Tragic comedy in three acts by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Translation: HRRadian

Artistic director: Sanda Manu
Assistant director: George Pintilescu
Scenography: Ion Popescu Udriste
Musical illustration: engineer Lucian Ionescu (Romanian Radio and Television Bucharest)
Premiere date: May 9, 1964

The small town of Güllen seems abandoned by the surrounding industrial world: factories are closing one after another, businesses are stagnating and the inhabitants are struggling in poverty. In this context, Claire Zachanassian, originally from Güllen and now the owner of a fabulous fortune, arrives in the town. She promises her former fellow citizens the sum of one billion, half for the town and half to be divided among the inhabitants, on the condition that they assassinate III, the man who had abandoned her in her youth, leaving her pregnant and deceiving justice to evade assuming paternity. Initially, the inhabitants refuse to commit the crime that would bring them prosperity: "Better poor than with hands full of blood". But, after rejecting the offer "in the name of humanity", the Güllens begin to buy on credit from the store owned by III, to live a rich life "on debt", nurturing the hope, even the secret certainty that someone in the city will commit the crime, and the money will come into the possession of the community. Subsequent events reveal that Claire, who has secretly bought almost all the properties in the city, is the cause of the stagnation and poverty in the city.

During a meeting in the woods, Claire tells III that she never stopped loving him, but that over time, her love has turned into something monstrous. In the end, III does indeed die, but the causes remain unclear. Claire gives the Mayor the promised check, then leaves town, taking III's lifeless body with her.

Distribution:

Claire Zachanassian:  Maud Mary
Her husband:  Jean Sandulescu
The valet:  Constantin Simionescu
Kobe:  Misu Vladimir
Lobby:  Ilie Iliescu
Toby:  Dumitru Cora
Roby:  Stefan Barcza
Subnet 1:  Aurora Simionica
Subnet 2:  Ana Popa
Subnet 3:  Doina Ioja 
Alfred III:  Dorel Urlățeanu
His wife:  Lili Mihailescu Vladimir
His daughter:  Simona Constantinescu
His son:  Sandu Simionica, Boris Petroff
The mayor:  Nicholas Thomas
The mayor's wife:  Anca Miere Chirilă
The priest:  Eugen Tugulea
The teacher:  Vasile Constantinescu
The doctor:  Octavian Uleu
Policeman:  George Pintilescu
Citizens:  Ioan Pater, Valeriu Grama, Ion Martin, Ion Abrudan
The painter:  Liviu Martinus
First woman:  Doina Urlățeanu
Second woman:  Alla Tautu
Miss Louise:  Olga the Serb
Station manager:  Grig Schiţcu
A train conductor, Radio reporter:  Valentin Avrigeanu
The Gatekeeper, the Operator:  Marcel Segărceanu
Journalist:  Ilie Iliescu
Journalist:  Vivi Popescu, Marilena Negru
The photographer:  Cornel Mureşan

Technical director: Dalma Simionescu
Prompter: Sofica Spoiala
Lights: Alexandru Tóth
Sound: Dorel Olea