Creative Agency
GUEST SPEAKERS
George Banu
Subtitles: Emi Chirea
Translation: Luana Neghea
George Banu (n. 22 iunie 1943, Buzau) este profesor de studii teatrale la Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, si un eseist de reputatie mondiala. George Banu si-a dedicat opera critica regiei moderne si figurilor ei exemplare (Brook, Strehler, Grotowski etc). In 1974 se stabileste in Franta unde isi va continua cariera universitara inceputa in Romania. In 1981, publica volumul de referinta Costumul de teatru, precum si cartea Brecht ou le petit contre le grand, care va primi Premiul Criticii dramatice pentru cea mai buna carte de teatru a anului. George Banu va mai castiga acest premiu in 1984 si 1990 pentru Le théâtre, sorties de secours si Le Rouge et or. Intre anii 1990-2001 a fost directorul artistic al Academiei Experimentale a Teatrelor, iar intre anii 1994-2001 a fost presedintele Asociatiei Internationale a Criticilor. George Banu a primit de trei ori Premiul pentru cea mai buna carte de teatru in Franta; a obtinut premiul de excelenta UNITER si Premiul Prometeu 2007. Este presedinte de onoare al Asociatiei Internationale a Criticilor de Teatru si Doctor Honoris Causa al mai multor universitati europene. Cartile sale au fost publicate de cele mai mari edituri pariziene si au fost traduse in numeroase limbi. De asemenea, a scris o trilogie despre legaturile dintre teatru si pictura: Le Rideau, L’Homme de dos si Nocturnes.Conduce revista Alternatives theatrales si colectia Le Temps du theatre la Editura Actes-Sud. La Editura Nemira a mai publicat volumul Arta teatrului (coautor Mihaela Tonitza-Iordache), Repetitiile si teatrul reinnoit , Spatele omului, Dincolo de rol sau actorul nesupus si este autorul textelor din albumul de fotografie Hamlet Machine de Mihaela Marin (2007).
Octavian Saiu
Subtitles: Emi Chirea
Translation: Luana Neghea
Professor Octavian Saiu is a scholar and professional theatre critic. He holds a PhD in Theatre Studies from National University of Theatre and Film (NUTF) in Romania, with a thesis about theatrical space, and another PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Otago in New Zealand, with a thesis about Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco. He completed his Post-Doc in Modern Literature at the University of Otago, and has been awarded his Habilitation in Theatre and Performing Arts. He teaches in the Postgraduate Programme of NUTF, the Doctoral School of Sibiu University and the Centre of Excellence in Visual Studies of the University of Bucharest. He was Visiting Fellow at the University of London, School of Advanced Study, and is Visiting Professor at universities in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing and Lisbon. He has offered master classes at other universities in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as the Grotowski Institute.
He has been actively involved, as Conference Chair and Invited Speaker, in several major theatre and academic events around the world, including the Theatre Olympics, Wuzhen Theatre Festival, as well as Edinburgh International Festival, where he was Chair of the Samuel Beckett Conference in 2013. Since 2004 he has been Chair of the Conferences of Sibiu International Theatre Festival.
He is Adjunct Secretary General of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) and President of the Romanian Section – Theatre Studies of IATC. He has published academic articles in several international journals, as well as eleven books on theatre. He received the Critics’ Award in 2010 and the Award of the Union of Theatre Artists (UNITER) in 2013. In 2020, on the National Day of Culture, the President of Romania awarded him the Order of Cultural Merit.
Michel Vaïs
Subtitles: Emi Chirea
Translation: Luana Neghea
Emeritus editor at the theatre magazine Jeu, in Quebec, independent journalist and translator, Michel Vaïs is Secretary General of the International Association of Theatre Critics since 1998. He has carried out more than sixty missions abroad for the IATC: conferences, juries, colloquies, etc. After studying French Literature at the University of Montreal and McGill, he obtained a PhD in theatrical studies at the University of Paris 8. His thesis, published under the title “L’Écrivain scenique (Presses de l’Université du Québec, 1978), won him the Revelation Prize of the Nicola Sabbatini Academy at the Nice Book Festival. He received the gold medal of Cultural Radiance awarded by the French Renaissance and several Jean-Béraud awards for his activity as a theatre critic, especially at the newspaper “Le Devoir”, and at the cultural channel of Radio-Canada, over the course of 22 years. Michel Vaïs taught for 12 years at three universities and published his memoir: “L’accompagnateur. Parcours d’un critique de théâtre” (Éd. Varia, 2005). The first Dictionary of Quebecois theatre artists, of which he is editorial director, appeared in 2008 (Éd. JEU/Québec Amérique). His latest work is the French version of Lamberto Tassinari’s book, “John Florio alias Shakespeare (Éditions Le Bord de l’Eau, Bordeaux, France, 2016).