17. 10. 2010.

Press Conference : "Life with an idiot"

Press Conference report - 17th october 2010

Today, the team of the National Theatre “Nada Stanca” of Sibiu in Romania came to talk about “Life with an idiot”, performance which was played at the National Theatre of Sarajevo on the 16^th oct. The general director, and Cristina Flutur, Florin Coşuleţ and Catalin Patru, actors, were answering the question of Mess and of the journalists.

They were asked if Life with an idiot is a usual repertory for them. The general director answered that there are more or less 75 differents shows in their repertory, and that they cross very various kinds of shows from Shakespeare to contemporary writers, from body questions to textuals ones.Their theatre in Sibiu presents 34 shows per month, their audience is very large and about 80 % of it is very young. This large audience must be, according to him, related to the big festival they organize in Sibiu which brings together more than 6000 spectators per day. The production of this performance “Life with an idiot” was not therefore made especially for international festivals.

Cristina Flutur, actress in the performance, is asked how it was to play in Sarajevo and how is the city to her. She answers that she really loves the city, which is much more beautiful than what she thought. It has been however difficult to play here because it is always a great challenge for her to play abroad; it requires a lot of energy, strength, up to your limits.

She then explains that the role she plays represents the figure of a woman who gets mad because she realizes she has no love anymore. And, according to her, the deeper message of the performance is : what happens to the whole world without this love ?

The general director is asked about the complexity of the performance. He explains that this show builds a link beetween technology and acting. And that actors feel their collegues while playing this crisis without limits. There are usually strong reactions of the public.

He is then asked how the performance has been accepted in Romania. He says that it was well accepted. He worried more about its reception in Helsinki and Moscow where it was also played. He was very surprised because people came to strong laugh. He adds that new generations never leave the show, as if they needed to see it.

Many performances of their repertory are used to tour abroad. They will soon play in Kiev. They will also participate to a National Theatre Festival in Romania with a new performance created after the movie from Lars Von Trier “Breaking the waves”. And another performance, created in an old and huge communist factory will tour in whole Europe : it was played in Edinburg last year and will be shown next year in Brussels, Madrid, Moscow, etc.

Cristina is asked if Mess is a special thing for her. She answers that anyway, playing abroad is always a challenge, since the country and the audience have different history, energy, reactions. And since the actors are alive, they can feel it entirely. She thinks that the reactions she received of Sarajevo’s audience were just amazing.

Then, the general director remembers 1993 : Sarajevo was in war while he was touring in Belgium. And he remembers how unbelievable was the mobilisation of artists in all Europe for Sarajevo. The City became Capital of alternative Culture in 1993. It keeps being for him a great example; a model that was really useful when his city, Sibiu, became European Capital of Culture in 2007.