Ibsen at the Theatrical Crossroads of Europe

1. Why did you choose this topic?

As a Romanian scholar with a background in Norwegian language and literature, I have always been interested in investigating the connections between the Romanian and the Norwegian culture. This inspired me to embark on this research on the reception of Henrik Ibsen's in the Romanian theatre, which was a largely unknown history both to the local and to the international audience when I started my PhD in 2016.

2. What new perspectives does your book offer?

This book is part of a new research tradition in the field of Ibsen studies which uses Digital Humanities to explore the playwright's worldwide reception. The IbsenStage database at the Centre for Ibsen Studies was one of the main tools I used to develop this research on Ibsen's impact on the Romanian theatre. Graphs, maps and networks highlight the ties between the Romanian and the European traditions, and the experiences of the Romanian actors and institutions with acting and staging Ibsen.

3. What makes your topic relevant for current research debates?

The topic of the book is relevant for research debates that address the question of how computational tools can help us (re)write theatre and performance history and how they impact our understanding of cultural and aesthetic processes on and off-stage. In addition, the topic of Ibsen's reception in the Romanian theatre at crossroads of Europe is highly relevant for debates on theatre and performance between cultures.

4. Choose one person you would like to discuss your book with!

I will gladly discuss about this book with any genuinely curious friend or stranger who is open to find out more about the meeting between Henrik Ibsen and the Romanian theatre's landscape and traditions.

5. Your book summary in one sentence:

This book on Ibsen's early reception on the Romanian stages tells the story in a nutshell of his impact on the main European theatre traditions.