Set designer painter

Date and place of birth: 21.04.1929

Studies: "Nicolae Grigorescu" Institute of Fine Arts, Bucharest, 1958

Tatiana Manolescu Uleu came to Oradea, together with her husband, the actor Octavian Uleu, in 1961, and remained here until her retirement. She designed sets and costumes, and for a few performances only the costumes, for a relatively small number of performances, if we compare their number to the seasons, which means that, with some exceptions, she signed about two performances per season, i.e. the norm imposed by the position. It is important to note, however, that the theater always featured a reasonable number of set designers (Nagy Sándor, Eliza Popescu, Maria Haţeganu, Bíró I.Géza, Vioara Bara, in addition, there were no shortage of prestigious collaborators – Romulus Peneş, Tody Constantinescu, François Pamfil, Ştefan Hablinski, Paul Bortnovski, Vladimir Popov, Dan Jitianu, etc.). But, since not only the number of performances is important, but also the value of the works, we note an indisputable fact: the performances on which he collaborated with creative directors, with whom he met on the fragile terrain of stage metaphor, the results were remarkable.

This is how things happened with the shows "Diogenes the Dog" (by Dumitru Solomon), "These Sad Angels" (by DRPopescu), "The Empty King" (by Evgheni Şvarţ), "The Emigrants" (by Slawomir Mrožek), "The Bomb of the Day" (by Ben Hecht and Charles McArthur) - with Alexandru Colpacci, „"The Dictator" (by Al. Kiriţescu) – with Sergiu Savin, "Act veneţian" (by Camil Petrescu), "Tartuffe" (by Molière) and "Interesul general" (by Aurel Baranga) – with Marietta Sadova, "Casa cu două intrări" (by Calderón de la Barca), "Moartea ultimului golan" (by Virgil Stoenescu) – with Nicoleta Toia, or "Occisio Gregorii..." – with Ion Olteanu. To these is added the creation of true poetic spaces of poetry from the recitals within the caffé-thêâtre, or the Studio hall (the Bacovia show – "I hear the matter crying" – performed by the actor Octavian Uleu, the Eminescu or Horváth Imre show).

From the very beginning, Tatiana Manolescu Ulei was entrusted with the scenography of a difficult show: "The Police Inspector" by JBPriestley, an opportunity with which she demonstrated her skill, both in her relationship with the director and actors, and with the workshops. She probably used, for the beginning, the collaboration with Dorel Urlăţeanu, an artist with a solid theatrical school. She later worked with him on the show "I Believe in You" by V.Korostîliov.

He also collaborated well with Ion Deloreanu. The set design of the show "Luceafărul" (by B.Şt.Delavrancea) - with extremely suggestive decor, of a contained, unostentatious modernity, elegantly stylized costumes; Florian Potra noted the success of a show with one of the plays about which it was written that it was not "scenic", observing in passing that "only theaters that think themselves small shrink". It was the first important success after the successes signed by Radu Penciulescu and Valeriu Moisescu, the mark and the beginning of the series of a historical cycle, we then refer to the poetry of the artistic show "Veac de iarnă" (by Ion Omescu) and to the exceptional decor, of a suggestive simplicity, of the multi-awarded show "Occisio Gregorii...", an authentic cultural fact.

For shows like "The Boga Sisters" (by Horia Lovinescu), "A Wrong Move" (by Virgil Stoenescu) or "Public Opinion" (by Aurel Baranga) she created carefully thought-out, suggestive play spaces, and the costumes were carefully chosen, defining the characters' personalities.

The performances signed together with the master teacher Marietta Sadova bear the mark of the refinement specific to the remarkable interwar theatrical school: Venice – „which had not yet exhausted its former glory” („Act venetian” by Camil Petrescu), a bourgeois cosmic universe stylized with refinement („Tartuffe” by Molière), a villainous space, soaked in hypocrisy, with people dressed „normally” and behaving naturally, so that they can deceive more easily („Interesul general” by Aurel Baranga). Regarding the setting of „Casa cu două intrări” (presented successfully also in Debreșin), the chronicler writes that „it contributed, being simple, made up of movable elements”, to the success with the audience. The lively, temperamental play of the actors (the costumes had their own humor) was also appreciated by chroniclers and the audience.

With the performances "The Naked King" (by Evgheni Şvarţ), "These Sad Angels" and "The Balcony" (by DRPopescu), the set designer garnered numerous accolades, with reviews noting the creators' subtlety, but also their unity of views, the stage metaphor making it possible to understand the abusive Aesopian language, present in all of Colpacci's performances.

Accompanying Sergiu Savin in the strange universe of "The Dictator" (by Al. Kiriţescu), she designed a superb set and costumes of great refinement, worn with distinction by actresses Alla Tăutu and Simona Cosntantinescu.

The humor and the absence of shocking, ostentatiously realistic images meant that the sets and costumes of shows like "Geranium from the Window" (by VIPopa), "Double Game" (by Robert Thomas) or "Confound the World" (by A.de Herz) were received exactly as the director intended.

Tatiana Manolescu Uleu's works have always borne the imprint of culture, good taste and the refinement of a serious school of painting.

(Presentation by Elisabeta Pop)

Artistic sheet – Oradea State Theatre

• Set design for THE POLICE INSPECTOR by JBPriestley, 1961, directed by Dorel Urlăţeanu
• Set design for I BELIEVE IN YOU by Vadim Korostîliov, 1962, directed by Dorel Urlăţeanu
• Scenography for the SEMICENTENARY OF CARAGIALE, 1962, directed by Ion Deloreanu
• Scenography for HER MARY THE MAN by Klára Fehér, 1962, dir. Corneliu Zdrehuş
• Scenography for LUCEAFĂRUL by B.Şt.Delavrancea, 1963, directed by Ion Deloreanu
• Set design for THE BOGA SISTERS by Horia Lovinescu, 1964, dir. Ion Deloreanu
• Set design for A WRONG MOVE by Virgil Stoenescu, 1965, dir. Ion Deloreanu
• Scenography for JUPITER HAS FUN by AJCronin, 1966, directed by Corneliu Zdrehuş
• Set design for ACT VENETIAN by Camil Petrescu, 1967, dir. Marietta Sadova
• Set design for THE WINTER AGE by Ion Omescu, 1967, dir. Ion Deloreanu
• Set design for PUBLIC OPINION by Aurel Baranga, 1968, directed by Ion Deloreanu
• Set design for TARTUFFE by Molière, 1968, director Marietta Sadova
• Set design for CEZAR, THE PIRATE'S MASK by DRPopescu, 1968, dir. Ion Deloreanu
• Set design for CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA by GBShaw, 1969, rNAl.Toscani
• Scenography for MIHAI EMINESCU RECITAL, 1969, directed by Vasile Pop
• Set design for CERC VICIOS (Coupé-show) by Teodor Mazilu, 1970, dir. Ion Mâinea
• Set design for THE HOUSE WITH TWO ENTRANCES by Calderón de la Barca, 1970, directed by Nicoleta Toia
• Scenography for THE DEATH OF THE LAST GOLAN by Virgil Stoenescu, 1970, directed by Nicoleta Toia
• Scenography for THE GENERAL INTEREST by Aurel Baranga, 1971, directed by Marietta Sadova
• Scenography for THE ADAM AND EVE TRIAL by Rudi Strahl, 1972, director Szombati Gille Otto
• Set design for THE EMPTY KING by Evgheni Şvarţ, 1972, dir. Alexandru Colpacci
• Scenography for THESE SAD ANGELS by DRPopescu, 1973, directed by Alexandru Colpacci
• Scenography THE GERONIMO IN THE WINDOW by VIPopa, 1973, directed by Szombati Gille Otto
• Set design for THE SIXTH POWER by Vincenzo di Mattia, 1974, dir. Alexandru Colpacci
• Scenography at AUD MATERIA PLÂNGÂND, 1974, dir.Octavian Uleu
• Set design for THE DICTATOR by Al. Kiriţescu, 1975, directed by Sergiu Savin
• Set design for THE WINTER'S TALE by William Shakespeare, 1975, dir. Alexandru Colpacci
• Scenography for I STILL READ YOUR BOOK, 1975, directed by Alexandru Colpacci
• Set design for BOMBA ZILEI by Ben Hecht and Charles McArthur, 1976, dir. Szombati Gille Otto
• Scenography for THE BALCON by DRPopescu, 1976, directed by Alexandru Colpacci
• Tatiana Manolescu-Uleu Set design for POETS AND UNION (ANNIVERSARY SHOW) based on a script by Elisabeta Pop, 1976, directed by Sergiu Savin
• Set design for HORVÁTH IMRE TRIBUTE RECITAL, 1976, directed by Szombati Gille Otto
• Set design for HOT SPRING based on a script by Bokor Andrei, 1977, directed by Szombati Gille Otto
• Set design for EMIGRANTS by Slavomir Mrožek, 1977, dir. Alexandru Colpacci
• Scenography for OCCISIO GREGORII IN MOLDAVIA VODAE TRAGEDICE EXPRESSA, 1978, director Ion Olteanu
• Set design for ÎNCURCĂ-LUME by A. de Herz, 1978, directed by Farkas Ştefan and Ion Mâinea
• Scenography for THE LITTLE FARISEI by Dimitris Psatas, 1978, director Szombati Gille Otto
• Set design for THE GHOST WITH Bracelets by Mircea Bereş, 1979, directed by Mircea Cornişteanu
• Costumes for FURNITURE AND PAIN by Teodor Mazilu, 1979, directed by Mircea Cornişteanu
• Scenography for HOW CATINCA BECAME AN OLD GIRL by Nelu Ionescu, 1980, directed by Eugen Ţugulea
• Set design for THE SWEET HYPOCRISY OF THE MATURE MAN by Tudor Popescu, 1980, directed by Mihai Lungeanu
• Costumes for DIOGENES THE DOG by Dumitru Solomon, 1980, directed by Alexandru Colpacci
• Set design for HOSTAGE Z by Jozef Hen, 1981, director Tadeusz Pliszkiewicz
• Set design for DOUBLE GAME by Robert Thomas, 1981, directed by Szombati Gille Otto