The timetable of the 22nd International Festival in Sibiu (FITS) is proof of the pledge made by the institution's director, actor Constantin Chiriac to carry on developing the festival, not only in terms of events, artists, audiences but also in terms of
The timetable of the 22nd International Festival in Sibiu (FITS) is proof of the pledge made by the institution's director, actor Constantin Chiriac to carry on developing the festival, not only in terms of events, artists, audiences but also in terms of raising quality. For ten days the city of Sibiu turned into a huge stage for 2673 artists and invitees out of 70 countries, who gave 427 performances and brought together 65 thousand spectators per day on an average.
One of the events marking the festival was 'Nathan the Wise' a co-production of the Radu Stanca National Theatre and Schauspiel Stuttgart, directed by Armin Petras. But the piece is not a mere staging of Lessing's script, as actress Ofelia Popii has observed: "He deals with very topical issues and it was a surprise for me the way in which he read the text without manipulating or changing it in any way. He brought to the forefront ideas that we are actually facing nowadays, related to religion, politics, but also human issues, such as: what it means to be a parent, what love really means, what human relationships mean. It's a show I'd like to watch from the theatre hall as it raises a lot of questions and won't leave you unchanged."
The cast includes Romanian and German actors playing in Romanian, German and English, as the show is going to be performed in Stuttgart and Oslo too.
A theatre production that kept the audiences attention for three hours, late into the night was George Tabori's 'Mein Kampf', which is an anti-Nazi farce staged by Alexandru Dabija at the Cluj-Napoca National Theatre. The author himself was a victim of Nazi terror.
Ionut Caras is playing Shlomo Herzl, an old Jew, who welcomes in his hostel a young man named Hitler, who wanted to study at the Fine Art Academy: "The text helps you a lot because it's a good one. It's a dark comedy, tragic-comical at that. Tabori lost almost all his family in concentration camps and believes the only way to pay back for this tragedy is by humour. Then director Dabija took over Tabori's script and as everybody knows, he isn't a sober, rigid guy, on the contrary, he's young and playful. Then we, the troupe from Cluj, stepped in. We are in a very good mood now and well-trained in comedy playing and I didn't have much work to do. When I read the text, knowing nothing about Tabori, I found the script jaw-dropping. I remember bursting out laughing over the script, then stopping...then laughing again. I actually enjoyed that roller-coaster sensation. I think such a play has the potential to change the actors and spectators alike. It was a pleasure to work on the script and really enjoyed my part. I try to keep to this thin line, the balance between comedy and drama."
Three women, three generations, three lifestyles: a grandma, a mother and a daughter. What did it mean to be Jewish 50 years back in the communist Germany and what does it mean now? Questions about identity, belonging and homeland are being featured in 'Mother Tongue Mameloschn'/ Muttermale Fenster blau' performed on the festival's first day by the Deutsches Theater Berlin. Here is Ulrich Beck, a playwright with the Deutsches Theater Berlin.
Ulrich Beck: "We've been lucky to have this script because we believe the script is very important to Berlin and to the history of people living in this city. And that's not only because of the Jewish history here, but also because of the Wall's history. I believe that both the Berliners and Romanian spectators really enjoyed the jokes, the mother-daughter-grandmother relationships. We have the feeling that the problems they were facing, as well as the communication and feelings they shared were well understood by the spectators. I believe that political and social connections between people and the political system represent a very important topic for contemporary theatre. The political situation is deeply felt by people, it's influencing their lives."
Dance shows have for quite some time been one of the main attractions of the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu. 'Dervish' - created and performed by Ziya Azazi was one of the most beautiful dance shows this year. Although a contemporary dancer in the beginning, Ziya Azazi got back to traditional dance later on, when he was 30. And although it looks traditional, 'Dervish - the hermit's dance' is more of a universal show. For Ziya, when he dances, the most important thing is the way in which he makes the connection between interior and external realities.
Ziya Azazi: "If you unblock the channel between the two worlds, all inner information goes out and the other way round. If you can do that, now you have what it's called freedom of movement. For this reason, when I dance I am seeking that kind of spirit. I try to clear my mind, my body trying to get ready for the audience. When I go out on stage I have this goal in my mind. Of course it is important to show my abilities, speak about my own vision and choreographic approach.... But the most important thing is to be real on stage...to connect the two worlds. And I believe it is actually working in the show, because of the trance, the mystical direction, rehearsal and the progressive variations of certain moves. All this helps me become even more real and transcendental. That's why the venue is unimportant, the audience will understand and the effect is always a positive one, as you could see in the show here in Romania."
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