Set designer painter

Date and place of birth: 29.03.1973, Beiuş

Studies: "Ion Andreescu" Academy of Arts, Cluj-Napoca - Painting Department, 1997, prof. Andor Kőmíves, Nicolae Man

Camelia Köteles Panait came to the Oradea Theatre in 1999, and worked as a set designer for only two seasons. At first, she assisted set designer Vioara Bara on the show “Despre sexul femeii…” by Matei Vişniec, directed by Petru Vutcărău. Her drawings, very careful sketches and serious documentation have also entitled other directors to collaborate with her. If in the shows “Bună seara domnule Wilde” (by Oscar Wilde) or “Slugă la doi stăpăndi” (by Carlo Goldoni) the sets were thoroughly related to the subject, in full harmony with the director’s vision, in “Gaiţele” (by Al. Kiriţescu) it seems that she also accepted some ideas imposed by the director, in total disagreement with his ideas about the well-known comedy. An untimely, forced modernization seemed “an artificial graft”, lacking precisely the comic element. It has even been stated that the director imposed a Chekhovian over-theme on the comedy.

In fact, misunderstandings between set designers and directors often lead to underperforming shows, so that, many times, a set designer is unfairly judged exclusively for the finished set design, when it would be fair to analyze the proposed sketches as well. However, it seems that better communication worked between her and Alina Hiristea at the show "Delirium in two, in three, in as many as you want" (by Eugen Ionescu) - a show in which young people from all walks of life met. This is probably why the set designer was so uninhibited, the decor and costumes expressing the artist's personality better. Painting actually occupies the first place in her activity. She has exhibited several times, successfully. Today she is a painting teacher at the Art High School in Oradea.

(Presentation by Eugen Ţugulea)

Artistic sheet – Oradea State Theatre

• Set design assistant on ON WOMEN'S SEX AS A BATTLEFIELD IN THE BOSNIAN WAR by Matei Vişniec, 1999, directed by Petru Vutcărău
• Scenography for DELIR IN TWO, IN THREE, IN AS MANY AS YOU WANT by Eugen Ionescu, 2000, dir. Ion Ciubotaru
• Set design for GAIŢELE by Alexandru Kiriţescu, 2000, dir. Ion Ciubotaru
• Set design for THE SERVANT WITH TWO MASTERS by Carlo Goldoni, 2001, dir. Alina Hiristea
• Scenography for GOOD EVENING, MR. WILDE! (WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE HONEST?) by Oscar Wilde (2001), dir. Alina Hiristea