Here, at the Gates of Darkness

after Euripides

CAST:
HECUBA – Doina Deleanu
CAPTIVE WOMEN’S CORYPHAEUS – Tatiana Ionesi
CAPTIVE TROJAN WOMEN’S CHORUS – Tatiana Ionesi, Livia Iorga, Oana Sandu, Haruna Condurache, Diana Chirila, Petronela Grigorescu, Antonela Cornici, Andreea Boboc, Maria Campean, Ingrid Elena Robu, Silva Helena Schmidt, Biatrice Cozmolici
ACHAEANS’ CORYPHAEI – Doru Aftanasiu, Octavian Jighirgiu, Cosmin Maxim
ACHAEANS’ CHORUS – Doru Aftanasiu, Octavian Jighirgiu, Constantin Puscasu, Daniel Busuioc, Radu Ghilas, Constantin Avadanei, Dumitru Nastrusnicu, Vlad Volf, Horia Verives
ODYSSEUS – Petru Ciubotaru
AGAMEMNON – Liviu Manoliu
POLYMESTOR – Emil Coseru
TALTHYBIUS – Gelu Zaharia
POLYXENA – Andreea Boboc / Ingrid Elena Robu / Silva Helena Schmidt
A PREGNANT WOMAN – Brindusa Aciobanitei
POLYDORUS’ DEAD BODY – Theodor Ivan
POLYMESTOR’S CHILDREN – Albert Jighirgiu, Emanoil Jighirgiu

Adapted and directed by: Mihai Maniutiu
Set and costume design: Valentin Codoiu
Original music: Serban Ursachi
Light design: Lucian Moga
Video: Gheorghe Sofron

Play duration: 1h 40min (without intermission)

Reminding of an older success of Maniutiu’s, Electra, in which the songs from Maramures sung by the Iza group were perfectly integrated in the tragic story, Here, at the Gates of Darkness is an amazing demonstration of how the undulating tunes inspired from Turkish songs (known among Romanians as manele) and their rhythms that decompose harmonies, stretching them like a rubber band, may be compatible with Greek tragedy. The Romanian public space has been invaded in recent years by manele, which can be heard in the street, in stores, on TV, on trains, and when cell phones ring. By having his show pivot around a musical axis consisting of manele, Maniutiu made a choice that arouses stupefaction – precisely what ancient tragedies did at their time. His demonstration is perfectly credible and well-reasoned, and the meaning it acquires – the assault of the victorious contemporary world on the old world, the keeper of real, stable values – is well founded in all the images of the show.

www.teatrulnationaliasi.ro

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