Theatre at the Microphone
The National Radio Theatre (TNR) also referred to as the National Radio Drama Department is the institution that produces drama for Radio Romania; its story begins in 1929, when the first radio play was broadcast in Romania. This event took place just a few months after the inauguration of Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation in November 1928. It was not until November 1, 1996, that the theatre was formally established as an independent editorial department within Radio Romania, under the name it still bears today.
Ion Puican, 08.11.2026, 14:00
The National Radio Theatre (TNR) also referred to as the National Radio Drama Department is the institution that produces drama for Radio Romania; its story begins in 1929, when the first radio play was broadcast in Romania. This event took place just a few months after the inauguration of Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation in November 1928. It was not until November 1, 1996, that the theatre was formally established as an independent editorial department within Radio Romania, under the name it still bears today.
Domnica Țundrea, an editor at TNR, tells us about the beginnings of ‘Theater at the Microphone’: “The first live radio drama broadcast in Romania took place on February 18, 1929, with the play ‘Ce știa satul’ (‘What the Village Knew’) by I. V. Al. Jean, performed by actors from the National Theatre in Bucharest, Maria Filotti and Romald Bulfinski. What excitement and intensity there must have been in the radio drama studio! The press of the time noted that the actors performed their roles with spontaneity, promptness, and dynamism. The technical effects were produced ‘live,’ with great care taken to weave the actors’ voices into the ‘acoustic backdrop.’ These early radio dramas, in fact, for several decades, up until 1951 (when the first recording on magnetic tape was preserved), were all performed live, with all the emotional intensity inherent to this particular medium.”
What is ‘Theatre at the Microphone’ or radio drama: “Radio drama is an art form that makes the invisible visible; it stimulates our imagination, compelling us to ‘see’ with our mind’s eye, movements, sets, costumes, faces, smiles, grimaces, and so much more. It is an art form capable of conjuring an entire world using only words, silences, combinations of sounds, and music. Within these sonic worlds, creativity is virtually limitless, and the listener becomes an integral part of the story. The great actor Mircea Albulescu, who focused his doctoral thesis on the subject of radio drama, once remarked that ‘There are as many performances as there are listeners, for each listener projects their own unique version of the play within their own imagination.”
What is the journey of a dramatic text from the written word to the airwaves? Domnica Țundrea: “Let’s say an author proposes a text. Or an editor selects one. Or, perhaps most often, a director brings a text forward, wanting to adapt it into a radio play. The text is first worked on in collaboration by editors and directors. It’s a rather laborious, nuanced process, aimed at refining the text into its optimal form before it reaches the actors in front of the microphone. Everything begins with the text, I believe, because it allows for the inclusion and projection of all the directions in which the production will unfold. Once the final version of the text is set, the director assembles the cast. Then, other team members come into play: the studio director, who coordinates the actors and oversees the entire sonic environment during studio recording, including live sound effects and so on; the musical director, who may sometimes even compose the score for the production; and the sound engineer, who designs the entire sonic space. Here, we could discuss at length the new trends in radio drama, trends fully leveraged by our highly skilled technical directors. There is also the control-room operator, who subsequently edits the audio material and handles the post-production assembly. I think that covers everyone on the radio production team. And, of course, most importantly, there are the actors, who give life to that text.”
In nearly a century of activity, the National Radio Theatre (TNR) has evolved from live-broadcast plays to magnetic tape recordings (1951) and, subsequently, to digital production. Its archive, known as the ‘Golden Sound Library’ (Fonoteca de Aur), now encompasses thousands of productions. Here is Domnica Țundrea with more: “Yes, it is an absolutely fabulous archive, one that grows richer year by year, because everything we produce inevitably becomes part of our cultural heritage. And that is a very good thing. It dates back to 1951, with the production of ‘Hagi Tudose’ by Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea, starring Nicolae Bălțeanu in the title role and directed by Ion Șahighian. Since then, the archive has been in constant development. All the great actors have, in turn, stepped up to the National Radio Theatre’s microphone, gifting us their talent, their expressiveness, and their playful spirit. Many authors have found a home at the National Radio Theatre, from contemporary writers to those from antiquity, spanning every era. And then there are the great directors, I might mention Mihai Zirra, Constantin Moruzan, Power Stratilat, Ion Vova, Dan Puican, Cristian Munteanu, Titel Constantinescu, and Leonard Popovici. There are so many, truly a great number. Radio drama lovers know them very well.”
The National Radio Theatre (TNR) has secured a consistent place in international radio drama competitions, standing alongside prestigious radio broadcasting institutions. Furthermore, Radio Romania organizes its own international radio drama festival, “Grand Prix Nova,” held under the High Patronage of the Royal House of Romania. Today, the legacy of Romanian radio drama can be explored on the platform eteatru.ro. Domnica Țundrea, an editor at the TNR, discusses the future of “Theatre at the Microphone”: “The National Radio Theatre wins significant awards at specialized festivals, events that emphasize artistic innovation and creativity in the construction of soundscapes. The ‘eteatru’ platform was relaunched on January 15, 2026, coinciding with National Culture Day. The vision was for it to become a sort of ‘Netflix’ for radio drama: listeners can create an account, enjoy a cohesive listening experience, and receive recommendations for future content tailored to their personal tastes. While the platform is still evolving, in its current state, it serves as a reflection of our editorial team’s work. It mirrors the present, capturing our best productions from recent seasons, while also reflecting decades of artistic activity. In a way, it contains productions from every era, from all eight decades documented in the radio archives, and I believe “eteatru” features representative titles from every flourishing period of radio drama; and, looking back, I can say that we have had only flourishing periods, and I hope that continues to be the case.” (LS)
