The Radu Stanca theatre will collect donations by staging a free of charge show.
As a sign of solidarity with the Japanese people and compassion with the victims of the ongoing national disaster, all the theatre’s upcoming performances will be preceded by a moment of silence. This also refers to the special performances scheduled for Sunday, marking the World Theatre Day.
“The news from Japan makes us sad and our prayers go to the Nippon people. Sincere condolences to the mourning families!”, said Constantin Chiriac, director of the Sibiu Theatre, in a press release.
“Radu Stanca” Theatre is the originator of a major cultural exchange between Japan and Romania. Every year, the Sibiu National Theatre troupe performs at the International Theatre Festival the most representative Japanese theatre and dance shows, as well as workshops and conferences. Over 80 Japanese productions have been staged over the past 17 years, many of which a first in Europe. Obviously, the most important event is the mega-production “A Mirror of Osaka”, director Kushida Kazuyoshi, a Kabuki theatre performance in Romania being an absolute first. In 2004, the Sibiu theatre received a Japanese government grant of USD 500,000 aimed at upgrading the sound and light system with latest generation equipment. Also, in 2007, the theatre in Sibiu launched, with help from the EU JAPAN FEST Foundation, a volunteer programme unique in this country, under which, 15 Japanese people are invited to Romania every year, during May 15-June 15, to learn about the role of art in community development. Further more, the city of Sibiu and the Japanese city of Takayama were officially twined in 2009, given the good development relations between the two communities.
In the upcoming period, the “Radu Stanca” theatre will engage in fund raising campaigns aimed at helping the victims of the earthquake. The donation accounts opened by the Romanian Red Cross with the Piata Romana branch of the Romanian Development Bank (BRD) are:
RON: RO02BRDE410SV61136934100
EUR: RO33BRDE410SVO6871604100.
The collected amounts will be used by the Japanese Red Cross to provide emergency relief and will focus on providing temporary shelters, restoring potable water supply and sanitary facilities, and medical assistance and psychological support to the disaster-stricken population.
The theatre performance “Female Transport” directed by George Ivascu, at the CAVAS Hall of the Faculty of Letters and Arts, March 27, 14.00 hours, part of the “25 hours of non-stop theatre Festival” will be dedicated to all the Japanese friends of theatre. The entry will be free of charge in order to encourage a more substantial participation to the Red Cross humanitarian appeal aimed at helping Japan.
