"With an age of over 170 years, the National Theater "I.L. Caragiale" from Bucharest is an institution - landmark for Romanian culture, a true national cultural brand, being at the same time one of the main generators of Romania's image," the official website says.

"With an average of 50 performances and around 20,000 spectators per month, with a loyal audience core of over 170,000 people annually, the Bucharest National is, by far, the most visited of Romanian theaters.

"A Romanian space of European standard: equipped not only with 7 playing spaces (six closed rooms and an open-air amphitheater) where the shows from the current repertoire are performed (40 titles!), but also with ample foyers intended for exhibitions of various invoices, a reading room for theatrical documentaries - spaces where various, transdisciplinary projects can take place - and, in the future, with a future TNB Museum, a bookstore, bars, cafes, a restaurant, etc. intended to attract a large number of visitors throughout the day, not just around the stage performances."

Ion Caramitru Hall

"With a 917 seats capacity, Ion Caramitru Hall, built in the style of the Italian box stage, is one of the most well-equipped halls in Europe. It can be compared with the Great Hall of the new National Theater of Budapest or with the Olivier’s Hall in the London National Theater," the official website says.

"The impressive technical possibilities of the stage are offered by: 5 stage traps (3 x 15 m) which may climb up to 4.80 m high and fall down to 2.20 m deep from the stage level; a 14 m diameter revolve on a 15x16 m slide at the stage level, 11 slidings (5 right, 5 left and one rear) and a mobile orchestra pit housing maximum 16 musicians. The fly tower is equipped with 65 grids and 2 lateral gridirons that can climb up to 35 meters high, each flying 250 kg. All gridirons are operated manually. The stage width is 10 - 16 m, and the back height 5- 9 m.

"In its current configuration, Ion Caramitru Hall features 607 floor seats and three rows of loges-Dress Circles - 80 seats, Grand Circles first rank - 104 seats, Grand Circles second rank - 100 seats and Official Loge - 26 seats.

"The Front of House at Ion Caramitru Hall consists of The Marble Foyer (ground floor) and The Tapestry Foyer (top floor), decorated with busts of many theater persons of figure created by famous artists, along with very impressive tapestries.

"At the first floor foyer there is a tapestry considered to be the second in the world as a surface: “The World Theater” (740 x 2250 cm), created by artists Serban Gabrea and Florin Ciubotaru within a 10 years’ work period (1969-1979). The tapestries “Ode for Motherland” by Gheorghe Iacob and Ion Almășan (1154 x 880 cm) and ”War and Peace” created by Ion and Ariana Nicodim (1100 x 900 cm) complete the monumental tapestry ensemble."

Link: click here for the virtual tour

The Studio Hall (Building C)

"The Studio Hall is unique, having a special stage equipment. Having been supplied since its inauguration in 1973 with a system that transforms the Italian style hall into one of an Elizabethan style or into an arena in only 20 minutes, the Studio Hall has a variable geometry that provides theatre directors with multiple mounting possibilities," the official website says.

"Although they have not been used for nearly three decades (the Studio Hall was used by the Operetta from 19... to 2012), the mechanisms which allow for the movement of the central group of chairs, of some mobile lateral steps and of the removable walls – when activated automatically - proved to be fully functional and required only minimal interventions. With a capacity of 541 seats in the Italian style, 594 seats in the arena style and 424 seats in the Elizabethan style, the Studio Hall offers the audience an excellent view from any angle.

"After the reconstruction, the stage , with an opening between 8 and 14 meters, enriched itself with a rotary of 7.80 metres in diameter. The 19 "water lilies" (projectors with a special shape) from the loft of the hall are handled mechanically in order to create optimum illumination angles in all of the three hall styles."

The Painting Hall (Building B)

"Located on the first floor, above the Media Hall, the Painting Hall was recently constructed on the old site of the painting workshop (moved to another area of the building), whose remembrance was intended to be retained in the less conventional name of this hall," the official website says.

"A stylish hall of 230 seats, with red plush chairs placed on the steps and two lateral balconies, which has an Italian revolving stage with a high platform, offering the possibility of mounting theatre productions with a complex scenography.

"The audience has access to the Painting Hall from the Media foyer on the ground floor (the wing from the InterContinental Hotel), either by using the two elevators which are destined only for this hall or by climbing the stairs."

The outdoors Terrace and Amphitheatre

"Amphitheatre is an outdoor space, where summer shows shall be presented exclusively in the warm season, which we estimate (depending on the weather forecasts) in the months of May and October. At the Amphitheatre, shows from the current and future NTB repertoire shall be performed, adapted to the conditions of this new acting space. Within the programme Open Doors to Everyone, NTB actors are invited to propose projects especially dedicated to this space," the official website says.

"The Amphitheatre can be rented out to other theatres, independent companies, dance groups, musical bands, freelance artists etc. for hosting theatre plays, concerts, recitals, fashion shows, jazz evenings, based on a Legal Rental Agreement of the Space and having the agreement in principle of the NTB management for the suggested event.

"The maximum capacity is 299 numbered seats for spectators, arranged on seat rows in steps. The performance space, with a surface of approximately 230 sqm, has a wood imitation floor, practical from an acoustic point of view and more appropriate for the artistic act, covered with a stage carpet. There is no surmounted stage, but traversals can be installed. The space does not have an attic, nor backstage: the scenery can only be fastened through counterweights."

The Small Hall (Building A)

"With a variable geometry and a space which can be easily remodelled, the Small Hall is a modern hall dedicated to the theatrical experiments of the young generation, as, for example, the 9G programme – the National Theatre for the Young Generation of Artists," the official website says.

"With a maximum capacity of 130-150 seats, the Small Hall can be arranged according to any style (the Italian, the arena or the Elizabethan one). The chairs are assembled on retractable steps and one of the side walls consists of mobile modules."

The Black Box Hall (Building C)

"Located in the basement of building C, under the Studio Hall, with the foyer on the ground floor providing access to it, The Black Box Hall has a long tradition regarding unconventional performance," the official website says.

"The fact that the chairs are placed on steps allows the arrangement of the space for playing in different ways and the dimension of the hall fosters the intimacy of the actor – spectator relationship.

"After the reconstruction, the hall has enriched itself with a balcony of 50 seats, its maximum capacity being of 200 seats. The access to the balcony is provided by a walkway added to the foyer pertaining to the Black Box Hall."

The Media Hall (Building B)

"Located on the ground floor, in the center of building B, easily accessible both from Tudor Arghezi street, as well as from the front side of the InterContinental esplanade, the recently built Media Hall is a place meant especially for multimedia events, conferences, recitals or meetings," the official website says.

"Due to the technical facilities at its disposal (sound room, strobe light, projectors), the hall can also host theatre performances. The Media Hall PlanIt has at most 141 seats on flexible steps, which can be arranged according to the need."

"The National Theatre Bucharest is one of the national theaters of Romania, located in the capital city of Bucharest. The current National Theatre is located about half a kilometre away from the old site, just south of the Hotel Intercontinental at Piaţa Universităţii (University Square), and has been in use since 1973. The edifice was extensively renovated from 2012 to 2014.

"Currently, the Bucharest National Theater presents its performances in seven auditoriums: Ion Caramitru Hall (940 seats), Small Hall (130-150 seats), Studio Hall (424-594 seats), Black Box Hall (200 seats), Painting Hall (230 seats), Media Hall (200 seats), and Amphitheatre (outdoor terrace) (299 seats).

"In over 150 years of existence, the Bucharest National Theatre presented on stage many of the most significant pieces of universal dramaturgy. It has had successful performances both in and outside the country: France, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Italy, England, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Brazil, etc." (Wikipedia)

"Ion Caramitru, director of the National Theatre: We have to make shows that fill our halls. We will have the obligation to cover almost 2,300 seats every night," the Digi 24 reports.

"The artistic team totaled 100 actors in 2005, when I came. Now there are 60 and they are few. We have over 150 external collaborators, because we could not, during all this time of crisis, when hiring in budgetary institutions was prohibited, to cut expenses, no actor on a work contract. And when the cumulative salary-pension was abolished, 17 actors left, the big stars of the theater."

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