Clarifications regarding the information that has appeared in the public space concerning the incident during rehearsals for “Romeo and Juliet”

Bucharest, March 18, 2025 – The “Ion Dacian” National Operetta and Musical Theatre wishes to correct a series of inaccurate details published in the article released by Gandul.ro on March 18, 2025, entitled “Daniela Nane’s tenor boyfriend, seriously injured after being forced to jump into the void during rehearsals. Police raided the Operetta Theatre.”

As a public institution, the theatre considers it essential that the information disseminated in the media be accurate and objective. Misinterpretations and the alarmist presentation of certain events can mislead the public and negatively impact the institution’s activity and its artists.

In order to prevent the spread of inaccurate information published in the press, the Theatre clarifies the following:

The stage movement performed by tenor Octavian Ene was not a “jump into the void,” but a controlled descent from a platform, part of the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. This scene appears in all international productions of the show from the past two decades, including those in Hungary, Germany, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Russia. The mechanics of this stage movement involve supporting oneself with the arms and reducing the height of the fall in a controlled manner, allowing the performer to reach the ground safely.

The rehearsal during which the accident occurred was a choreography session, not a directing rehearsal, which is why the director, Kerenyi Miklos Gabor – Kero, was not present at that time. The claim that the director “usually skips rehearsals” is entirely unfounded.
There was no pressure placed on the artist to perform the movement, and the instructions provided were clear: it was to be executed only if the performer felt 100% safe. Repeating movements during rehearsals is a natural part of any large-scale production. There were no complaints regarding the physical performance of tenor Octavian Ene, as suggested in the article.
Rehearsals for this production include daily physical training, specifically designed to prepare the artists for sustained effort. Stunts and acrobatic elements, such as back handsprings, are practiced progressively, starting from a low level of intensity and gradually building up to the execution required by the staging.

The claim that ice was applied to the artist’s injury is false. In reality, the team waited for a medical crew to arrive and act according to standard procedures, and the artist was immediately transported to the hospital, where he received the necessary care.
The rehearsal was not resumed “as if nothing had happened,” as the article suggests. On the contrary, the artistic and technical teams treated the incident with the utmost seriousness, providing all necessary support and following every procedure appropriate for such a situation. Moreover, one of the production’s soloists emphasized this on his Facebook page, stating that “The rehearsal continued (with heavy hearts, it’s true, as we were all affected) because we have a duty to the audience who bought tickets to see us […]. But we did not ‘ignore the event,’ as the author of the article claimed while assuming the accuracy of the information.”

The statement that tenor Octavian Ene’s recovery period is six months, as erroneously claimed in the article, is incorrect. According to official medical evaluations, his recovery time is significantly shorter.
There is no source within the Ministry of Culture that provided information about this incident, as at the time the article was published, the Ministry of Culture had not yet been officially informed.
The alarmist portrayal of the authorities’ intervention is unjustified. The “Ion Dacian” National Operetta and Musical Theatre is cooperating transparently with the authorities to clarify the circumstances of the incident, without this process involving a criminal investigation or any irregularity in the institution’s activity.

References to the personal life of tenor Octavian Ene are irrelevant to the subject of the incident and highlight the biased nature of the published material.
The “Ion Dacian” National Operetta and Musical Theatre reaffirms its commitment to the safety of its artists and to upholding the highest professional standards. The media is encouraged to verify information prior to publication and to request clarifications directly from official sources, in order to avoid the spread of inaccurate or sensationalized information.
For additional clarifications, the theatre remains open to providing all necessary information so that the public may benefit from accurate and objective reporting