Romania

One of the most important Romanian theater directors, Radu Afrim will direct the last episode of The Hektomeron. For this story (day 10, story 10, in Boccaccio’s Decameron), Afrim will collaborate with Marius Manole, one of the most famous actors in Romania.

The two artists’ collaboration has been a prolific one over time, they have worked together for as many as 8 performances – all of them relevant in the theatrical landscape: The Beach by Peter Asmussen,  at “Maria Filotti” Theatre in Brăila, LAV (reading) by Stefan Lindberg, at Act Theatre, and America-ştie-tot by Nicole Duţu, at Green Hours’ Luni Theatre,  in 2004,  The Avalanche by Tuncer Cücenoğlu (2010), Năpasta by I.L. Caragiale (2012), Thieves by Dea Loher (2014), and, most recently: Forest of the Hanged after Liviu Rebreanu (2018), Three Sisters – an (un)naturally free script  after Chekhov (2019), All’s Good between Us by Dorota Masłowska, all staged at the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theatre in Bucharest.

Coincidentally or not, in 2016, Marius Manole and Radu Afrim were both decorated by the President of Romania with the Order of Cultural Merit in the Rank of Knight, category D, Performing Arts.

Radu Afrim is one of the most important Romanian stage directors. He has been awarded three UNITER Prizes for Best Director, for his performances of Plastilina by Vasili Sigarev, “Toma Caragiu” Theatre, Ploieşti (2006), joi.megaJoy by Katalin Thuróczy, Odeon Theatre (2007), Tihna by Attila Bartis, Târgu-Mureş National Theatre – “Tompa Miklós” Company (2016). He was also nominated three times for his performances of Alge – Bernarda’s House Remix, after an idea by F. G. Lorca, “Andrei Mureşanu” Theatre, Sfântu Gheorghe (2003), The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, “Maria Filotti” Theatre, Brăila (2009), Năpasta by I.L. Caragiale, Bucharest National Theatre (2013). Radu Afrim’s performances are very much appreciated by the specialized audiences, as proved by his many awards and nominations over time. In 2008 he was awarded the Prize Coup de Coeur de la Presse at the Festival in Avignon (Off), for his performance of Mansarde à Paris/ Les détours Cioran by Matei Vișniec staged in Luxembourg.

At the “Marin Sorescu” National Theatre in Craiova, Radu Afrim has staged three productions so far: If We Talked Out Loud by Adnan Lugonić (2017), Meerkats House by David Drábek (2019) and, last October, he directed Heart and Other Meat Products by Dan Coman, about which the cultural journalists wrote that it was “the best chronicle on the pandemic” – Horia Ghibuțiu.