Romanian National Theatre hires director Felix Alexa despite past harassment allegations

Theatre defends the decision

Ada Hausvater, manager of the Bucharest National Theatre "I.L. Caragiale" (TNB), said on Friday, 30 October, that hiring Felix Alexa was her own decision. She said the choice had been discussed and endorsed by the theatre's artistic council, which has an advisory role, and that the administrative council, which holds decision-making power, voted for it unanimously. The engagement is a fixed-term contract covering the current season. In a press release she said she had carried out preliminary checks and was aware of the accusations against the director. Alexa directed 21 productions at the theatre between 1991 and 2025, inclusive, and she described him as a competitive director with a relevant record there.

“Collaborating with director Felix Alexa is not an arbitrary, unilateral measure, but a decision of mine.”

Alexa is set to stage Molière's "Tartuffe" at TNB, with a cast that includes Maia Morgenstern, Marius Bodochi and Marcelo Cobzariu. Hausvater said the rehearsals held so far had been correct and professional, with no incidents recorded, and that she and the production team remain watchful for any misconduct.

Earlier reviews and past allegations

Hausvater pointed to earlier reviews of the director's conduct. A ruling by the ethics commission of UNATC, dated 21 December 2022, found no breaches of the ethics code. A certificate issued by the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police states that Alexa does not appear in the national automated register of people who committed sexual offences, exploitation of persons or offences against minors.

In January 2023 a RISE Project investigation published testimonies from several former students and partners who accused Alexa of aggression, sexual advances, harassment and professional blackmail. Alexa rejected the accusations. A separate investigation by the Catedra de Abuz project, which ran for two years, described experiences of 14 students with Alexa over almost two decades at UNATC, including advances, insistent messages, stalking, threats or professional blackmail.

Ministry response and criticism from the profession

Culture Minister Ioana Ciocan set out the ministry's position in a Facebook post published on 29 October.

“In my mandate, we will apply a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of harassment or abuse.”

She encouraged people in cultural institutions to report such situations to a ministry address, and said a dedicated commission would examine each complaint promptly and propose the measures provided by law. Personnel decisions remain with institution managers, but all public cultural institutions under the ministry will be monitored for compliance with legal duties to prevent and combat harassment.

Actor and singer Tudor Chirila criticised the silence in his profession in a Facebook post. He said the mentality of keeping one's head down still dominates theatre and that fear of voicing an opinion can shape careers. He also criticised Hausvater for not taking a firm enough stance on the hiring, and he reproached TNB actors for not speaking publicly.

“But the actors at the National are silent. Almost nobody has an opinion.”

Chirilă's reaction followed a report by Cultura la dubă that Alexa had been hired by TNB in October 2026, an institution he had worked with before.