The European Festival of Performing Arts Timisoara – Romanian Drama Festival (FEST-FDR) 2025

The European Festival of Performing Arts Timisoara – Romanian Drama Festival (FEST-FDR) is an annual theatre festival organised by The National Theatre in Timișoara with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Timisoara City Hall, that resumes, in a contemporary form, a three-decade tradition and aims to place the Romanian dramatic phenomenon in the European theatrical movement as an integrated part of it.

A member of the European Festivals Association since 2012, FEST-FDR is the only platform dedicated to contemporary Romanian theatre in a European context, exploring diversity through the performing arts while showcasing the best of new Romanian drama. At the same time, the Eurocentric positioning of the festival exponentially increases the value of FEST-FDR and establishes it nationally and internationally as the most efficient platform for promoting new Romanian plays and young Romanian creators with a significant role in the process of integrating Romanian theater into the modern European theatrical movement.

The FDR 2025 section focuses on the dialogue between two generations of Romanian playwrights, one in full creative force, with international notoriety and recognition: Michaela Michailov, Elise Wilk, Leta Popescu and Alexandra Felseghi and another in training, at the beginning of their affirmation – young playwrights whose fresh, uninhibited vision bears the mark of frontally expressed certainties, which only enthusiastic youth can have: Alexandru Gorghe, Doru Vatavlui, Ionuț Vișan, Anamaria Feraru, and Ruxandra Simion.

In this generational dialogue, the debate topics are diverse: from re-readings and recoveries of the past and recent history, to the observational-critical analysis of current realities in contemporary society; from fictionalized personal stories, to documentation of cases on the verge of vulnerability.

The performances considered for selection are:

Queen of the Night, a performance by Leta Popescu (Fanni Tardini Theatre, Galați)

Alaska by Elise Wilk, directed by Aba Sebestyén (The National Theatre in Târgu Mureș, Harag Gyorgy Troupe)

Lina by Alexandra Felseghi, directed by Adina Lazǎr (Andrei Mureșanu Theatre, Sfântul Gheorghe)

In the Dawn the Light is Rougher by Mihaela Michailov, directed by Radu Apostol (Replika Educational Theatre Centre)

Odd Couture by Alexandru Gorghe, directed by Mara Oprea (Political Theatre Platform)

This Cursed Place by Anamaria Feraru and Ruxandra Simion, directed by Larisa Popa (Replika Educational Theatre Centre)

Anticlimax by Doru Vatavlui, directed by Bobi Pricop (Romanian Playwrights Theatre)

Underwater by Ionuț Vișan, directed by Horia Suru (Western Theater, Reșița)

The FEST 2025 section will join this core dedicated to contemporary Romanian play with notable performances from the current international season.

This year, the FEST section continues the direction outlined in the recent years of bringing to Timișoara the creations of relevant artistic personalities. The FEST stage has hosted, among others, the creations of Romeo Castellucci, Pippo Delbono, Milo Rau, Luk Perceval, Alessandro Serra, Oskar Korsunovas or the exceptional interpretations of John Malkovich, as well as the choreographic works of Ballet Preljocaj, Zahrbat Cie Company, Pal Frenak Company, etc.

In 2025, the curators are looking at performances that were presented this year at major European festivals (Avignon Festival, Winer Festwochen, etc.), the program within this section to be announced soon.

Today, after 45 years of existence, in its current format, THE EUROPEAN FESTIVAL OF PERFORMING ARTS TIMISOARA - ROMANIAN DRAMA FESTIVAL represents a cultural heritage asset, a landmark of Romanian theatrical life and the only strategic event of its kind in Romania.