by Marin Sorescu

Artistic direction and musical illustration: Ion Ciubotaru
Scenography: Vioara Bara
Premiere date: May 7, 1998

A modern historical play, "The Cold" revives with ironic and allegorical verve an episode of the national past set during the reign of Vlad the Impaler. Sultan Mehmed II leads a military expedition to the north of the Danube, with the aim of dethroning Ţepeş and enthroning Radu the Handsome, his usurping brother. Radu the Handsome has no remorse at the thought of dethroning his blood brother, and he does not seem to notice how dearly Mehmed's help will cost him. He warns him that he will not have the right to have his own army and that the rulers will not rule the country for more than three or four years, because the throne will be bought with a lot of gold from the Turkish gate.

On the other hand, instead of focusing on the military aspects of his position, the sultan, feeling the inferiority of Turkish culture in relation to the Greek one, works with the zeal of a founder on the Turkish alphabet, composes odes, elegies, gazelles, and has a debutante's trepidation while waiting for the verdicts of the literary critic of the Pasha of Vidin. The cage in which the representatives of Byzantium conquered by Mohammed (the Emperor, the Empress, War, Finances, Isabella, Stratos) are carried is also part of the Turkish procession, characters who behave without considering their state of captivity. As he approaches the Danube and is confronted with surprise attacks by the Romanians, the sultan decides to give up the status of creator in order to become the Conqueror again. However, the end consists in the victory of the Romanians over the numerically superior Turkish army, so that Mohammed's expedition becomes an adventure subject to the hazards of history.

Set almost entirely within the Turkish court or in the army, the play ultimately narrows down to an intimate setting – the family of the Romanian captain Toma, with his wife, Mrs. Stanca, and the old maid, Safta. The ending also explains the play's metaphorical title: the sacrifice of the Romanians, their death is hidden under the discreet euphemism of a simple cold.

In "Romania Literară" of February 25, 2006, critic Nicolae Manolescu places the play "Răceala", together with "A treia țeapă" in the area of political theater, considering them "parodies on the theme of abuses in totalitarian regimes". Thus, history remains only the pretext for meditation on the human condition, either in the hypostasis of the ephemerality of its glory, or in the impossibility of affirming freedom of thought in totalitarian political systems.

Distribution:

Muhammad II:  Petre Panait
The Lieutenant and the Harapul:  Sebastian Wolf
Pasha of Vidin:  Dorin Presecan
Radu the Handsome:  John Coman
Pinzaru and Papuc:  Ion Abrudan
Thomas:  Doru Firte
Mrs. Stanca:  Elvira Platon Rîmbu
Safta and Vica:  Mariana Vasile
Ostean, Stan and Neagoe:  Ion Ruscut, George Voinese
The cowboy:  Eugen Harizomenov
The Emperor:  Nicholas Thomas
Empress:  Simona Constantinescu
Zunis and Finance:  Ion Tomorrow
The war:  Tiberiu Covaci
Isabel:  Mirela Nita
Stratos:  Marcel Popa
Cadana I and Gheorghina:  Andra Tudor Cornea
Cadana II:  Angela Tanko
Baftangioglu:  Eugen Tugulea
Besleague:  Alexander Cornea
Flower:  Mariana Presecan
Tilina:  Monalisa Basarab
Pride:  Loredana Iuga
Rita:  Ofelia Fîrte
In figuration:  Gheorghe Iernea, Nicu Segărceanu, Alexandru Luca, Cristian Segărceanu, Florin Codila, Istvan Kovacs

Technical director: Florin Popescu
Prompter: Iuliana Chelu
Lighting: Iosif Balogh, Sorin Precup
Sound: Sorin Domide