by Evgheni Švarţ
Translation: Doina Criş and Ion Vărădeanu

Artistic direction: Alexandru Colpacci
Scenography: Tatiana Manolescu Uleu
Composer: Adi Braun
Choreography: Maria Schneider
Premiere date: November 30, 1972

Taking the central motif from the fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes", Evgheni Şvarţ's play "The Naked King" deals in parables with serious problems facing the contemporary world, in particular aspects of a totalitarian system that 20th-century Europe was unfortunately not without. The play's action is set at the militarized court of a king, where "the trees in the garden are lined up, the birds fly in battalions", law and order are unknown and everyone sees the truth, but does not dare to confess it. Everyone blindly obeys the king's orders, whose authority and competence they do not dispute in the slightest: "The king cannot be an idiot... he must always be smart." "He does not grin... at most he laughs magnanimously". The monarch cultivates a myth around his personality that maintains and strengthens his power and keeps his subjects as far away from the truth as possible.

The farce of the young swineherds, who promise the king a wonderful suit, which the fools and those unworthy of their rank cannot see, creates an exceptional symbol: all the courtiers see the king naked, but none dares to say it, either because the king does not like unpleasant announcements, or because each believes himself worthy of his rank. However, once convinced of the nakedness of the ruling system, people set out in search of the truth shake the edifice built on lies and ridicule. Written in 1934, in the midst of the fascist rise, the play leaves much to be guessed behind the lines spoken on stage, becoming a vehement satire on dictatorship in general, and an appeal to sincerity, moral beauty and justice.

Distribution:

Henry:  Nicolae Barosan
Christian:  Theo Cojocaru
King Father:  Eugen Tugulea
The King:  Nicholas Thomas
Princess:  Dorina Paunescu
Governess:  Simona Constantinescu
Minister of intimate feelings:  Ion Abrudan
Prime Minister:  Ion Tomorrow
Chamberlain:  John Martin
The mayor:  Marcel Segărceanu
The court poet:  Mihai Paunescu
Ladies of the court:  Olimpia Mâinea, Doina Ioja, Anca Miere Chirilă, Doina Urlățeanu
The valet:  Grig Dristaru
The Jester:  Eugen Harizomenov
The conductor:  Grig Schiţcu
Lustragi:  Tiberius Varga
The chef:  Octavian Uleu
Woman:  Ana Popa 
In other roles:  Mariana Vasile, Mia Popescu, Carmen Ghiman, Octavian Vaida, Gigi Grosanu

Technical director: Elena Varlam
Prompter. Agy Segărceanu
Lighting: Vasile Blejan
Sound: Dorel Olea