UNATC Regains Control of "Casandra" Theater in Court

Artistic processes can sometimes find fulfillment with the help of the courts. Material goods can spark disputes. The National University of Theatre and Film "I.L. Caragiale" (UNATC) has obtained in court the "regaining of the right to administer the Casandra Theater Studio," according to UNATC. Prof. univ. Dr. Liviu Lucaci, the rector of UNATC, stated: "Casandra has been the launching pad for the great artists of Romanian theater. It is a place steeped in history, a place of performance, of the trials of youth, of beautiful student years. Through this court decision, UNATC comes back home, regains its heart that beat for the audience who, over time, came to see the first steps of the future artists of the Romanian stage. It is a moment of joy, normality, and recognition of the tradition of our school. Casandra is ours again! As it should be. Thanks to all who have not stopped dreaming." Inextricably linked to the National University of Theatre and Film "I.L. Caragiale," the Casandra Theatre Studio was, for over 50 years, from 1957 to 2008, the most important stage and launching platform for new generations of artists. The origin of the right to administer the Casandra Theater Studio is an Order issued by the Ministry of Culture and Education in 1957, through which UNATC acquired the theater hall located in the heart of the building at 9 French Street in Bucharest, along with other necessary auxiliary spaces, according to the statement. According to a UNATC statement: "In 2001, the heirs of the former owners of the property at 9 French Street made a notification under Law No. 10/2001, in which they unequivocally expressed their desire for the Casandra Theater Studio to be exempted from restitution and to continue its educational and cultural activity. For 10 years, their notification remained inactive until the moment when the heirs of the former owners assigned the rights resulting from the restitution notification to a third party. On June 29, 2011, the Bucharest City Hall, without having the status of the unit holding the Casandra Theater Studio, illegally issued a restitution order in kind for a considerable part of the property located at 9 French Street, including the Casandra Theater Studio, to the assignee of restitution rights, ignoring the fact that in the notification made under Law No. 10/2001, on which this restitution order was based, the heirs of the former owners expressed their desire for the Casandra Theater Studio to be exempted from restitution." UNATC challenged in court the legality of the in-kind restitution order issued by the Bucharest City Hall. After a 10-year legal process in the first stage, the solution obtained in the first instance was unfavorable to UNATC, one of the main arguments being that "from the evidence administered in this case, it did not result that the theater hall was part of the material base of UNATC IL Caragiale." After less than a year, the combined efforts of the UNATC leadership and the team of lawyers led by lawyer Alina Ciupitu led, among other things, to the identification in the national archives of the Order that is at the origin of the right conferred to the university over the theater studio. In this context, UNATC obtains a favorable decision on appeal: the annulment of the illegal order issued by the Bucharest City Hall and the regaining of the right to administer the Casandra Theater Studio, according to the statement. The decision is not final and can be appealed.