Description
Book SynopsisPlays 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
Trade ReviewA diverse, potent collection of play texts that reveal some of the more complex and lesser-known facets of Romanian theatre culture and recent history … These playwrights have loud, interesting voices. Now that their intense, funny, bleak and thoughtful plays are accessible to Anglophone theatre makers, readers and audiences – in a series of sharp, versatile translations that range in tone and register from furiously hard-nosed to softly lyrical – I hope they are heard. * European Literature Network: Riveting Reviews *
Acts as a manifesto volume of sorts – it offers various forms of dramatic expression hailing from Romania and admirably includes texts by ethnic Hungarian and Roma authors, two minorities that have played and continue to play an important role in local history … This volume is an important work of reference for anyone interested in theatre arts, and those studying contemporary performance will do well if they rely on this impressive publication. * BookHub Romania (Bloomsbury Translation) *
The plays offer an impressive thematic and formal range, including verse and chorus-based works, and works that speak to their immediate contexts, as well as to broader human experiences … This is accomplished and important work. It will appeal to practitioners and scholars of theatre, and it will enrich courses on dramaturgy, directing, theatre translation and European theatre and culture. * Theatre Research International *
Not only a literary, cultural, and critical tour de force, but also a collection in which every single piece – every single page really – represents an exquisite instance of playwriting in splendid English translation … An irresistible, must-have page-turner. * Asymptote Journal *
Fills a considerable gap in our understanding and evaluation of Romania's theatrical present. Komporaly’s extensive knowledge of the past and present intricacies of Romanian theatre is reflected not only in her detailed introduction but also in the selection of plays that appear in the volume … An extraordinary range of works. * BASEES Newsletter *
Komporaly has raised a spotlight on theatre in Romania and its multilingual, subversive perspectives from bold transnational artists making sense of historical abuses and imagining how to bravely move to new futures. * Hopscotch Translation *
A triumph … [Gives] theater academics the tools and textual testimony to subvert and invent a new sense of what contemporary plays and dramaturgies could be … This anthology is a substantial contribution to scholars dedicated to Romanian theater or Eastern European studies and initiates first-time readers into contemporary Romanian theatrical work. * Central European Cultures *
Table of Contents1. General Introduction 2.
Lowlands ('Niederungen') by Herta Müller, adapted for the stage by Mihaela Panainte 3.
The Spectator Sentenced to Death ('Spectatorul condamnat la moarte') by Matéi Visniec 4.
The Passport ('Kalucsni') by György Dragomán 5.
The Man Who Had His Inner Evil Removed ('Omul din care a fost extras raul') by Matéi Visniec 6.
Stories of the Body (Artemisia, Eva, Lina, Teresa) ('A test történetei') by András Visky 7.
Sexodrome 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.
