Press release – In your words
The original play “In your Words” brings on the stage Romanian’s view on multiculturalism
- More than 900 stories on the cultural diversity of the inland minorities, told by Romanians at the public libraries were gathered through the Cultural Agora @ Your Library project.
- The team consisting of playwright Peca Stefan, director Radu Apostol, actresses Mihaela Rădescu and Katia Pascariu, architect Gabi Albu, musician Bobo from Fara Zahar and video designer Elena Gageanu transposed these stories in a play.
- The performance will have a preview in Bucharest on February 22nd, and will run in the tree counties involved in the project: Brăila (February 25th), Sibiu (February 26th) and Cluj-Napoca (February 29th)
- The official premiere will be on the 23rd and 24th of March, from 7 p.m., at the Replika Educational Theatre Centre.
The play created by Peca Ștefan based on over 900 digital stories told in the public libraries on the cultural diversity of the minorities in Romania will have a preview on the 22nd of February, in Bucharest.
With the support received from the local partners: Maria Filotti Theatre, Lyra Hall, Gong Theatre, National Dance Centre, Colectiv A and the sustaining of the County Libraries, the theater performance directed by Radu Apostol will travel to Braila, Sibiu and Cluj, between February 25th to 29th .
The text of the play inspired by the stories about minorities told by over 900 Romanians belongs to one of the most talented playwrighters today in Romania, Peca Stefan, the direction to Radu Apostol and in the distribution of the show there are two actresses known to the Romanian theater lovers: Mihaela Rădescu and Katia Pascariu. The scenic design is signed by the architect Gabi Albu, the music is composed by the well-known Bobo Burlăcianu from Fara Zahar, and video projections by Elena Gageanu.
The collection of more than 900 digital stories about multiculturalism told by the Romanians was made in the frame of Cultural Agora @ Your Library project, initiated by ANBPR and the public libraries, and supported by involving Cultural Association REPLIKA and Jazzmontor Norway AS as partners. These stories, many of them with a particularly dramatic potential, have become the source of inspiration for an original drama that captures the most relevant aspects of Romanian cultural landscape from a multi-ethnic perspective.
How can we talk about ourselves? How can we express “in our words?” How are Romanian traditions and customs today? How can we talk about them, and still be ourselves? In the past year, while Cultural Agora @ Your Library project was implemented, Romanians have translated their answers in a digital format, answers that were archived by the libraries of four counties, remarkable for their ethnical diversity : Braila, Sibiu, Cluj and Bucharest.
”In your Words”
Text: Peca Ștefan
Director: Radu Apostol; Scenic Designer: Arh. Gabi Albu; Music: Bogdan Burlăcianu (aka: Bobo from Fără Zahăr); Video design: Elena Găgeanu
With: Katia Pascariu, Mihaela Rădescu
Age limit: 10+
Duration: 1h 10 min
For Doiniţa, a pupil of 11 year old, the death of her younger sister is a distress she cannot get over with. When Doiniţa’s school is selected to represent Romania at the International Education Fair The World as a school in Oslo, Norway, in 2016, her mother and her teachers see this attendance as a chance for Doiniţa to forget about her sister. Children are asked to write compositions on the subject “România în your words”. During the teacher-parents meeting it appears that most children do not know the Romanian traditions and customs, but, instead, have a lot of imagination and creativity.
Donita’s composition astonishes everybody. Her mother and the principal of her school make out a new composition and ask Doinita to learn it by heart, so that she can present it at Oslo.
Through this composition Doiniţa finally succeeds to reconcile with her sister’s death. Fiction becomes “the composition” and recomposing the painful reality of the emotional loss, which shapes a girl with her own imagination. When “her words” are rummaging through fond memories and plate the wires of her memory, the world becomes more bearable.
The schedule of the performance ”In your Words”:
- Bucharest: Monday, the 22nd of February – preview – , 7 p.m. The performance will be staged at The Edicational Center Theatre Replika (23-25, Lânăriei str. , district 4). Free admission based on reservation.
Please contact: Radu Apostol, phone 0732101860, email centrulreplika@gmail.com
- Braila: Thursday, the 25th of February, 7 p.m. The performance for the local audience will be staged at Lyra Hall. Free admission based on reservation.
Please contact: Laura Caplea, phone 0765240145, email laura_caplea@bjbraila.ro
- Sibiu: Friday, the 26th of February, 6.30 p.m. The performance for the local audience will be staged at Gong Theatre. Free admission based on reservation.
Please contact: Dana Rusu, phone 0740992105, email dana.parvu@yahoo.com
- Cluj-Napoca: Monday, the 29th of February, at 7 p.m. The performance vor the local audience will be staged on Fabrica de Pensule, RAP space. Free admission based on reservation.
Please contact: Octavia Hulpoi, phone 0731013283, email octavia_hulpoi@yahoo.com
- Bucharest: Wednesday, the 23rd March and Thursday, the 24th of March – the official premiere, 7 p.m . The performance will be staged at The Educational Center Theatre Replika (23-25, Lânăriei str. , district 4). Free admission based on reservation.
Please contact: Radu Apostol, phone 0732101860, email centrulreplika@gmail.com
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About the project
Cultural Agora @ Your Library is a project implemented by ANBPR, financed through the SEE 2009-2014 Grants, the PA17/RO13 Programme “The Promotion of diversity of culture and art within the European heritage” (www.fonduri-diversitate.ro) in Romania. The total value of the financing is EUR 200,369 out of which EUR 180,331 is the financing from SEE Grants, while EUR 20,036 is the quantum of co-financing.
About ANBPR
ANBPR is the most representative professional association of librarians and public libraries in Romania, concerned with the welfare and professional performance of its members, the evolution of the national cultural area promoting a considerable empowerment of the communities. Starting from the basic principles of associative work – solidarity, cohesion, social employment and competitiveness – ANBPR plead for the revival of the status and the librarian’s mission in the society, for supporting a quality cultural education and the diversity in culture.
For more information:
GMP PR Silvia Jalea silvia.jalea@pr.gmp.ro 0745 509 822
ANBPR Anamaria Sabou anbpr_ro@yahoo.com 0374 052 437 / 0758 220 290
