The final presentation of this year’s edition of L’École des Maîtres 2025, under the artistic direction of Amir Reza Koohestani, marked the conclusion of an exceptionally successful chapter of this prestigious European project.
This year’s edition brought together several of Chekhov’s plays with the experiences and life stories of the participating actors, who, through their dedication and artistic presence, created a poetic, delicate, and contemporary Chekhovian world. The resulting performance went beyond classical interpretation, opening up the essential space of L’École des Maîtres: a dialogue between tradition and modernity, between different European cultures, languages, and generations.
The stage featured 20 outstanding actors, each with a distinct individuality, yet together forming a remarkably cohesive ensemble:
Monica Buzoianu, Pouria Jashn Tirgan, Ilaria Marchianò, Francesco Maruccia (Italy); Michele de Luca, Farbod Fathinejadfard, Ophélie Honoré, Alice Johny Valinducq (Belgium); Barbara Chanut, Zacharie Feron, Alexia Hébrard, Pierre Thionois (France); Luka Grbić, Nika Korenjak, Lucija Ostan Vejrup, Lovro Zafred (Slovenia); Vasco Barroso, Rafael Gomes, Nuna, Roberto Terra (Portugal).
The final presentation was performed in Liège, Lisbon, Coimbra, Milan, Gorizia, and Angers, on the stages of Salle de l’Œil Vert, Sala Estúdio Valentim de Barros, Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente, Teatro Strehler, Auditorium della Cultura Friulana, and Le Quai Theatre 400.
Founded in 1990, L’École des Maîtres is one of Europe’s leading laboratories for contemporary theatre. Its aim is to connect young professional actors from different European countries and explore new pedagogical and artistic approaches. Over the decades, the project has been shaped by some of Europe’s most important theatre directors: Luca Ronconi, Jerzy Grotowski, Anatoly Vasiliev, Jacques Lassalle, Jacques Delcuvellerie, Luis Miguel Cintra, Yannis Kokkos, Lev Dodin, Peter Stein, Alfredo Arias, Dario Fo, Matthias Langhoff, Eimuntas Nekrošius, Denis Marleau, Jan Fabre, Carlo Cecchi, Rodrigo García, Pippo Delbono, Antonio Latella, Arthur Nauzyciel, Rafael Spregelburd, Constanza Macras, ricci/forte, Ivica Buljan, Christiane Jatahy, Transquinquennal, Tiago Rodrigues, Angélica Liddell, Davide Carnevali, Claudio Tolcachir, Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, Anne-Cécile Vandalem, and Amir Reza Koohestani.
The Slovenian partner, Mini teater Ljubljana, has been selected twice as the national partner of the project, responsible for the selection of Slovenian actors and their inclusion in the European ensemble. This recognition confirms Mini teater’s standing as an important artistic and pedagogical center in the European theatre landscape.
Amir Reza Koohestani (b. 1978, Shiraz, Iran) is one of the most prominent contemporary Iranian directors and playwrights. His plays — including Dance on Glasses, Hearing, Timeloss, Where Were You on January 8th?, and Blind Runner — have been presented at major European festivals and venues, including the Festival d’Avignon, Berliner Theatertreffen, Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne, Volksbühne, and Théâtre de la Ville. Koohestani’s theatre, known for its minimalist form and political lucidity, subtly exposes the relationships between memory, power, and intimacy.
This year’s edition of L’École des Maîtres once again confirmed that the project remains a unique European laboratory of artistic curiosity, ethical discipline, and theatrical risk — a space where different languages, poetics, and imaginations meet, and where the future of European theatre is being created.
