Producer: Municipal Theatre BACOVIA Bacău

Cast: Firuța Apetrei, Minodora Broscoi, Kiki Simion, Ștefan Huluba, Eduard Burghelea, Adi Ionescu, Alexandru Bodron, Tudor Hurmuz, Marian Dumitru

Director: Alex Bogdan

Set Design: Clara Ștefana

Sound Design: Adrian Picioarea

Lighting Design: Costi Baciu

Duration: 2 hours (without intermission)

Synopsis: D’ale carnavalului is one of the most representative comedies written by Ion Luca Caragiale. Premiered the same year it was published (1885) at the National Theatre in Bucharest, the play captures the atmosphere of the Bucharest slums at the end of the 19th century, illustrating the hypocrisy, superficiality, and romantic conflicts of its characters. The plot revolves around Nae Girimea, a notorious seducer and barber caught between the jealousy of Mița Baston and the passion of Didina Mazu. Against the backdrop of a carnival, romantic misunderstandings and plot twists multiply, creating a comic chaos dominated by gossip, lies, and quarrels.

“Caragiale managed to capture the spirit of a country that cannot evolve. The absence of memory keeps us stuck in time. His name is used whenever we try to explain an absurd situation in Romania: it’s just like in Caragiale. He is everywhere with us, haunting us. We are all his prisoners. For me, that’s what the carnival means. This is the direction in which I built the show – like a strange dream we cannot wake up from. Neither us, nor the characters. Between the lines, I discovered a world screaming for love, and I believe that is the novelty of this production: a D-ale carnavalului full of emotion, freed from clichés and with a lot of quality humor. It is a total, bold show that keeps you in your seat for almost two hours without moving or wanting to check your phone. An extremely deep reading of the text, complex, fleshy characters. An absolutely impressive set, music that carries you through the most unexpected states. An impressive cast, a modern pace, playful solutions. Unforced comedy, not blatant.” – Alex Bogdan, director of the performance