Romanian academic and playwright. Michaela Tonitza-Iordache studied at the Universitatea din București, Facultatea de Limbă și Literatură Română (University of Bucharest, Faculty of Romanian Language and Literature, 1963-1967) and at the Institute of Theatre Science in Vienna (1965-1966). A Doctor of Philology (1975), since 1991 she has been a professor at the Universitatea Națională de Artă Teatrală și Cinematografică (UNATC, National University of Theatre Arts and Cinematography) in Bucharest where she chaired the Department of Theatre Science.

She was appointed Artistic Director of Ţăndărică Puppet Theatre (Teatrul de animaţie Ţăndărică) from 1986 to 1999. She launched the creation of the Puppetry Department at UNATC and, since 1990, she was instrumental in reactivating UNIMA Romania. In 1998, she organized the 4th World Festival of Puppet Theatres in Bucharest.

Through her knowledge and commitment, Michaela Tonitza-Iordache worked to ensure the continuity of Ţăndărică and guided it into the 21st century. She assumed several initiatives: she expanded and diversified the theatre’s activities, organizing co-productions with other theatres; she invited young directors from actors’ theatres to stage shows; she established a collaborative programme between the university and professional theatre companies; and she integrated the first classes of graduates into Țăndărică’s team of performers.

Michaela Tonitza-Iordache published several books, including Arta teatrului (The Art of Theatre, 1975), Viața actriței Eliza Petrăchescu (The Life of Actress Eliza Petrăchescu, 1980), Despre joc (On Acting, 1981). She also wrote the scenic versions for Maestrul și Margareta (Master and Margareta) at Teatrul Mic, Adunarea păsărilor (The Conference of the Birds) at Tăndărică, and Oblomov at Teatrul Bulandra.

(See Romania.)