Text by Georg Büchner, LEONCE ANDI LENA, tells the story of two princes, Prince Leonce of the Kingdom of Popo and Princess Lena of the Kingdom of Pipi. The arranged marriage between the two is about to take place and both decide separately to escape this arrangement. However, they fail to run away from each other, meeting by chance without recognizing each other and falling in love. The two decide to play a prank on their parents and return to the Kingdom of Popo to get married. Dressed up as themselves, they realize that, in fact, fate has gotten in their way and that they have fulfilled their parents' wish. The premiere takes place on Saturday, November 23, at 7 pm at the Great Hall of the Theatre.

This complex story about power and obedience, love and politics, staged by the Regina Maria Theatre, marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the author, Georg Büchner. It is a musical show with songs performed live by a mini-orchestra; all the characters from Regatele Popo, namely Pipi, sing and dance to the rhythms of the original music, the fruit of the talented artist Ada Milea; the creative team of the show is exceptional: the direction and script are by Mihai Măniuțiu, the choreography is by Vava Ștefănescu and the sets and costumes were designed by Adrian Damian.

Due to the allegorical character, the simplicity of the plot and the fairy-tale qualities that characterize the play "Leonce and Lena", it has been somewhat neglected by directors. The play, written in 1836 and published only in 1850, is nevertheless more than a light-hearted comedy. "Leonce and Lena" has recently come to the attention of theater critics and theorists, who rediscover with each reading new meanings of a literary creation that is apparently simple, but which behind the light comic of a folk tale hides a satire in dark tones of pessimism and boredom.

source: Modern Drama in Theory and Practice: Volume 3, Expressionism and Epic Theatre, JL Styan, Chap. Expressionism and epic theatre.

About the director's vision and the staging of the play "Leonce and Lena"”

The play offers great artistic freedom to the directors and is transformed by Mihai Măniuţiu and his team, consisting of Ada Milea and Anca Hanu (script, music), Adrian Damian (scenography) and Vava Ştefănescu (choreography), into a visual and auditory delight.

Mihai Măniuţiu's show is a reinterpretation of the original text, the script being almost entirely rewritten by the director and Ada Milea. The result is a musical show set in a hippie from the 70s and with clothing that respects this temporal placement.

The story of the play "Leonce and Lena" is played by Mihai Măniuţiu as a play within a play, which emphasizes the idea that art is an artifice.

In addition, the show has strong elements of commedia dell'arte, by choosing a setting that imitates an outdoor space, by the occasional introduction of masks that emphasize the lack of humanism of the protagonists, but also by exaggerating the characters who sometimes end up being just the expression of a mood, such as the melancholic exhaustion of the pessimist Leonce or the laziness and attitude of bon vivant of Valerio. These two characters are inspired by Jacques, a discontented and melancholic lord, and Touchstone, a court jester who completes the narrative thread through his intelligent and ironic comments, both from William Shakespeare's play "As You Like It".

“In this show, whose script I wrote together with Ada Milea, music was what led us… I believe in the entertainment character of theater, and here, it is assumed. This show is created to make you feel good, to transmit positive energy.” – Mihai Măniuţiu, artistic director

„"I want to thank the technical team. The technical team is very well organized and it was a real pleasure to work with professionals." – Adrian Damian, set designer

„"I was glad that both the script and the type of show offered me the ground for a type of work that I have been practicing for a long time: improvisation. And the actors responded extraordinarily, this working method was wonderfully supported by them." – Vava Ştefănescu, choreographer

„"I like the character I play. It's the first show I've worked in, singing with a band. I feel good in this role and that's the most important thing. The show creates an atmosphere in which everyone feels and works with pleasure. So we're waiting for you all to have a good time together." – Eugen Neag, actor (Leonce)