion of the new production "The Suitor" that he is staging at the Regina Maria Theater, Ion Sapdaru agreed to give us a short interview, in which he tells us a little about his artistic background, the show, and the reunion with the Oradea troupe.

We are getting ready for a new series of summer workshops dedicated to children! This time, there will be four different workshops with different themes. Children will be able to learn theatrical games for personal development, discover how to handle a puppet and create stories around it, build their own shadow theater show, play with puppets from their favorite shows and listen to the most beautiful stories.

The show-event "Dețeptarea", in Cluj, in partnership with the National Theatre and TIFF: a unique show format, live-cinema, followed by a dialogue with the artistic team alongside Silviu Faiăr, Really Rux, Sabina Teodora and Alex Zlăvog

The show talks bluntly about what it means to be a teenager in the era of deepfake.

The Regina Maria Theatre in Oradea presents the show "Deșteptarea", by Doru Vatavlui, directed by Bobi Pricop, in a special performance that will take place on June 18, 2026, from 6:00 PM, in the large hall of the "Lucian Blaga" National Theatre in Cluj-Napoca, in partnership with the host theatre and TIFF. Tickets can be purchased online, on the Poftim Cultură platform. 

Welcome to TRM Theatre @Night, the experience that offers you the opportunity to discover the Regina Maria Theatre from a different perspective: not just as a spectator, but as an explorer of a hidden world.

The Oradea State Theatre building enters, for the first time, the circuit of heritage buildings included in the Night of Museums event. The Regina Maria Theatre invites the public to discover the theatre from a different perspective, beyond the conventional experience of the spectator.

On May 23, 2026, between 1:00 PM and 12:00 AM, Oradea residents and tourists alike are invited to THEATRE @NIGHT, an event built around the backstage universe of theater and the processes that support the existence of a living cultural institution. Visitors will be able to explore the backstage, technical mechanisms, costumes, sets and hidden spaces of the building, in a route that puts the theater's architectural heritage into dialogue with the artistic and human activity that animates it daily.

The Regina Maria Theatre is launching the second edition of TRM Academy, a program that grew naturally from the enthusiasm and very good feedback of the participants from the first edition. For many, it was more than a course, it was a space where they gained courage, experimented without pressure and discovered an authentic form of expression.

We continue in this direction and open the doors again for a new series of meetings where theater becomes a tool for personal exploration, not just performance. TRM Academy is about seeing yourself differently, hearing yourself more clearly, and allowing yourself to be present, without filters, in front of others.

Between May 15 – June 23, participants are invited to join one of the two modules of personal development courses through theater, coordinated by professional theater actors:

It is not the first time that the poems of Ana Blandiana, the poet so beloved by her city's residents, have been recited on the stage of the Theater, today called Regina Maria. In November 1983, the extraordinary show "OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER" took place, directed by Sergiu Savin. The actress Cristina Șchiopu recited, and the great actress Leopoldina Bălănuță was invited. In joint recitals, bringing together important Romanian poets, Ana Blandiana is always in the vicinity of poets Lucian Blaga, Nichita Stănescu, Marin Sorescu, Alexandru Andrițoiu, Romulus Vulpescu, Mircea Dinescu.

Inspired by the poetic universe of Ana Blandiana, the show combines two fundamental themes of her creation: love and death, starting from the image of the couple. The lost lover is called and symbolically revived, in order to finally melt into eternity, remaining accessible only through poetry.

The Iosif Vulcan troupe of the Regina Maria Theater announces the premiere of the show "Tenderness" by Alfredo Sanzol, directed by Mihai Gligan, which will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 7:00 PM, at the Transilvania Hall.

The Arcadia troupe of the Regina Maria Theater in Oradea announces the premiere of the show "Cipi, the Giant Dwarf", which will take place on Sunday, March 8, at 11:00 AM, at the Arcadia Hall.

The show is inspired by the book "Cipi, this giant dwarf" by Sándor Fodor, one of the most famous literary creations for children in the contemporary Transylvanian space. The stage adaptation proposes a formula in verse, with expressive puppets and a playful aesthetic, exploring themes such as self-acceptance, altruism and friendship.

The "Iosif Vulcan" troupe of the Regina Maria Theater announces the premiere of the show Tanța și Costel by Ion Băieșu, directed by Sebastian Lupu, scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, at 7:00 PM, at the Transilvania Hall.

The cast consists of actors from the "Iosif Vulcan" troupe, Mirela Niță Lupu and Petre Ghimbășan. The creative team includes Sebastian Lupu, who directs the show, and Oana Cernea, who designs the set.

Inspired by the matrimonial advertisements of the time, the series of humorous sketches "Tanța și Costel" was a resounding success, becoming a benchmark of the Romanian comic couple, both on stage and on television. The show brings together, in the form of a scenic puzzle, a series of scenes that follow with humor and irony the conjugal life of the two, from the decision to get married to the conflicts, tense or deliciously comical situations of living together. Tanța and Costel are ordinary people, with flaws, clumsy language, desires and dreams, captured in a comic mirror that exaggerates traits and situations to reveal both the differences between the spouses and the love that, however flimsy, remains the essence of their relationship.

„"Dance is expansive and domineering, naive and snobbish, possessive, with a colorful language, full of clichés and its own logic, which arouses laughter by its inconsistency with reality. She is a symbol of the woman who tries to appear sophisticated, but who remains deeply anchored in the banal everyday life, representing the typology of the simple woman, from the city or the suburbs, intensely concerned with finding a husband and social norms." – Mirela Niță Lupu

„"With a delicious language, specific to those times, we present 5 charming moments from their lives. Despite the comical representation of the characters, the tragedy of ignorance shines through in the background, in which stupidity, lies, foolishness and selfishness reach their maximum levels. Although Băieșu outlined his characters from matrimonial ads 60 years ago, they are just as present in society today." – Petre Ghimbășan

Dance and Costel
by Ion Baiesu

Distribution:
Dance: Mirela Nita Lupu
Costel: Petre Ghimbasan

direction: Sebastian Wolf
scenography: Oana Cernea

Premiere: March 4, 2026
Show recommended for people over 12 years!

Tickets for the premiere can be purchased on the Poftim Cultură platform.

We look forward to seeing you at the theater!

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.

The "Iosif Vulcan" troupe of the Regina Maria Theater starts the new year with a project dedicated to teenagers, which will premiere on January 17 and 18, at the Great Hall: awakening by Doru Vatavlui, directed by Bobi Pricop. The show features teenagers and actors from the band "Iosif Vulcan" and brings to the forefront a topic that is still partially in the taboo area of public debate: deepfakes and bullying among teenagers.

The Regina Maria Theatre's approach to constantly welcoming young spectators from high schools and gymnasiums continues in 2026 through reading performances in schools, stagings of texts from the school curriculum, and by including in the repertoire productions that address pressing themes for this age group. awakening is a natural part of this journey, proposing not just a show, but a framework for reflection on a digital reality that teenagers experience daily, often without real protective tools.

In November and December, the Regina Maria Theatre continues its series of national collaborations through the show exchange project, bringing to the Oradea audience two powerful, relevant and courageous productions of the Romanian independent scene. Both performances will take place at the Transilvania Hall and are co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration.

The Iosif Vulcan troupe of the Regina Maria Theatre announces the premiere of the show The Broken Mirror, a script by Roman Doljanski inspired by the work of Arthur Miller, directed by one of the most important European directors of the moment, Timofei Kuliabin. The show will have its first performances on November 16 and 17, 2025, from 7:00 PM, at the Great Hall of the Regina Maria Theatre, and the public's interest is huge, all tickets having already been sold.

The Regina Maria Theater continues, this season as well, its mission to be present not only in the heart of Oradea, but also in the midst of the communities in Bihor county and the country. Through both troupes – Iosif Vulcan and Arcadia – TRM manages to promote the love of theater among both children and adults in the Bihor localities, reaffirming its role as an open and involved public institution.