Romanian actress marks 60th birthday anniversary

Chisinau, 1 May /MOLDPRES/ - A Romanian theatre and movie, radio, TV  actress, singer of the Yiddish language, director of the Bucharest-based State Jewish Theatre Maia Morgenstern marks her 60th birthday anniversary today.   

Maia Morgenstern was born in Bucharest in a family fond of theatre on 1 May 1962. She finished the Central School from Bucharest in 1980. Morgenstern continued her education at the Ion Luca Caragiale Institute of Theatre and Film (presently Ion Luca Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film), class of professor Dem Radulescu, in 1981-1985. Maia Morgenstern started her professional career as actress at the Youth Theatre from Piatra Neamt in 1985-1988. Her career means tens of parts played in movies, plays performed at the State Jewish Theatre, Ion Luca Caragiale National Theatre from Bucharest, Municipal Theatre Lucia Sturdza Bulandra, Comedy Theatre, Metropolis Theatre, Odeon Theatre, Small Theatre, at the theatres from Sibiu, Braila, Turda, Craiova, etc., tens of plays at the radio theatre, theatre and TV film.

Morgenstern had numerous external cooperations, for instance, on the stage of Megaron hall from Athens, where she played the part of Electra in the play Electra by Sofocle, stage management of Yiannis Margaritis.

In 2012, Maia Morgenstern became manager of the Bucharest-based State Jewish Theatre, a position from which she dedicated her experience, energy and passion for the saving of the Yiddish culture, tradition and civilization. She was appointed ambassador for the Alliance of Civilizations in Romania (as of 2010). Morgenstern was member in juries of prestigious international festivals: Geneva Festival (1995), Thessaloniki Festival (1996), Angers Festival (1998), Monte Carlo Festival (2000) and Venice Carnival (2014), etc.

During her career, the actress was awarded more honorific titles and distinctions. Maia Morgenstern was the first woman to get a star on the Alley of Celebrities from the Time Square of Bucharest (2011). She got the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the West University from Timisoara (2017). Morgenstern was also awarded the National Prize Lucia Sturdza Bulandra (1993), National Order for Merit in rank of Commander (Romania, 2000), Order of Arts and Letters, rank of Knight (France, 2012); National Order for Merit in rank of Grand Officer (Romania, 2018). At the 20th issue of the Gala of Awards of the Theatre Union of Moldova in December 2021, she got the prize of excellence.