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Plays from Romania: Dramaturgies of Subversion reflects the
diversity of dramatic writing exploring the past and present of
Romania, and takes stock thirty years after the collapse of
communism. In addition to plays originally written in Romanian, the
collection includes work by German, Hungarian and Roma authors born
and/or working in Romania, and brings together plays written during
the communist period and its aftermath. The plays included in the
collection, edited and translated by Jozefina Komporaly and fully
published for the first time in English, demonstrate broad variety
in terms of form and content - ranging from family dramas to
allegories, and absurdist experiments to modular texts rooted in
open dramaturgy - and are the work of both individual playwrights
and the results of collective creation. These works share a
preoccupation with critically reflecting urgent concerns rooted in
Romanian realities, and are notable dramaturgical experiments that
push the boundaries of the genre. In addition, these plays also
seek novel ways to examine universal experiences of the human
condition, such as love, loss, abuse, betrayal, grief, violence,
manipulation and despair. This unique anthology celebrates the
renewed vitality and variety of writing for the stage after 1990,
and endeavours to place Romanian theatre in a forward-looking
transnational context. Lowlands ('Niederungen') by Herta Muller,
adapted for the stage by Mihaela Panainte (German) This stage
adaptation is based on a volume of short stories by Herta Muller
written in German in 1982 and focuses on the perspective of a child
narrator, by way of a series of episodes that centre on mundane
aspects of daily life in a remote village against the backdrop of
the oppressive atmosphere of mid-twentieth century Romania. The
Spectator Sentenced to Death ('Spectatorul condamnat la moarte') by
Matei Visniec (Romanian) This play is a bitter parody of the
Stalinist justice system, which totally disregards the fundamental
question whether the accused is actually guilty or not. The
Passport ('Kalucsni') by Gyoergy Dragoman (Hungarian) This play is
set pre-1989 in a typical small town in the Transylvanian province
of Romania, in which the lives of the various social classes, and
the fate of the persecuted and that of those who persecute are
closely intertwined. The Man Who Had His Inner Evil Removed ('Omul
din care a fost extras raul') by Matei Visniec (Romanian) This
topical play is a sharp reflection on the voluntary servitude in
which we place ourselves, often unawares, in conditions of our
contemporary consumer culture, and a fierce critique of
increasingly dominant tendencies to abandon moral criteria in
political life. Stories of the Body (Artemisia, Eva, Lina, Teresa)
('A test toertenetei') by Andras Visky (Hungarian) The cycle
Stories of the Body comprises four plays based on real life stories
as experienced by remarkable women (including Mother Teresa and
Italian Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi), and are
connected to various cities including Budapest, Cluj/Kolozsvar,
Kolkata and Rome, from the 17th to the 21st century. Sexodrom by
Giuvlipen Theatre Company (Mihaela Dragan, Antonella Lerca Duda,
Nicoleta Ghita, Zita Moldovan, Bety Pisica, Oana Rusu, Raj
Alexandru Udrea), based on a concept by Bogdan Georgescu.(Roma)
This is a work of collective creation by members of the Roma
Theatre company Giuvlipen, aiming to bring to public attention
taboo subjects, to enhance the visibility of Roma performers and to
experiment with new forms of theatre-making in a Romanian context.
Plays from Romania: Dramaturgies of Subversion reflects the
diversity of dramatic writing exploring the past and present of
Romania, and takes stock thirty years after the collapse of
communism. In addition to plays originally written in Romanian, the
collection includes work by German, Hungarian and Roma authors born
and/or working in Romania, and brings together plays written during
the communist period and its aftermath. The plays included in the
collection, edited and translated by Jozefina Komporaly and fully
published for the first time in English, demonstrate broad variety
in terms of form and content - ranging from family dramas to
allegories, and absurdist experiments to modular texts rooted in
open dramaturgy - and are the work of both individual playwrights
and the results of collective creation. These works share a
preoccupation with critically reflecting urgent concerns rooted in
Romanian realities, and are notable dramaturgical experiments that
push the boundaries of the genre. In addition, these plays also
seek novel ways to examine universal experiences of the human
condition, such as love, loss, abuse, betrayal, grief, violence,
manipulation and despair. This unique anthology celebrates the
renewed vitality and variety of writing for the stage after 1990,
and endeavours to place Romanian theatre in a forward-looking
transnational context. Lowlands ('Niederungen') by Herta Muller,
adapted for the stage by Mihaela Panainte (German) This stage
adaptation is based on a volume of short stories by Herta Muller
written in German in 1982 and focuses on the perspective of a child
narrator, by way of a series of episodes that centre on mundane
aspects of daily life in a remote village against the backdrop of
the oppressive atmosphere of mid-twentieth century Romania. The
Spectator Sentenced to Death ('Spectatorul condamnat la moarte') by
Matei Visniec (Romanian) This play is a bitter parody of the
Stalinist justice system, which totally disregards the fundamental
question whether the accused is actually guilty or not. The
Passport ('Kalucsni') by Gyoergy Dragoman (Hungarian) This play is
set pre-1989 in a typical small town in the Transylvanian province
of Romania, in which the lives of the various social classes, and
the fate of the persecuted and that of those who persecute are
closely intertwined. The Man Who Had His Inner Evil Removed ('Omul
din care a fost extras raul') by Matei Visniec (Romanian) This
topical play is a sharp reflection on the voluntary servitude in
which we place ourselves, often unawares, in conditions of our
contemporary consumer culture, and a fierce critique of
increasingly dominant tendencies to abandon moral criteria in
political life. Stories of the Body (Artemisia, Eva, Lina, Teresa)
('A test toertenetei') by Andras Visky (Hungarian) The cycle
Stories of the Body comprises four plays based on real life stories
as experienced by remarkable women (including Mother Teresa and
Italian Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi), and are
connected to various cities including Budapest, Cluj/Kolozsvar,
Kolkata and Rome, from the 17th to the 21st century. Sexodrom by
Giuvlipen Theatre Company (Mihaela Dragan, Antonella Lerca Duda,
Nicoleta Ghita, Zita Moldovan, Bety Pisica, Oana Rusu, Raj
Alexandru Udrea), based on a concept by Bogdan Georgescu.(Roma)
This is a work of collective creation by members of the Roma
Theatre company Giuvlipen, aiming to bring to public attention
taboo subjects, to enhance the visibility of Roma performers and to
experiment with new forms of theatre-making in a Romanian context.
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Mr. K Released (Hardcover)
Matei Visniec; Translated by Jozefina Komporaly
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R613
Discovery Miles 6 130
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Ships in 12 - 17 working days
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Mirroring Romania's drastic transition from totalitarianism to
Western-style freedom in the late 1980s, Mr. K Released captures
the disturbingly surreal feeling that many newly liberated
prisoners face when they leave captivity. Employing his trademark
playful absurdity, Matei Visniec introduces us to Mr. K, a
Kafkaesque figure who has been imprisoned for years for an
undisclosed crime in a penitentiary with mysterious tunnels. One
day, Mr. K finds himself unexpectedly released. Unable to
comprehend his sudden liberation, he becomes traumatized by the
realities of freedom--more so than the familiar trauma of captivity
or imprisonment. In the hope of obtaining some clarification, Mr. K
keeps waiting for an appointment with the prison governor, however,
their meeting is constantly being delayed. During this endless
process of waiting, Mr. K gets caught up in a clinical exploration
of his physical surroundings. He does not have the courage or
indeed inclination to leave, but can move unrestricted within the
prison compound, charting endless series of absurd circles in which
readers might paradoxically recognize themselves.
This collection features four new plays about war, tyranny and
discrimination by Eastern and Central European writers. Includes
the plays The Body of a Woman as a battlefield in the Bosnian war
by Matei Visniec, Cordon by Nebojsa Romcevic, When I want to
whistle, I whistle... by Andreea Valean, Soap Opera by Gyoergy
Spiro The title of this volume alludes to the history of political
double-dealing in a troubled region within southern Europe,
surrounded by the Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas. G.B. Shaw wrote
Arms and The Man about a small Balkan plot in the 19th century.
It's in this tradition, rather than in a geographical sense that we
use the title Balkan Plots. The plays in this volume are dramatic
works which have emerged from, or which take as their subject
matter, the struggle of individuals within societies affected by
recent political upheaval. The writers explore aspects of freedom
and rebellion, ethnicity and discrimination, loyalty and betrayal
in situations where conventional attitudes and beliefs are severely
tested. In some plays, the conflict is between traditional
socialist attitudes and western capitalism. In others, the values
and beliefs of the younger generation collide with and challenge
those of the older generation. Within each of the plays, the way in
which the personal and the political interacts, is very much in
evidence.
Dramatist, poet, novelist, and journalist Matei Visniec, born in
Romania and living in France since seeking political asylum in
1987, has been one of the most trenchant voices of Europe,
condemning the atrocities of totalitarianism as well as excesses of
consumer culture. This first anthology of his dramatic work made
available in English collects seven of his most impressive and
outspoken plays. "How to Explain the History of Communism to Mental
Patients" is the central piece of the collection and is a satire of
Stalinism that unmasks limitless political power, the fascination
with utopias, and the perils of personality cults. Other plays in
the anthology include "Decomposed Theater, or The Human Trashcan, "
which explores forms of brainwashing and alienation both in
totalitarian and consumerist societies; "The Body of a Woman as a
Battlefield in the Bosnian War," which addresses witnessing trauma
and the complicated relationship between East and West; and
"Richard III Will Not Take Place, or Scenes from the Life of
Meyerhold;" which speaks to political censorship and cultural
resistance under totalitarianism, focusing on the social role and
responsibility of the artist. The resulting collection is a bold
and unflinching critique of politics and society that is so
poignant and moving it is sure to be of interest to performers and
historians alike.
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