text taken from bookhub.ro / author: Adriana Stoica (grade 9 D, "BP Hasdeu" National College, Buzau)

The show that concluded the twelfth edition of the "Young Theatre Week" festival, organized by the "George Ciprian" Theatre in Buzău, was Carnival's gentlemen, a comedy by Ion Luca Caragiale, which came to life thanks to his direction Vlad Trifas, performed by the band from "Queen Maria" Theater, Oradea.

From the first moment I stepped into the hall, the setting surprised me, imposing expectations on me that were later confirmed. Made up of two floors, with the help of wooden scaffolding, it represented a simple house, with old furniture, with a barbershop on the ground floor, and, on the first floor, a bedroom and a balcony. Throughout the play, the characters used all the scenographic details in an unexpected way. They brought real life to the stage, violating the convention of simulation or illusion. For example, breaking a door or burning a plant with a chemical compound were perfectly integrated into the stage world.

The acting was exceptional. Although Carnival's gentlemen It is a text that is difficult to capture and very well-known, which requires an approach comparable to the previous ones. The director, the production team and the cast (Petre Ghimbășan, Șerban Borda, Pavel Sîrghi, David Constantinescu, Ioana Dragoș Gajdo, Sorin Ionescu, Adela Lazăr and Alina Leonte) managed to convince with a mise-en-scène that is at least memorable.

Carnival, one of the symbols of the greatest Romanian playwright, signifies here an entire universe, in which the conflict of the characters both intrigues and amuses the audience. Thanks to the critical and ironic imprint that Caragiale leaves on all his texts, morals or general human defects are unmasked, and the director preserves the nuances and highlights the specificity of the work, beyond the adaptation of the text.

The action initially takes place at "Nae Girimea's Hairdresser", Mr. Nae being sought by a lot of people, including his mistress, Mița, Mița's lover, nicknamed Crăcănel, and the lover of Mr. Nae's other mistress, Iancu. His trusted employee, Iordache, takes care of serving them, while Mița and Iancu learn about the connection between their lovers. The characters wear costumes specific to the 1880s, adapted to each character and original.

With the second act of the play, the setting changes, transforming into a small carnival, which does not lack a real barbecue on which children were preparing. The smoke, the smell, the bustle give a verisimilitude. Everything is under the sign of fun, the cheerfulness is contagious for the audience. Between acts, the characters dance to specific folk music, chirp and dance briskly. The last act of the play clarifies the quarrels between the characters, resolves everything, as in a good quality comedy. The end of the play brings to the attention of the audience a symbol – a ballerina in a music box, which „slows down” the movement of the characters, creating a splendid picture, in which the chaos of the ending makes sense, as it corresponds to the perfect order of the work.

As an indisputable tribute to maestro Caragiale, the show Carnival's gentlemen it certainly encompassed the magic of theater, comedy and art, closing the beautiful "Young Theater Week" festival in a glorious way.