Petru Vutcărău, founder and artistic director of the Eugene Ionesco Theatre (1995), Director of the International Festival BITEI (editions 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008,2010)
Val Butnaru, journalist, playwright, founder of the BITEI Festival, artistic director of the theatre Eugene Ionesco (1991-1995) and artistic director of the first edition of BITEI (1994). Returned to the artistic direction of the Festival in 1999 (third edition)..
The tasks of "Eugene Ionesco" Theatre are to conduct a diverse and a high quality cultural activity within dramatic performances, dramatic-musicals, the organization of tournaments in our country and abroad, the participation in national and international festivals, the organization and the development of living art and theatre festivals. The goal is to offer to the public very good performances. “Eugene Ionesco” Theatre through its activity contributes to the growth of citizens’ cultural level in Republic of Moldova and to their integration into the movement of the European and international values.
"Eugene Ionesco" Theatre organized 9 editions of BITEI International Festival so far, the first being in 1994 and the last in 2010.
The 1st edition of the Festival (1994) dedicated to the drama of Eugene Ionesco, was supported by SOROS Foundation in Moldova, Ministry of culture of Republic of Moldova and Ministry of culture and religious affairs of Romania. There were invited troupes from 9 countries (Romania, France, Albania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Lithuania, and Republic of Moldova) in the Festival and there were performed 13 shows.
The 2nd edition of the Festival (1997) was carried out under the generic TRADITION AND MODERNITY. It was organized together with Ministry of culture of Republic of Moldova and supported by Soros Foundation in Moldova, Ministry of culture and religious affairs of Romania, Chisinau Municipality and Theatrical Union of Moldova. That edition brought together Theatre companies from 7 countries (Italy, Japan, Romania, Russia, France, Canada and the Republic of Moldova). There were included 12 performances in the program.
The 3rd Edition (1999) has been carried out under the generic MEETINGS at the END of the CENTURY. There were involved theatre companies from 8 countries (France, Japan, Romania, Russia, Italy, Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Republic of Moldova) that were hosted by 14 theatres in Chisinau.
The Festival was organized by "Eugene Ionesco" Theatre, along with Ministry of culture of the Republic of Moldova and Ministry of culture and religious affairs of Romania, with the support of SOROS Foundation Moldova and French Alliance in Moldova.
The 4th edition of International Festival of Theatre "Eugene Ionesco (BITEI 2001) had the theme INTERFERENCE. It was organized with the support of SOROS Foundation and French Alliance in Moldova. Biennial program included 22 performances, staged by theatrical companies from Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, France. We were honored of the presence of the theatrical company "Angelus 99" from Tokyo. They performed a new, modern version of Othello.
`From 22 to 31 May 2003, took place the 5th Edition. For 10 days in Chisinau have met troupes from Italy (Moncalieri), Bulgaria ("Sava Dobroplodni ”Theatre, Sinistra), United Kingdom (Perpetual Motion Theatre in London), Ukraine ("Taras Sevcenco " Theatre in Kharkiv and "Voskresenia" Theatre in Lvov), Japan (Yokohama Boat Theatre), Russia (State Theater of Nations and "Ognivo” Puppet Theatre), Serbia (Balkan Wave Theatre Belgrade). That edition was again supported by SOROS Foundation in Moldova.
The 6th Edition (2004) of the Festival entitled " CHEKHOV PLANET " gathered 9 theatre companies from 6 countries (Germany, Italy, Japan, France, Romania, Moldova) and submitted 10 performances based on between tradition and experiment, some with an important number of actors, others-in the form of monospectacle. The press conferences that were held daily served as a barometer to determine the interest of the press, readers and viewers upon the performances of the previous and not only. That edition was again supported by SOROS Foundation in Moldova.
The 7th edition of the Biennial "Eugene Ionesco" Theatre (BITEI) held on the topic BETWEEN ORIENT AND OCCIDENT, was organized between 16 and 28 may, 2006. It gave to the audience the possibility of enjoying 39 performances with various artistic and sometimes contradictory visions. The program of the festival included performances of theatrical companies from Europe and Asia, representing 14 countries (France, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Spain, Poland, Georgia, Lithuania, South Korea, Romania, Moldova). In 2006, "BITEI Eugene Ionesco" Theatre celebrated its15 years of existence.
The 8th edition of BITEI International Theatre Festival 2008, entitled "CROSSROADS" was organized from 24 May to 1 June 2008. There were intersected different cultures, nationalities, traditions, genres of art, aesthetic vision, and talents on stages and Chisinau streets during those nine days. Theater companies from Romania, Poland, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Spain, Korea, Japan, Pakistan, India, Germany, Turkey, Georgia, Lithuania and Ukraine participated in the festival. Dramatic theatre performances, theatre for children, street theatre, non-verbal theater and musical theater were included in the program of festival. As well as, film screenings, critical debates, exhibitions, body art workshops, a symposium, conferences and other activities were held in the festival.
The 8th edition of BITEI International Theatre Festival 2008 was organized by the "Eugene Ionesco" Theatre, in collaboration with the Ministry of culture and tourism and the Moldovan Theatrical Union, under the patronage of the Government of the Republic of Moldova and with the support of Chisinau Municipality.
The 9th edition of the Festival BITEI (2010) was held under the slogan FOR A BETTER WORLD. The option for quality was defining in the selection of shows presented in the 9th edition of BITEI. It is one of the most important theatrical events in Republic of Moldova that brought together approximately 540 participants from Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Sweden, Estonia, Hungary, Georgia, India, Ireland, Spain, Turkey, Japan, and Republic of Moldova.
The program of the festival included three sections: Theater, Music, and Dance. Within these sections, there were played dramatic theatre performances, modern dance performances, puppet theatre, music and folklore. There were held debates, meetings at the event with people interested in theatre, personalities, and guests invited to the festival.
BITEI International Festival became the most important and requested theatrical event from the cultural life of Republic of Moldova, having a wide echo in Europe and in the entire world.
BITEI was and remains the only International Festival of Scenic Arts in Moldova. The theatre monitored the public attendance to the performances in the Festival and found that so far 69 200 spectators from Chisinau as from other regions benefited of shows performed at the event. The survey conducted during each BITEI Festival edition shows that the Festival had a great impact on the public spectator. Moldovan citizens manifest a particularly interest, and they are looking forward to enjoying performances of each edition.
In addition, the interest from the outside upon the event increased. The number of teams and companies of theater, music, and dance from abroad, wishing to participate in the Festival BITEI, grows with each edition, thereby strengthening the interest of the foreign countries towards the Republic of Moldova.
That is why ensuring the continuity of the Festival BITEI becomes, in this context, an important task of very high responsibility for us, the organizers, but also for all the people interested in the theatre.
"Eugene Ionesco" Theatre will hold in Chisinau from May 25 to June 3, 2012 the 10th Edition, Jubilee, of the International Festival of Scenic Arts Biennial "Eugene Ionesco" Theatre, BITEI-2012.
The Festival includes the following sections: Theater, Music, Dance, Street performances.
The shows will be performed on the most important and prestigious 5 stages in Chisinau, as well as on the main streets of the capital and public squares.
The Festival program will be designed in such a way as to satisfy the demands of a large audience, including all social categories.
The 10th Jubilee Edition, BITEI-2012 proposes to bring in Chisinau, capital of the Republic of Moldova, during the period 25 May-3 June, 20 performances of the highest artistic theater quality of music and dance from 12 capitals in the world such as: Bucharest, Moscow, Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Kiev, Prague, Madrid, Rome, Berlin, Paris, Baku, and Buenos Aires. In this way, we try to integrate the cultural life of Chisinau into the values of the big capitals of the world.
As a result of the Organization and conduct of this project we intend to achieve the following results:
- to draw attention over the city Chisinau, as host of a large and extremely important cultural event, to as many art people and ordinary spectators from the country, but mostly from abroad, thereby enhancing the prestige of both capital and our country of Moldova in general;
- to offer the spectator from Moldova a diverse artistic program of the highest quality.
- to get used the Moldovan spectator with new current and modern vision in scenic art,
- to increase the interest of the citizens into the scenic art and to raise the prestige of art in the society.