Marin Sorescu National Theatre in Craiova, previously known as Craiova National Theatre is a public cultural theatrical institution financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Patrimony. Founded in1850, the theatre was named after culture figure and local writer Marin Sorescu, in the years after the 1989 Revolution. The current building of the Craiova theatre, a true architectural symbol of the city, created by architect Alexandru Iotzu, was inaugurated in 1973.
With a 165 year history, the “Marin Sorescu” National Theatre in Craiova is listed among the greatest theatres in the world due to the awards and distinctions received in time on all meridians of the world at important international festivals, marking over 150 presences at international festivals in the last 25 years and receiving 48 awards.
Member of the European Theatrical convention since 1995, the “Marin Sorescu” National Theatre in Craiova is the first theatre in Eastern and Central Europe to join this international professional association, standing out with its shows among the theatrical movement elite in Romania and Europe. It is worth mentioning that the theatre from Craiova was invited in 1996 to present its shows in the “Great theatres in Europe” cycle. In May of 1997, the famous British magazine “The stage” wrote about the Craiova National Theatre: “You sometimes wonder if this company is not the best built, since Brecht’s Berliner Ensemble or maybe since Peter Brook’s Royal Shakespeare Company”.
The 1988 to 2000 period, under Emil Boroghină’s management, represented a bright era for the company in Craiova. An important moment in that period’s history was the founding of the Shakespeare international festival, in 1994.
The first five editions took place once every three years, and from 2006, the manifest happens once every two years. The crucial scientific dimension of the Shakespeare international festival manifested through the Shakespereology sessions, scientific seminars and theatre workshops, put together in collaboration with the Theatre Critics international association. Brought by these manifests, the presence in Craiova of some of the most important Shakespereologists in the world is notable: Stanley Wells, Paul Edmonson, Michael Dobson and Andrej Zurowski.
With the year 2000, under Mircea Cornişteanu’s management, his managerial vision continuing the ascending trajectory of the Craiova National theatre, new significant projects both nationally and internationally were launched: “Values of the Romanian theatre, values of the European theatre”, cultural manifest to which guests from over 30 European countries attended; the ongoing project “Young directors, young scenographers”, on its fifth edition; “SpectActor Meetings”, “The Ion D. Sirbu Colloquiums”, the reading-shows project “The authors are in the room”, “Poetry Sundays in theatre”, the editing of the theatre magazine – SpectActor. At these conferences important personalities from different fields participated, theatrology experts, actors, writers, politicians, historians, doctors. Craiova National theatre was the organizer, partner or co-organizer in 12 productions.
