L’influence du théâtre français sur la création du théâtre roumain moderne
The Influence of French Theater on the Creation of Modern Romanian Theater

Summary/Abstract: From a political standpoint, in the 18th century, the Romanian principalities were still under the domination of the Ottoman Empire, which governed the Romanian regions through Phanariot princes. These princes felt the need for a new breath of life in society and sought to introduce a new direction. Thanks to the Enlightenment movement, which brought profound changes to the mindset of the boyars in Wallachia and Moldavia, a process of re-Latinization of this cultural space took place. Voltaire, Montesquieu, Diderot, and Rousseau inspired the Romanians with their revolutionary philosophical ideas and a whole concept of literature that had previously been inaccessible.Translations of French plays into Romanian – sometimes via Greek – provided fertile ground for the eventual creation of Romanian-language drama, pioneered by Vasile Alecsandri. A much more nuanced, refined, and especially modern Romanian language emerged, notably through the introduction of neologisms from French. Renowned literary figures such as Alexandru Beldiman, Nicolae Golescu, and Heliade Rădulescu used this enriched language to compile collections of translated plays intended for reading and stage performance.Romanian performing arts have their origins in France. French traveling theater troupes that toured the Romanian principalities amazed audiences and introduced them to an aesthetic previously unknown. Moreover, the dramatic genre, practiced through translations that were more than mere imitations, helped the language evolve, paving the way for the birth of Romanian dramaturgy.The presentation will also address the relationship between Romanians and the Phanariot princes. Open-minded toward the Enlightenment, these princes contributed to the establishment of an intellectual Francophonie in the Romanian principalities, which led to an identity phenomenon. How was the original Latin heritage reinforced by French influence? How did the culture of the Romanian principalities shift away from the Eastern model to embrace certain Western forms? These are questions that deserve our full attention.

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