Bucharest’s National Theatre “I.L. Caragiale” (TNB) is facing a public backlash after hiring director Felix Alexa in October on a fixed-term contract for the current season. The move drew sharp criticism from theatre professionals amid older allegations of abuse and sexual harassment documented in investigative reporting, including by RISE Project in 2022–2023.

TNB manager Ada Lupu Hausvater said in a 30 October statement that the hire was not an arbitrary, unilateral step: it went through the artistic council (advisory) and was unanimously approved by the administrative council. She also cited a 21 December 2022 UNATC ethics-commission decision that found no ethics-code breaches, and a behavioural-integrity certificate from Romania’s General Inspectorate of Police.

Hausvater noted that Alexa staged 21 shows at TNB between 1991 and 2025 and that rehearsals for “Tartuffe” had so far been professional, with no reported incidents. She said the theatre would treat any complaint of abusive conduct seriously and that the presumption of innocence applies without legal grounds to the contrary.

Director Botond Nagy, who has two shows in TNB’s repertoire, publicly called for her resignation, arguing such a decision is hard to defend in a European cultural institution that knows the context, testimonies and warnings. He pointed to Klaus Dörr’s resignation from Berlin’s Volksbühne after public abuse-of-power allegations, before any criminal court ruling.

Actor Conrad Mericoffer resigned, according to Scena9, saying Alexa’s hiring was the final straw amid broader frustration with management. Other TNB actors — including Mihai Călin, István Teglaș and Ionuț Toader — also criticised the decision. Dozens of critical posts circulate on social media, while the theatre has not reversed the hire.

Public allegations against Felix Alexa, formerly also a UNATC teacher, are not a criminal conviction; they remain in the realm of journalism and institutional accountability. TNB is keeping the fixed-term collaboration and says it aims for a professional environment free of abuse or harassment.

Source: Teatrul Național din București, în mijlocul unui amplu scandal, după angajarea controversatului regizor Felix Alexa (G4Media); Regizorul Botond Nagy îi cere demisia Adei Hausvater (Cultura la dubă)