Interview by Georgea-Elena Ștefan
In the show The Theatre, the director Pascal Rambert also includes personal episodes from the lives of the actors. How was the exposure of such moments in front of the public?
I did not expose things I was embarrassed of or feared to show. I told Pascal about my childhood in the 90s in Romania, about the school and the high school theatre company, about my experience in the theatre. My desire to play theatre and the relationship I have with my job were taken over, but the story was taken in another direction. So, in this role, I did not feel like exposing myself. But there is a permanent controversy in me, in the sense that yes, I expose myself, but I am afraid to do so, there is a tension in me in relation to the job.
A kind of personal battle, where you have to fight yourself?
Yes, I do not like to let myself go, nevertheless I do it every time, but in a controlled context. In real life, I would not do this, because I do not necessarily trust that someone would catch me.
Have you been involved with the theatre since you were a child?
Since I was a child, I went to the theatre, I came with the kindergarten, then with the school. For the first time I came to the theatre in the 90s. There is a part of personal truth in the text – I used to come and admire those who are now my colleagues. I really wanted to be part of this team, which eventually happened.
How did the passion for the theatre, the desire to become an actress, start?
It started in high school, since I entered the high school theatre company, in the 10th grade. I liked the energy of the team, I liked it because it was different from the high school classes, it was an escape area from what the school was. This energy made me want to do this further on.
How did the collaboration between a French director and a German theatre go?
It was a very warm collaboration, Pascal is a very nice and funny person. He knew from the beginning what he wanted to do. He had a structure and knew how he wanted to place the moments. Everything went fast and to the point, with a lot of humour. The rehearsals were relaxed, we did not have dead times, as it often happens other times.
Do you think the theatre is a family for an actor?
I would say yes, for me, the theatre is a family. In addition to the fact that we spend a lot of time together, more time than at home, I think this assembly specifically is a little different from other ensembles.
As specified in the description of the show, it is recommended for persons over 14 years old. What message is sent to a viewer of this age? What is the difference in perception of a mature audience (one who, for example, experienced the Revolution or a divorce) compared to a young one?
For a child, the show would tend to become uninteresting, because the topics discussed are “grown-ups-topics”, there is not much action, there is a lot of text. The perception of an adult may differ – he knows the company or not, he is a consistent theatre consumer or not. At some point, the exchanges of replies are fast, so the language could be a barrier for those who do not speak German.
What are the advantages of the local theatre? What about the minuses of the local theatre?
One advantage is the fact that it is funded. However, this can lead to a painful routine, you simply produce. Many times, I have the feeling that there are no real stakes, that some repertoires “happen”, without the thought of moving anything. A big minus is that it is quite difficult to reach both national and international co-productions. The fact that the ensembles are fixed makes things quite fixed, as well, the independents rarely reach the state theatres, so there is no flow. On the other hand, it seems to me that contemporary dramaturgy is developing, I like that there are all kinds of artistic and dramatic writing residencies. I would find it important that the state theatres resort to texts written by Romanians, because they talk about the Romanian gene. However, this is not common, because it is easier to stage Shakespeare than to pay the copyright. I would like the theatre to talk about more concrete things in our society.
What do you think would be the solution to have a collaboration between the state and the independent theatres?
I think more curiosity and desire for real exchange between different institutions and cities is needed – I think this would also enrich the local cultural offer in both areas. I think there are egos that make things not happen. There are, of course, also problems of legislation, planning, and the lack of being used to co-productions.
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“Ph[r]ases”- Creative Formulas is a programme conceived by Diana Katharina and Daniela Șilindean together with the team of the German State Theatre Timișoara, dedicated to the theatre chronicle within the Eurothalia 2023 European Theatre Festival, held between 20-30 September 2023, financed by the National Cultural Program Timișoara - European Capital of Culture in 2023.
