“The Cold War is decades behind us, still readers of English know precious little about the arts and cultures of Eastern Europe. Here is a book that takes readers to the theatres of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Hungary. A book exploring theatre directing, theatre groups, and important artists ranging from the relatively well-known, like Krystian Lupa and Andrei Șerban, to the many equally creative but still hidden theatre creators. A must-read for anyone wanting to learn about this region’s extraordinary theatrical diversity and energy.” — Richard Schechner, Editor, TDR: The Journal of Performance Studies, University Professor Emeritus, New York University

Directors have long been the main figures on Eastern European stages. During the last three decades some of the most outstanding among them have risen to international stardom thanks to their ground-breaking productions that speak to audiences far beyond local borders. Not by chance, a considerable number of these directors have won the second-biggest theatre award on the continent – the European Prize for (New) Theatrical Realities. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the top directors of the region have been pushing contemporary theatre as a whole ahead into new territories. This book offers informative and in-depth portraits of twenty of these directors, written by leading critics, scholars, and researchers, who shed light on the directors’ signature styles with examples of their emblematic productions and outline the reasons for their impact. In addition, in two chapters the selected directors themselves discuss their artistic family trees as well as the main stakes theatre faces today. The book will be of interest to theatre scholars, students, and anybody engaged with theatre on a global scale.

Kalina Stefanova, a Full Professor at the NATFA, Bulgaria, is author/editor of 14 books on theatre and two fiction titles. She has lectured world-wide and is a Visiting Distinguished Professor of the Arts School, Wuhan University, China. She has served as Vice President and Director Symposia of the International Association of Theatre Critics.

Maria Zărnescu, theatrologist and theatre critic, lecturer at the University of Theatre and Film ”I.L. Caragiale” Bucharest. Member of juries and selector, colloquia and roundtables moderator organized within national and international theatre festivals in Romania.

Maria Zărnescu is a contributor to the volume ”20 Ground-Breaking Directors of Eastern Europe 30 Years After the Fall of the Iron Curtain”.

Marvin Carlson, Sidney E. Cohn Distinguished Professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, USA, is the author of 25 books and hundreds of essays on theatre and performance. He has received many major national and international awards and an honorary professorship from the University of Athens, Greece.