UNAGE 2026

Radio theatre emerged at the beggining of the 20th century, during a time in which classical theatre was undergoing a series of changes, people were experimenting with it, and new trends appeared – such as symbolism, expressionism, and avant-gardism. The theatre play was adopted and adapted by the audio media, with the goal of educating and providing entertainment, in the sense of spending time in a pleasant way. Taking into consideration that radio theatre combines elements from several different arts and means of expression – which it adapts according to the specificities of the audio medium – can one conclude that it is a theatrical genre, or is it rather a hybrid species, somewhere between theatre in its purest form and a narrative exercise of sound? The arguments which support the idea that radio theatre is a theatrical genre are related to the common points between radio theatre and classical theatre: both start from a text, preserve the dramatic structure, directors and actors take part in their creation, and both offer the audience an aesthetic theatrical experience. However, in radio, the stage dimension and physical presence of actors are missing. Moreover, audio media cannot exist in the absence of technology. In accordance with the arguments presented in the following comparative analysis, the answer is affirmative.

Student burnout has become increasingly common in the contemporary academic environment, fueled by performance pressures, overexertion, academic anxiety, and limited strategies for emotional self-regulation. In this context, dramatherapy emerges as an innovative pedagogical method, capable of offering students a safe space for exploring emotions, developing resilience and strengthening professional identity. The article analyzes the theoretical foundations of dramatherapy, its action mechanisms in preventing burnout, and the concrete ways in which it can be integrated into university programs. Examples of dramatic exercises, intervention models and benefits observed among students are presented. The study proposes an interdisciplinary approach, situating dramatherapy at the intersection of pedagogy, psychology and the performing arts, and argues for the need to include it in modern academic training.

This paper aims to direct the reader's attention to the phenomenon of adaptation and translation, indisputably present among contemporary theatrical productions. The innovation of the rewrites of canonical works is one of the directions towards which the worldwide theatrical phenomenon of recent years has been directed. The justified questions that may arise when researching such performances could be: is the adaptation/translation of a work inferior to the one from which it was inspired, or does it transcend it as value? Do we still need the old canonical stories, are they still relevant to today's societies? Why and how do we revisit the works of other epochs and make them talk about the world now? What can such creation offer the public and how much does the evolution of stage art depend on the response received from the receivers of the artistic act?

For a performance to encompass an entire universe in a single gesture, it requires a meticulous dissection of all the elements—real and imaginary—that made the birth and existence of that gesture possible. Dance is the movement of the inner world, but also the movement of the surrounding air. The theater is the place where living bodies shed untruth, and the word becomes mere confession. The spectators’ gazes are varied, like the gazes of the seven witnesses in Rembrandt’s Anatomy Lesson. We intuit a few, and we sense the many, from the stage, diluted into the single gaze of the entire hall. “To witness an experiment is to enter into secret formulas, into that poetics of new reactions, of new communication in which the formula is tested in its vitality.”1 - these timeless words, belonging to director Aureliu Manea, a genius of Romanian theater, guide me even today in my first attempt to create, and in the second, even harder one, to inspire young choreographers to move their hearts and minds, and ultimately, their bodies will follow. Then, in the very end, on the night of the performance, hearts, minds, and bodies will vibrate only if the Living perform on stage.

The paper analyzes the presence of Dobrogean motifs in Romanian dramaturgy, focusing particularly on the figure of the poet Ovid, exiled to Tomis. Dobrogea is presented as a space rich in history, myth, and legend, where the ancient past intertwines with the collective imagination. The Ovidian motif becomes an important thematic core, explored by playwrights such as Vasile Alecsandri and Nicolae Iorga, each offering their own interpretation of the poet’s destiny. The analysis highlights the transformation of Ovid from a historical figure into a symbol of suffering, longing, and artistic creation. In these works, exile appears not merely as punishment, but as a profound experience that leads to a spiritual connection with the Dobrogean space and its local communities. The study also addresses dramatic conflicts, character construction, and the poetic dimension of the texts. The paper emphasizes the dynamic and evolving nature of this motif, also present in more modern works, such as those of Grigore Sălceanu. In conclusion, the myth of Ovid significantly contributes to shaping the cultural identity of Dobrogea and to expressing universal themes such as identity, freedom, and the condition of the artist.

The present article restores to pedagogical attention the urgent and pressing imperative to acquaint students with genuine cultural models, with the aim of awakening within them a love for the theatrical universe and, more broadly, for the wider sphere of culture. Relevant pedagogical models and landmarks will foster a meaningful articulation of past and present. The rigorous structures that underpin acting courses are an essential component of the student's developmental trajectory. The teacher does not hasten the didactic process, each successive step carries formative significance, allowing the student's engagement with the text to assume a symbiotic character. Improvisational practices, the cultivation of awareness in relation to surrounding realities, muscular relaxation, the acceptance of one's scene partner, the development of rhythms, the need for cultural inquiry, the necessity of understanding the past in order to master the present, the act of relating oneself to significant artistic and pedagogical models of the past, as well as the acceptance of these values, all of these constitute essential stages in the artistic evolution of students. The need for the text should arise organically, following sustained and assiduous labour directed toward the knowledge of one's own inner world. Through such an approach, the student is spared disorientation but will instead undergo a natural process of development. Against the backdrop of recent publishing developments, the distinguished actor and pedagogue Octavian Cotescu, alongside the exceptional American film actor Al Pacino, once again comes to the fore as an essential model within the cultural panoply of the younger generation of aspiring actors pursuing their studies at specialised universities. The great Romanian actor and exceptional professor is extolled for his devotion and pedagogical virtues in a volume published within specialist literature, authored by his former student, the late actor of the Bulandra Theatre, Răzvan Ionescu. Al Pacino's memoir moves beyond the confines of literary expression alone, emerging as a genuine pedagogical tool within the field of acting.

Die Csárdásfürstin (Silvia or The Csárdás Princess) is the most famous composition by Emmerich Kálmán. This work remains one of the most frequently staged operettas worldwide due to its charming music and romantic storyline, which combines the exoticism of the Hungarian csárdás with the brilliance of Viennese society. The present study analyzes the choreographic moment constructed on the basis of a French cancan performed by Count Boni Cancianu and the dancers of the Orfeum Cabaret in Budapest, which appears in Act I of the operetta Silvia. According to the libretto, this scene represents the count’s farewell moment before departing on a long tour to New York together with the operetta’s main character, Silvia Verescu. The research methods employed consist of analyzing the stage behavior of the performer, the baritone Cătălin Petrescu, through direct observation of video recordings, focusing on his interaction with the cabaret dance ensemble (the ballet ensemble of the Ion Dacian Operetta and Musical Theatre in Bucharest), his relationship with the stage set, and the way Boni Cancianu relates to the audience. Hypothesis: In order to perform a choreographic moment within an operetta performance, the performer requires, in addition to outstanding vocal qualities and interpretative skills, motor abilities related to the learning of dance techniques. The couplet How Can One Live Without Love from the operetta Silvia, expressed through movement in the form of a French cancan, is not merely a spectacular dance moment but also a key atmospheric element that includes character development and the social conflict present in the libretto. The cancan defines the cabaret world, marks the beginning of the love story between Silvia and Edwin, and contributes significantly to the stylistic charm of the operetta. It can therefore be stated that Silvia is an operetta full of vitality, humor, dances, and melodies inspired primarily by Hungarian music (with the csárdás predominating), while also including lyrical moments of great sensitivity. For this reason, it offers performers roles of considerable artistic value. In operetta performance, dance and gesture are not mere additions but integral components of the performers’ expressive language, without which the charm of operetta would be lost.

This paper aims at paying homage to Romania’s great classic by bringing into play the spectacular dilemmas in international translations (into English and French, our languages of work) and of his prominent characters in theatre, in general (the tipsy citizen, the cuckold at carnival, a matter of betrayal). From a theatrical point of view, we will discuss some of the performances and their dilemmas, focusing on the most recent staging of D’ale carnavalului/ Carnival Doings at the National Theatre of Iași. From the perspective of Translation Studies as discipline, we are interested in the relationship between the author, his work and translation, literally and in all senses as the great translator and theorist Irina Mavrodin put it; this is because specialty literature on I.L. Caragiale spoke of the invention of another language in order to render his works appropriately in different languages for other cultures.

The central theme of the present study brings to the fore the figuration actor, seen not as the one who carries the tray or as a decorative presence within the theatrical performance, but, on the contrary, as a necessity, because, in essence, it is a stage presence with a role in supporting the stage atmosphere only through gestures and attitudes, and sometimes through short but significant lines. But theater also presupposes the emergence of a collective figuration, nothing more than a complex instrument, sometimes discreet, sometimes central, but always controlled in detail to serve the meaning of the ongoing performance. Therefore, the figuration actor, whether he evolves individually or is a component of a group, becomes an integral part of the direction, because he gives scope to the production through fluidity and expressiveness. In support of the comments and descriptions that refer to the characteristics and purpose of the figuration actor, I presented two experiences from my own artistic activity. The arguments demonstrate that alongside the main and secondary characters, there is a world of discreet, but at the same time absolutely indispensable, creative presences or entities to the theatrical performance.

Starting from the way in which director Andrei Șerban works closely with the actor, during rehearsals, taking him out of his often superficial dilemmatic states, the present paper analyzes the concept of dilemma from several perspectives, including Sophocle’s and William Shakespeare’s perspectives in Antigone and Hamlet. The dilemma, if it is seen as a vague concept, carrying vague meanings, can easily mislead the one who experiences it, especially in the theatre. But the dilemma as justified reasoning can only be understood as a clarification of what seems to be uncertain. Discerning what needs to be done when balancing utility and morality defines dilemma as a tool for establishing the limits within which an action can take place. Thus dilemma understood as a dramatic state seems to be proper to theatricality. At the same time, the paper focuses on the analysis of the moral dilemma through the juxtaposition of utilitarian and moral paradigms.

This article examines how the identity of the Khawaja Sira trans community is constructed and represented in Pakistani theatre, in relation to the contemporary social, cultural, and legal context. Starting from the historical status of this community, often associated with the idea of a “third gender,” the study highlights the persistent tension between formal recognition and social marginalization. In this framework, artistic representation becomes a crucial space for negotiating identity. The analysis considers both representations in film, such as the case of Joyland, and contemporary theatrical practices, ranging from the commercial circuit of stage shows and mujra to theatre initiatives that allow the community self-representation. Drawing on the concepts of representation and performativity, the article investigates the extent to which theatre functions as a space of resistance or, conversely, as a mechanism for reproducing stereotypes. The findings suggest that theatre offers a privileged framework for expression and visibility, yet remains marked by structural ambivalence, where identity can be simultaneously affirmed and transformed into spectacle.

The present work aims at discussing the problematics of the actor who, throughout his career, experiences dilemmas marked by several questions about the limits of his own craft. In this regard, two of the three major choices that an actor can make at the beginning or along his professional path are analyzed, choices that leave their definitive mark on his work and that lead us to ask ourselves, again, who/what an actor is. William Shakespeare and Richard Burbage, Samuel Beckett and Billie Whitelaw, Jerzy Grotowski and Ryszard Cieślak tell us about the colossal work of the actor, who for the encounter with characters such as Hamlet, Winnie, Don Fernando, enters a process of (re)discovery of his own being, of investigating his own self. Moreover, Jerzy Grotowski, in his work with the actor, experimented with techniques of deconditioning, techniques of probing the unconscious, techniques of control, because, in his vision, the actor, through the character, goes through a process of knowledge and self-becoming. Due to the strong influence exerted by Jerzy Grotowski on the way of making theatre, today, in the third millennium, we can talk about numerous actors who devote time to research, treat their craft as a lifetime study.

This article analyses the specific status of student theatre at the intersection of pedagogical training and artistic creation. It argues that the stage, in this context, functions simultaneously as a space of evaluation and as a potential site of artistic revelation. Although student performance is shaped by discipline, correction, exposure and institutional forms of assessment, it can also generate moments in which technique becomes expressive presence and training transforms into artistic self-discovery. The article also examines the relationship between discipline and freedom, suggesting that scenic authenticity in student theatre does not emerge outside rigour but through its internalisation. Student theatre is thus understood as a distinct artistic field, in which training, vulnerability and becoming acquire both pedagogical and aesthetic significance.

This study explores the construction and function of space in the early plays of Harold Pinter, specifically The Room (1957), The Birthday Party (1958), and The Caretaker (1960). Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Anne Ubersfeld and Patrice Pavis, the analysis distinguishes between scenic space—the physical stage and its visual expression—and dramatic space—the abstract, dramaturgical environment reconstructed through the spectator’s imagination. By utilizing a phenomenological approach alongside Michel Foucault’s concepts of heterotopia and utopia, the research examines how Pinter’s settings function as "other spaces." The study highlights how these theatrical environments operate as heterotopias: isolated yet permeable sites where social norms are suspended and entry is governed by ritual or coercion. Ultimately, this paper investigates the tension between the physical reality of the stage and the non-place of utopia to reveal how Pinter’s spatial dynamics shape meaning and dramatic action.