David Esrig(born 1935) has established himself as one of the most important Romanian directors of the second half of the 20th century. He studied directing at the Institute of Theatre and Film Arts in Bucharest and obtained his doctorate in 1978. He was the director of the acting studio at the State Jewish Theatre in Bucharest between 1959 and 1961, and then he worked at the Comedy Theatre. After the establishment of the communist regime, he left Romania in 1973 after two of his productions had been banned. He initially moved to France, where he collaborated with Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris, and then relocated in Germany. In 1979 he worked at the University of Theatre in Munich, and in 1995 he founded Athanor Academy. Throughout his career, David Esrig has been granted the title of Emeritus professor at many famous academies and universities, and has received several awards and distinctions, such as the Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit, category D (2021) and the National Prize of Romanian Culture (2003).
