Marina HANGANU - CINETIc

Researcher

National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale” Bucharest

Google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hIzWY48AAAAJ&hl=ro

ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4627-7278

EDUCATION

PhD in Theatre and Performing Arts, UNATC. Thesis: Telematic Theatre: From Concept to Performance (Summa cum Laude) (2018-2021, defended 2022)

MA in Advanced Theatre Practice, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2014-2015)

BA in Theatre Directing, UNATC (2011-2014)

BIO

Marina Hanganu is a theatre director, researcher, and cultural project manager whose work explores technology-based art — mainly its intersections with the Internet, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence — from both practical and theoretical perspectives.

Before joining UNATC as a full-time researcher in 2025, she spent nearly a decade at The George Ciprian Theatre in Buzău (public theatre), where she initiated and led national and European artistic research projects such as Tele-Encounters (2017–2019) and Tele-Encounters: Beyond the Human (2020–2023).

Alongside project management, her work spans artistic research, theatre directing, playwriting, and workshop facilitation for students, teenagers, and children.

Marina Hanganu is a theatre director, researcher, and cultural project manager whose work explores technology-based art — mainly intersections with the Internet, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence — from both practical and theoretical perspectives.

Before joining UNATC as a full-time researcher in 2025, she worked for nearly a decade at the George Ciprian Theatre in Buzău (public theatre), where she initiated and led national and European artistic research projects such as Tele-Encounters (2017–2019) and Tele-Encounters: Beyond the Human (2020–2023).

Alongside project management, her work spans theatre directing, playwriting, workshop facilitation for students, teenagers, and children, and artistic research.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Telematic theatre/performance

Robot theatre/performance

Posthuman theatre/performance

Virtual agents in theatre/performance

AI in theatre/performance

Extended presence in theatre/performance

Audience studies

New Media Dramaturgy

New media art

TEACHING

Culture and New Technologies – MA Entrepreneurship and Management of Theatre Organisations (UNATC)

Digital Theatre and Performance – MA Theatre and Performance Studies (UNATC)

Theatre Performances for Children – Theatre Art in Education, post-university course (UNATC)

SELECTED ART

E-Waste E-Motion: A Robofable (The “George Ciprian” Theatre, 2025) – director, playwright. Trailer. Filmed performance with EN subtitles.
2032 SMART-FAMILY (The “George Ciprian” Theatre and Industria Scenica, RO-IT co-production, 2022) – co-director, co-playwright. Trailer. Filmed performance with EN subtitles.
Imaginary Robots – online platform with AI-driven interactive characters (UCAM ES, 2022) – artistic director.
Generation 200 – participatory theatre on Zoom (The “George Ciprian” Theatre, 2020-2021) – director, playwright.
The Planet of Lost Dreams (The “George Ciprian” Theatre and UCAM, RO-ES co-production, 2018) – co-director, co-playwright. Trailer. Filmed performance with EN, ES and PT subtitles.

The Suicide Shop – musical (after Jean Teulé, The Comedy Theatre in Bucharest, 2017) – director, text adaptation.
Orpheus and Eurydice – audio play with visually impaired children as actors (The “George Ciprian” Theatre, 2017) – director, text adaptation.

Tele-City – telematic participatory performances in education (The “George Ciprian” Theatre, 2016) – artistic director.
Before Sunset/After Sunrise – telematic participatory performance series (London, Bloomsbury Festival 2015 and We Are Now Festival 2016) – director, playwright.
No. 30 Popa Rusu Street – immersive telematic performance (Theatre 7 Association, Bucharest, 2015) – director, co-playwright.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Assistant Manager for UNATC – ViWAS – Virtual Worlds Skills Academy (2026-2030):

Co-funded by the European Commission through the Digital Europe programme: DIGITAL-2025-SKILLS-08-VIRTUAL-WORLDS-ACADEMY-STEP. Proposal number: 101298981. Website: https://viwasproject.eu/

Assistant Manager for UNATC – ELICIA – Empowering Leadership in Creative Innovation and AI-Driven Entrepreneurs (2025-2027)

Funded by the European Union via the EIT Higher Education Initiative. Website: https://projectelicia.com/about/

Project Manager – E-Waste E-Motion (2025)

Organiser: The “George Ciprian” Theatre (RO). Main partner: UNATC. Co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN). Grant number: CALL01-AST-463

Artistic Director (leader) – Tele-Encounters: Beyond the Human (2020-2023)

Project coordinator: The “George Ciprian” Theatre (RO). Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. 616748-CREA-1-2020-1-RO-CULT-COOP1: https://tele-encounters-beyond.eu/

Artistic Director (leader) – Tele-Encounters (2017-2019)

Project coordinator: The “George Ciprian” Theatre (RO). Co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. Grant number: 583840-CREA-1-2017-1-RO-CULT-COOP1.

Project Manager – Tele-City (2016)

Organiser: The “George Ciprian” Theatre (RO). Co-funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN). Grant number P746/10.05.2016

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Authored Book:

Hanganu, M. (2022). Teatrul telematic. Editura Universitaria.

Edited Books:

Hanganu, M. (Ed.). (2023). Beyond the Human: Theatre, Robots and Social Realities. Editura Universitaria.

Hanganu, M. (Ed.). (2019). Tele-Encounters: Telepresence and Migration. UNATC Press.

Book Chapters:

Hanganu, M. (2026). Ogmios Z42 Across Reality and Fiction: The Birth of Robot Characters. In H. Bergen, E. Mullis, B. Simon, & S. Skybetter (Eds), Robot Theaters: Collisions in Performance and Social Robotics (1st edn, pp. 44–63). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003585886

Hanganu, M. (2025). Roboethics and Care in 2032 SMART-FAMILY. In Y. Sone & R. Savery, Cultural Technologies (1st edn, pp. 49–64). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003475972-5

Hanganu, M. (2023). Introduction: Theatre, Robots and Social Realities. In M. Hanganu (Ed.), Beyond the Human: Theatre, Robots and Social Realities (e-book, pp. 19–36). Editura Universitaria. https://tele-encounters-beyond.eu/beyond-the-human-theatre-robots-and-social-realities-project-book/

Hanganu, M., & Kivu, M. (2023). A Case Study of Audience Engagement in Telematic Theatre: 2032 SMART-FAMILY. In M. Hanganu (Ed.), Beyond the Human: Theatre, Robots and Social Realities (e-book, pp. 263–326). Editura Universitaria. https://tele-encounters-beyond.eu/beyond-the-human-theatre-robots-and-social-realities-project-book/

Journal Articles:

Hanganu, M. (2020). Teatrul online nu s-a inventat în pandemie. Concept, 21(2), 13–26.

Hanganu, M. (2019). Tele-Encounters: Dramaturgia teatrului telematic. Concept, 17–18(1–2), 138–154.

AWARDS

Comedia Ține la TINEri 2017 (Comedy Theatre, Bucharest)