We invited Doru Taloș, actor and co-manager of Reactor, to share a few exciting insights about Drama 5. Here is the wonderful reply he shared with us:

If we look back at the early days of Reactor, it's wonderful to remember that this space was born from people's genuine need to have a place of their own. It has thrived thanks to even more people who shared that same passion and invested in it! In a world with so many theater schools and so few active theaters, the growth of our private, alternative, and independent cultural sector—even if it occasionally smells like French fries (but that's a story for another time!)—has been absolutely vital. Our very first programs were Teen Spirit, Drama 5, and Fresh Start. These projects were lovingly built around the interests of our collective and the creative needs we felt at various stages of our journey. From the very beginning, we knew Reactor shouldn't compete with "capital-T" traditional theater. We always believed in nurturing a long-term project—a warm, welcoming space with transparent finances, deep respect for artists, and fair rights. Simply staging classic plays "by author X" wasn't our style, which is why we felt it was so important to champion contemporary playwriting and find fresh ways to support its growth. Drama 5 blossomed naturally, meeting a real need for playwrights eager to see their stories come to life on stage. The incredible number of submissions we receive each year shows just how much this creative outlet is needed!

That wonderful spark is still alive and well! Today, things are looking brighter than ever, and contemporary Romanian playwriting is taking center stage across the country. This brings us so much joy, and we love to think that our program played a small part in this vibrant movement! Of course, it's a beautiful journey, and real, lasting change takes time to bloom.

We are thrilled that this project continues to have such a positive impact on both Romanian playwriting and the professional growth of passionate writers. Many of our residents have gone on to pursue advanced studies and are working more and more in theaters. I won't name names, but it is truly heartwarming to see how this residency has been a wonderful turning point in their lives!

Let's look at some of the exciting achievements: this project has sparked thirty-one brand-new plays! Six of them were proudly staged right here at Reactor as part of the residency, and another one followed shortly after. Other fantastic texts born from this program have found welcoming homes on stages like the National Theatre in Târgu Mureș, Apollo 111 in Bucharest, the North Theatre in Satu Mare, the National Radio Theatre, and the I.D. Sîrbu Dramatic Theatre. On top of that, the plays from each edition have been published in a wonderful collective volume by Liternet Publishing and can be read online at www.liternet.ro. And the magic continues as we happily promote all these texts to theater institutions and fellow stage lovers!

At this exciting point in our journey, we are looking forward to building strong, collaborative bridges with public institutions. Just imagine how a program like this could flourish in partnership with state theaters! We could create an absolutely spectacular program by joining forces and pooling our resources—and we truly believe it's possible. Above all, keeping this beautiful momentum going is what matters most!

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