Octavian Saiu

Professor Octavian Saiu is a scholar and professional theatre critic.

Octavian Saiu
Born1977
OccupationProfessor, Theatre critic
NationalityRomanian
EducationDoctor of Philosophy
Notable awardsCritics' Award 2010

Award of the Union of Theatre Artists (UNITER) 2013

Knight of the Order of Cultural Merit, awarded by the President of Romania, 2020

Education

Octavian Saiu received his PhD in Theatre Studies from National University of Theatre and Film (NUTF) in Romania and completed another PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Otago in New Zealand.[1] His Romanian doctoral thesis focused on the concept of theatrical space; the New Zealand one analysed the European reception of the theatre of the absurd. He was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the English Department of the University of Otago, and has received his Habilitation in Theatre and Performing Arts.[2]

Career

Saiu is a teacher in the Postgraduate Programme of NUTF[3] and a PhD supervisor in the Doctoral School of „Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu.[4] He was a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies, School of Advanced Study – University of London, and has been Visiting Professor at various universities in Europe and Asia, as well as the Grotowski Institute.[5]

He chaired sessions in the “Talks and Workshops Series” of Edinburgh International Festival[6] and has been the Chair of the Conferences of Sibiu International Theatre Festival since 2004.[7] Since 2014 he has been the Chair of the Shakespeare Studies Conference in the context of the biennial Craiova International Shakespeare Festival.[8]

He is a collaborator of Wuzhen Theatre Festival and a Founding Member of the International Theatre Town Alliance in Shengzhou.[9]

Saiu is Adjunct Secretary General of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC)[10] and President of the Romanian Section – Theatre Studies of IATC.[11] He has authored eleven books on theatre, as well as numerous refereed and nonrefereed journal articles. He is the recipient of the Critics’ Award (2010)[12] and the Award of the Union of Theatre Artists (UNITER) in 2013.[13]

One of Saiu’s constant activities involves public talks and dialogues. In 2019 in Hong Kong, he spoke about the global perception of Chinese culture, beyond the usual clichés of commodification and cultural diplomacy.[14] One of the recurrent themes in Saiu’s talks is performative space,[15] a notion he links with the idea of creative energy.[16] As affirmed in his book on this topic, Saiu considers Hamlet a character whose madness is not merely feigned, but real.[17] As a promoter of critical thinking in theatre and performing arts, he organised a keynote panel in the context of the ASSITEJ congress in Cape Town on the values of criticism and value judgment in children’s theatre.[18] More recently, he spoke about the role of critical thinking in theatre pedagogy during a plenary address at the Conference of the ITI/UNESCO Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts (2018).[19] At the Academy of Arts in Berlin, as invited speaker at a conference organized to celebrate Hans-Thies Lehmann’s Postdramatic Theatre, he spoke about the dangers of employing cultural concepts as “umbrella terms” for contemporary theatre, with specific reference to the title of Lehmann’s seminal essay.[20]

Throughout the years, he has hosted cultural conversations with Tim Robbins,[21] Jin Xing,[22] Neil LaBute,[23] Ohad Naharin,[24] Jaroslaw Fret,[25] Mao Weitao,[26] Stan Lai,[27] Stanley Wells,[28] Benny Lim[29], Robert Wilson, Sasha Waltz, Thomas Ostermeier, Declan Donnellan, Akram Khan and many others.

On the occasion of the Day of the National Culture, the 15th of January 2020, the President of Romania awarded him the title, Knight of the Order of Cultural Merit. The distinction was offered “as a sign of appreciation for his important activity dedicated to theatre criticism, and for the professionalism that he has shown in promoting Romanian theatrical creation”.[30]

Books
  • Efectul Tartuffe, fascinatia teatrala a imposturii [The Tartuffe Effect: the Theatrical Fascination of Imposture] (Bucharest: Paideia Press), 2019, ISBN 978-606-748-275-1
  • Clipa ca imagine: teatru si fotografie [The Instant as Image: Theatre and Photography] (Bucharest: Nemira Publishing Group), 2018, ISBN 978-606-43-0166-6
  • Teatrul la persoana I [First Person Theatre] (Bucharest: Nemira Publishing Group), 2017, ISBN 978-606-758-780-7
  • Hamlet and the Madness of the World (translated into English by Samuel Onn) (Bucharest: Romanian Cultural Institute Publishing House), 2016, ISBN 978-973-577-676-3
  • Lectia, o meditatie cu sapte teme [The Lesson: A Meditation on Seven Themes] (Bucharest: Nemira Publishing Group), 2015, ISBN 978-606-758-515-5
  • Hamlet si nebunia lumii [Hamlet and the Madness of the World] (Bucharest: Paideia Press), 2014, ISBN 978-606-748-028-3
  • Teatrul e vis [Theatre is a Dream] (Bucharest: Paideia Press), 2013, ISBN 978-973-596-894-6
  • European and Universal Dimensions of the Theatre of the Absurd (Editor) (Bucharest: Paideia Press), 2013, ISBN 978-973-596-729-1
  • Posteritatea Absurdului [The Posterity of the Absurd] (Bucharest: Paideia Press), 2012, ISBN 978-973-596-771-0
  • Ionescu/Ionesco: Un veac de ambiguitate [Ionescu/Ionesco: One Hundred Years of Ambiguity] (Bucharest: Paideia Press), 2011, ISBN 978-973-596-717-8
  • In Search of Lost Space (translated into English by Ioana Jucan) (Bucharest: NUTF Press), 2010, ISBN 978-973-1790-45-9
  • Fedra:de la Euripide la Racine, de la Seneca la Sarah Kane [Phaedra: from Euripides to Racine, from Seneca to Sarah Kane] (Bucharest: Paralela 45 Press), 2010, ISBN 978-973-47-1081-2
  • Beckett: pur si simplu [Simply Beckett] (Bucharest: Paideia Press) (two editions), 2009, Vol. 1. ISBN 978-973-596-553-2, Vol. 2. ISBN 978-973-596-554-9, Vol 3. ISBN 978-973-596-555-6
  • In cautarea spatiului pierdut [In Search of Lost Space] (Bucharest:Nemira Press), 2008, ISBN 978-973-143-313-4

Articles and chapters
  • “Between the ‘Machinery of Transcendence’ and the ‘Machinery of War’: The Unattended Moments of Eugene Ionesco” in Carole Cusack and Simone Marshall (Editors) Unattended Moments (Amsterdam: Brill, 2016), 2017
  • “The Paradoxes of Memory in Theatre Criticism: Axiology, Imagination and Nostalgia” (Criticism in the Fontline – web-journal of IACT Hong Kong. No. 11), 2015
  • “Teatr Zar’s Armine, Sister: Watching as Witnessing and Criticism as Testimony” (Criticism in the Frontline – web-journal of IACT Hong Kong. No. 12), 2015
  • “A Centenary Foretold: The Reception of Eugene Ionesco in his Fatherland”, New Theatre Quarterly. Volume 29, Issue 1, 2013
  • “Bali, l'instant habité et la joie d’être étranger” in Catherine Naugrette (Editor) Les Voyages ou l’ailleurs du théâtre (Brussels: Editions Alternatives Théâtrales), 2013
  • “Bali, clipa implinita si bucuria de a fi strain [Bali, the Accomplished Moment and the Pleasure of Being a Stranger]” in Catherine Naugrette (Editor) Calatoriile sau orizonturile teatrului (Bucharest: Nemira Publishing group), 2013
  • “A Passage to Neant: The Spectator in the Theatre of Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco” in Norbert Bertrand Barbe (Editor), Le néant dans la pensée contemporaine – Publications du Centre Français d'Iconologie Comparée CFIC (Paris: Bès Editions), 2012
  • “Cultural Diplomacy and the Flowering of the Human Spirit” (with Christopher Wynn – Sponsorship and Development Director of Edinburgh International Festival), Concept No. 3, 2012
  • “The Theatre of the Absurd: After Half a Century”, Symbolon No. 2/2011, 2011
  • “Samuel Beckett: Absence et accomplissement”, Alternatives Théâtrales Nos.106-107, 2010
  • “Beckett behind the Iron Curtain” in Matthew Feldman and Mark Nixon (Editors), Getting Known: The International Reception of Samuel Beckett (London: Continuum), 2009
  • “Eugène Ionesco or Eugen Ionescu: One Hundred Years of Ambiguity”, Otago French Notes, No. 2, 2009
  • “The Metaphors of Spectatorial Space: Samuel Beckett and Eugene Ionesco”, Double Dialogues, No. 8: On Space, 2009
  • “Le théâtre de l’absurde: les paradoxes de l’Européanisme”, Lectures Philologiques, No. 3, 2009
  • “Beckett and the dilemmas of theatricality”, Romanian Studies in Theatre Theory, No. 3, 2009
  • “Eugene Ionesco: Towards a Rich Theatre”. Romanian Studies in Theatre Theory, No. 2, 2006
  • “Theatre as a Road to Damascus”, Theatre as a Force for Change, Proceedings of the 13th Congress of The International Association of Theatre Critics, 2003
  • “Theatre and the Seven Maladies of Contemporary Society” (book chapter), Theatre: Quo Vadis? (Bucharest: Hyperion Press), 2002
gollark: ++delete <@319753218592866315> (badness)
gollark: The canonical copy is on github for historical reasons.
gollark: It is, there's a mirror.
gollark: LyricLy deserves to experience bees for what he did.
gollark: https://github.com/osmarks/autobotrobot/pull/1 is a PRETTY apioformic PR.
  1. Book Review: In Search of Lost Space in Critical Stages
  2. Book Review: Hamlet and the Madness of the World in Critical Stages
  3. Book Review: Hamlet and the Madness of the World
  4. Book Review: The International Reception of Samuel Beckett
  5. Book Review: European and Universal Dimensions of the Theatre of the Absurd
  6. Interview for Performing Arts Review
  7. Interview for ARTiSM Magazine
  8. Interview for Adevarul Live
  9. Interview for Cotidianul
  10. Interview for Caiete Silvane
  11. Interview for Apollonia TV
  12. ”Waiting for Godot” in Wuzhen

References
  1. Humanities, Division of. "Exceptional PhD Theses". www.otago.ac.nz. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  2. "TEZE DE ABILITARE". unatc.ro. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  3. "Octavian SAIU". Teatrolog.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  4. "» Domenii și conducători" (in Romanian). Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  5. "Instytut im. Jerzego Grotowskiego - The Performative Body in Contemporary Romanian Theatre". www2.grotowski-institute.art.pl. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  6. "Edinburgh International Festival 2013 Brochure". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  7. "conferences". www.sibfest.ro. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  8. "CaietProgram SHAKESPEARE.pdf" (PDF). Dropbox. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  9. "ITTA Main Body". eng.cnitta.com. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  10. "AICT-IATC |". Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  11. "Board – Asociatia Internationala a Criticilor de Teatru" (in Romanian). Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  12. "Criticii de teatru ii premiaza pe Radu Beligan si Alexandru Tocilescu". A1.RO (in Romanian). Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  13. "Câştigătorii şi premianţii Galei Premiilor UNITER, ediţia 2013 | UNITER" (in Romanian). Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  14. "Chinese Culture in the Global Context International Conference 2019". CCGC Conference 2019. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  15. "Contemporary Drama and Performative Space: from Playwriting to Immersive Theatre". Slovenské centrum AICT. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  16. "Forum on The Cultural Politics of the Performative Space | CUHK Communications and Public Relations Office". www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  17. "National Arts Festival Program".
  18. "ASSITEJ Congress".
  19. "Conference - ITI/UNESCO Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts" (PDF).
  20. "Postdramatic Theatre Worldwide". www.adk.de. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  21. "Tim Robbins: Prefer să fiu aici, la Bucureşti, decât pe platourile de filmare pentru un proiect mediocru". News.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  22. "DANSUL CHINEZ PE SCENA LUMII @ Sibiu". VinSiEu.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  23. "NEIL LABUTE, IN DIALOGUE WITH OCTAVIAN SAIU". www.sibfest.ro. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  24. "Octavian Saiu in dialogue with Ohad Naharin". www.sibfest.ro. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  25. "Theatre as a Medium of Memory | Theatre Olympics 2016". www.theatreolympics2016.pl. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  26. "Octavian Saiu in dialogue with Mao Weitao". www.sibfest.ro. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  27. "Octavian Saiu in dialogue with Stan Lai". www.sibfest.ro. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  28. "Evenimentul teatral al primăverii: Festivalul Internațional Shakespeare, Craiova-București 2012 | Revista "Teatrul azi"". www.teatrul-azi.ro. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
  29. "TEATRUL INDEPENDENT ÎN ASIA DE SUD-EST". www.undercloud.ro. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  30. "Distinctions offered by the President of Romania".
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