Ion Iliescu: Ileana Stana – Ion Iliescu, a woman in the field of theater and film arts

“I learned with sadness that Ileana Steiner-Ionescu, a lady in the field of theater and cinema arts, a mentor to dozens of generations of actors, a formidable cultural figure, has passed away from the stage of life. Her voice and her career are something that will not be forgotten by both lovers of the arts and her creators. A great figure in the world of performing arts, who brought joy to us on the established stage, on the small screen and on radio theater. Ileana Steiner-Ionescu was the cultural taste that I learned from their generation when I was young. Her brilliant performance in Alexandru Chirisescu’s Mademoiselle directed by Horea Popescu, as Agnes in The School for Girls directed by Molière or as the nurse in Medea in the Ancient Trilogy directed by Seneca and Andrei Serban; it is a blend of modernism and classicism, equally dynamic and elegant. The Bucharest National Theater has lost a star. Romanians are losing one of the most powerful female figures, equally versed in politics and artistic theater: Ileana Steiner-Ionescu. Stana-Ionescu was elected as a Bucharest MP in 2000 for a four-year term as a representative of the Italian minority in Romania”, writes Ion Iliescu.

He affirmed that Ileana Stana Ionescu “remains a role model for women in politics and for all of us”.

“I knew her well, I saw her many times on stage and I admired her talent and her strong character. In 2002, during a ceremony at the Cotroceni Palace, I awarded him the State Order for “Loyal Service” in recognition of his outstanding artistic career. Indeed, throughout her extraordinary career, Ileana Stana Ionescu remained faithful to theater, cinema and the audiences who admired her. He recently urged us to remember her for what she was. And it will happen: future generations will remember her as a great actress. My condolences to his stage and life partner, Mr. Andre Ionescu, and to the grieving family! May God rest her in peace,” Ilescu concluded.