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Roma Theatre

The Roma people are a traditionally nomadic ethnic group living mostly in Europe. Learn more about their rich artistic tradition and exciting contemporary work through the Journal series Roma Theatre in Europe, or watch work from the Roma Theatre Retrospective 2020.

The Latest

Video
Roma Heroes Seventh International Theater Festival in Budapest
Multi-camera Performance Video of Five Shows Presented for a Limited Time by the Independent Theater Hungary
Wednesday 1 October to Sunday 5 October 2025
Budapest, Hungary
Video
Roma Heroes Seventh International Theater Festival in Budapest
Discussions with Contemporary Roma Theatre Artists
Wednesday 7 May to Sunday 11 May 2025
Budapest, Hungary
Essay
Viewpoints for Achieving Authentic Representation of Roma Communities on Stage
by Tímea Éva Bogya, Márton Illés
27 March 2024
urban body performance poster
Video

in Bucharest, Romania

Tuesday 10 March 2020
Bucharest, Romania

(Event Canceled) Giuvlipen—a feminist Roma theatre company—presents their performance of Urban Body livestreaming from Bucharest, Romania on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Tuesday 10 March 2020 at 11 a.m. PDT (Los Angeles, UTC-7) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 18:00 GMT (London, UTC+0) / 19:00 CET (Budapest, UTC+1) / 20:00 EET (Bucharest, UTC+2).

three actors onstage
Essay

An Interview with Mihaela Drăgan

10 February 2020

HowlRound’s director, Jamie Gahlon, talks with theatremaker Mihaela Drăgan about contemporary Roma theatre and the artistic movement Roma Futurism.

dunaPart 5 logo
Video

A conversation during the dunaPart 5 platform

Saturday 30 November 2019
Budapest, Hungary

dunaPart—an initiative of Trafó House of Contemporary Arts in Budapest—presented the conversation The (self-)representation of Romas on stage - trends and challenges in today’s Hungary livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Saturday 30 November 2019 at 8 a.m. PST (Los Angeles, UTC -8) / 11 a.m. EST (New York, UTC -5) / 16:00 GMT (London, UTC +0) / 17:00 CET (Budapest, UTC +1) / 18:00 EET (Bucharest, UTC +2).

Five actors on stage dressed in Roma clothes from the 1940's.
Video

On the Roma Genocide during the Second World War

Friday 25 October 2019
Bucharest, Romania

Giuvlipen Theatre Company and State Jewish Theater presented a performance of Kali Traš (Black Fear) by Giuvlipen Theatre Company livestreaming from Bucharest, Romania on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Friday 25 October 2019 at 9 a.m. PDT (Vancouver, UTC -7) / 12 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 16:00 UTC +0 / 5 p.m. BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:00 CEST (Budapest, UTC +2) / 19:00 EEST (Bucharest, UTC +3).

Two actors in traditional Roma women clothing with their backs to us.
Video

Presented by the Roma Heroes International Theatre Festival, Budapest, Hungary

Sunday 15 September 2019
Budapest, Hungary

Roma Heroes International Theatre Festival produced by Independent Theater Hungary presented a conversation about Giuvlipen Theatre Company's Who killed Szomna Grancsa? from Budapest, Hungary for the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Sunday 15 September 2019. 

Roma woman posing as the Statue of Liberty with a US flag as a her dress.
Video

Bucharest, Romania

Thursday 12 September 2019
Bucharest, Romania

PARADAIZ in Bucharest, Romania presents a performance of American Gypsy livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network on Thursday 12 September at 11 a.m. EDT (New York, UTC-4) / 15:00 UTC+0 / 17:00 CET (Berlin, UTC+2) / 18:00 EEST (Bucharest, UTC+3). 

a group of performers dancing onstage with an audience watching
Essay
14 March 2019

Miguel Ángel Vargas unfolds the history of Gitano (Romani) theatre in Spain, from the eighteenth century to today.

 

a band onstage
Essay
13 March 2019

Marine Leduc discusses the nomadic theatre traditions of the Hognon family, who travel southwestern France staging plays that explore their Tsigane identity. / Marine Leduc explore les traditions du théâtre nomade des Hognons, une famille qui voyage à travers le Sud-Ouest de la France et y joue des pièces qui parcourt leur identité tsigane.

Essay

The Revolution is Roma, Queer, and Feminist

12 March 2019

Arman Heljic uses the play Roma Armee to discuss how European Roma are rejecting their colonial legacy and reclaiming their narrative.

group of people onstage
Essay

On the Representation of Roma on the Hungarian Stage

11 March 2019

Katarzyna Pabijanek reflects on Roma presence in Hungarian theatre, both throughout history and today.

Seven Romani actors sit together looking at the camera
Essay

A History of Roma Theatre in Romania

10 March 2019

Mihaela Drăgan looks at the way Roma are and have been portrayed in theatre in Romania and how Romani artists are working to reclaim their stories.

Essay
24 May 2018

Mihaela Drăgan interviews Sandra and Simonida Selimovic of Mindj Panther about their show Roma Armee, and the activist work they are doing in Austria to fight against Roma oppression.

A group of actors stand in a cluster onstage.
Series

Roma Self-Representation

The aim of the festival and this series is to present and preserve the values of the theatre and theatrical heroes of the largest ethnic minority in Europe, highlighting the challenges the members of this minority face because of segregative and discriminatory practices—which offend minority rights. 

Poster for the Roma Heroes Festival.
Video

Presented by the Independent Theater Hungary

Wednesday 20 March - Wednesday 27 March 2024

Independent Theater Hungary presents the Roma Heroes International Theater Festival, Sixth Edition, livestreaming on the commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv from Wednesday 20 March to Wednesday 27 March 2024 at 11 a.m. PDT (Los Angeles, UTC -7) / 1 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 2 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 18:00 GMT (London, UTC +1) / 19:00 CET (Budapest, UTC +1) / 20:00 EET (Bucharest, UTC +2).

Series

Roma Heroes on the Streets of European Cities

Roma Theatre Retrospective Logo
Series

Roma Theatre Retrospective 2021

Celebrating Four Years of Contemporary, International Romani Theatre

Independent Theater Hungary in partnership with HowlRound Theatre Commons presented the Roma Theatre Retrospective 2021 which included forty livestreams of twenty shows and twenty interviews from Romani artists in ten countries who were featured during four editions of the Roma Heroes International Theater Festival, Budapest. Livestreamed on the commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network Tuesday 19 October to Friday 10 December 2021.

poster for the Roma Theatre Retrospective 2020.
Series

Roma Theatre Retrospective 2020

Featuring Roma artists from the Roma Heroes Theater Festival, Hungary

The Roma theater has more than a century long past with active professional theatre groups in many European countries, but unfortunately, they are still hardly known.

Series

Roma Theatre in Europe

From cultural appropriation to (mis)representations, this series documents the history of Roma theatre in Europe.

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