Studii si Cercetari de Istoria Artei : Teatru, Muzică, Cinematografie (Dec 2017)
Teatre vechi, regizori reîntorși, actori noi: trei proceduri de selecție în frământatul 1990
Abstract
The homecoming from exile, in 1990, of the Romanian famous theatre directors represents, now, a historical event with a particular importance in the subsequent evolution of the theatrical environment. The motivations of coming back are, of course, individual and profound; but, besides the post-revolutionary enthusiasm, besides the programmatic good will of Andrei Plesu, the Minister of Culture of the moment, who invited all the important Romanian artists to return, the effects of this process were different: they basically cover many levels, from management to repertoire specificity, from marketing to esthetics. One has to remember that the first years after 1989 witnessed an uncontrolled explosion of new media institutions that implied a quick adaptation of the PR and branding strategies for every theatre, opera or art organization. The homecoming of renowned theatre directors, now theatre managers, had also political implications in the hot political struggles of the new-born democracy. One of the first consequences of inviting the famous directors from exile to reorganize theatres was the rejuvenation of the company’s artistic team. We have to remember that the Theatre Schools were permitted, in the last decade, a smaller and smaller number of acting students. On the other hand, theatres were not allowed to organize contests for new employment but once every two years, and the number of young actors joining Bucharest’s theatres, for example, was strongly limited. The paper tries to recompose, from the journals and magazines of the time, the methods, the intentions and the medium and long term effects of the auditions for new actors, in three theatres from Bucharest, in the summer of 1990: The Giulesti (later Odeon) Theatre, The National Theatre and The Bulandra Theatre. Based on reviews, surveys and interviews, we’ll try to re-enact the ground, to sketch the similarities and differences, practical but also theoretic, of the three committees of selection conducted by Vlad Mugur, Andrei Serban and Liviu Ciulei.
