Contemporary Interpretations of Ancient Drama at the National Theatre of Craiova, Romania

he National Theatre of Craiova is one of the oldest theatres in Romania. It was founded in 1850 but, before that date, some Western companies from France and Germany had visited the town and presented their productions in Craiova, while the local intellectuals would prepare and play short dramas when they organized their meetings, for instance ”in winter, especially during the carnival.”1 We could say that the interest in staging ancient dramas is somehow linked to the moments in history when people, confused by some disturbing events, such as wars or change of political regimes, or even at the turn of centuries or millennia, feel that they should go back to the origins and find there the power to go on. The first ancient tragedy staged in Romania was “Hecuba” by Euripides – it was presented by the students of a famous high school in Bucharest, in 1819. The sociopolitical conditions did not allow a new staging soon after that, and, thus, only at the end of the 19th century the ancient theatre is taken into consideration again. Meanwhile, more translations of the ancient Greek plays had been made. The playwright who was preferred during that time was Sophocles: for instance, “Oedipus the King” was kept in the repertory of the National Theatre of Bucharest from 1890 to 1924. A new significance, with profound contemporary references, was found in the text – the underlining of the human dignity and the passion for knowing the truth. During the first half of the 20th century, more and more ancient plays were staged in the Romanian theatre. In 1911, and 1912, “Iphighenia in Aulis” was