Seven performances from the OFF Avignon Festival, one of the world’s largest theater events, will be held at the International Shakespeare Festival in Craiova in 2026, following the establishment of a partnership between the two.<\/p>\n
The official launch conference of Shakespeare Of(f) Avignon, which took place at the Village du OFF, was attended by H.E. Mrs. Aurelia Grosu, Consul General of Romania in Marseille, and brought together Vlad Dr\u0103gulescu, President of FISC, and Harold David, Co-director of OFF Avignon. The event represented a dialogue about collaboration, living culture, and Shakespeare\u2019s legacy in contemporary Europe, as well as its significance for Romania and France.<\/p>\n
The selected performances are:<\/p>\n
\u201cRichard III\u201d, Company: Les Mots Les Corps et La Note (France), Director: Laurent Domingos
\n\u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d, Company: Almaty State Puppet Theater (Kazakhstan), Director: Dina Zhumbaeva
\n\u201cHamlet, la fin d’une enfance\u201d, Company: La Compagnie Les Pies Menteurs (France), Director: Christophe Luthringer
\n\u201cMercutio\u201d, Company: En Sc\u00e8ne ! Productions (France), Director: K\u00e9vin O. Salles
\n\u201cHamlet Take Away\u201d, Company: Berardi\/Casolari, Directors: Gianfranco Berardi, Casolari Gabriella (Italy)
\n\u201cRom\u00e9o et Juliette… ou presque\u201d, Company: Le Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Kronope (France), Director: Guy Simon
\n\t\u201cMacbeth\u201d, Company: CTF (France), Director: Philippe Nicaud<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the centuries, Shakespeare has managed to unite people, cultures, and generations. Through Shakespeare Of(f) Avignon, Craiova becomes the host of an extraordinary selection of performances that blend tradition with innovation, emotion with stage experimentation,\u201d said Vlad Dr\u0103gulescu, President of FISC.<\/p>\n
\u201cShakespeare Of(f) Avignon allows us to bring to the Romanian audience diverse, bold, and contemporary artistic creations, which nonetheless preserve the power and relevance of Shakespeare\u2019s texts. We are delighted to build together a bridge between Avignon and Craiova, between France and Romania, through the universal language of theater,\u201d added Harold David, Co-director of OFF Avignon.<\/p>\n
On the streets of Avignon, the medieval city that transforms every summer into a vibrant stage, hosting over 1,700 performances daily in theater, courtyards, and unconventional spaces, the Shakespeare Caravan \u2013 Everywhere presented the installation \u201cThe Shakespeare Gallery: Itinerant Sonnets.\u201d<\/p>\n
A project dedicated to democratizing and making theater more accessible, carried out in 2025, the caravan will continue its journey through 61 localities in Romania until September.<\/p>\n