In 1788, typographer Martin Hochmeister laid the foundation of a building dedicated to performances, as in one year he redesigned the function of the Thick Tower, which was part of the city's medieval fortification walls.
Thus, the works of great authors, such as Shakespeare and Molière, or of iconic representatives of German Romanticism found an enthusiastic receiver in the audience in Sibiu, whose strong interest in drama would ensure the continuity of the first theatre in Romania.
As an iconic member of the Sibiu Literary Circle, Radu Stanca is credited with having ensured the revival of the newly named State Theatre, whose title changed after the death of the great artist, as a sign of homage to his tireless involvement in the city's cultural life.
From 2001, TNRS has been on 520 national and international tours and has been invited to festivals all around the world, in Edinburgh, Avignon, New York, Brussels, Rome, Tokyo, Seoul, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Naples, Paris, Liverpool, London, Budapest, Bogota, Tampere, Poznań , Warsaw, Barcelona, Lisbon, Porto, Cairo, Yerevan, Tbilisi, Nitra, Athens, Thessaloniki, Belgrade, Varna, Lille, Tel Aviv, Omsk, and Chisinau.
With a broad repertory varying from Greek tragedies to innovative 21st century experiments, TNRS collaborates with notable directors from Romania and abroad, such as: Silviu Purcărete, Andrei Serban, Andriy Zholdak, Kushida Kazuyoshi, Armin Petras, Mihai Măniuțiu, Tompa Gábor, Alexandru Dabija, Yury Kordonsky, Radu Afrim, Alexander Riemenschneider, Radu Alexandru Nica, Robert Raponja, Masahiro Yasuda, Gigi Căciuleanu, Dragoș Galgoțiu, Zoltán Balázs.