by Mircea Bradu
Absolute premiere

Artistic director: Magda Bordeianu
Assistant director: Eugen Harizomenov
Scenography: Sica Rusescu
Premiere date: October 26, 1972

The well-known figure of the ruler Vlad Tepes, animated by an anti-Ottoman ideology, found an unprecedented embodiment in Mircea Bradu's historical play. The show is set up as an unusual dialogue between Vlad Tepes and posterity. We witness an imaginary interview granted by the ruler to the chroniclers, out of the desire to make the political reasons, the motivation behind each of his famous "atrocities" understandable. The author chooses exactly those episodes that, at first glance, seem inexplicable, difficult to understand: the killing of the peace messengers, the nailing of the turbans from the heads of the Turks, the impaling of ambassadors lacking the intellectual qualities required by their mission or an appropriate clothing style. From what results, Vlad's attitude is neither arbitrary violence nor a whim born of vanity, but a strong affirmation of the dignity of a ruler and a people who can no longer tolerate the humiliation to which they are subjected. The narrated episodes are reconstructed using the "theater within theater" method by the ruler's soldiers, emphasizing the convention according to which it is not the narration that takes precedence, but the debate in terms of ideas and meanings.

Distribution:

Vlad the Impaler Dracula:  Stefan Sileanu (National Theatre of Târgu Mureş)
The abbot:  Ion Tomorrow
The Italian Knight:  Theo Cojocaru
John:  Nicholas Thomas
Necker:  Dorel Urlățeanu emeritus artist
Albert Bölöni of Marzihaza:  Marcel Segărceanu
Euphrosyne:  Eugen Tugulea
The mount and the ground:  Grig Dristaru
Cotean, Turk I and the Captain of the Guard:  Nicolae Barosan
Balmuş, Canon II, Boyar suite Laiota:  Grig Schiţcu
Motoi, Catavolinos, Boyer suite Laiota:  Ion Abrudan
Hamza, Canon I, Boyar of the throne:  John Martin
Mehmed, Boyar Throne and Boyar Suite Laiota:  Eugen Harizomenov
Vodka Layota:  Mihai Paunescu

Technical director: Dalma Simionescu
Prompter: Gigi Groşanu
Lighting: Vasile Blejan
Sound: Dorel Olea