Probably the most important children’s theatre in Romania, Ion Creanga theatre was left without the headquarters. The media, way too busy with the endless political scandals and the crisis, as the saying goes „steps on everything”, was limited only in broadcasting it on the news. At the end of October the theatre informed on its site that it will temporarily suspend its activity due to the consolidation works of the building in Piata Amzei, started by the sector 1 city hall, who is the administrator of the building. So, because another space wasn’t provided, the actors have to perform in different locations, like – this moment – Gloria cinema theatre.
The final ultimatum
It is the theatre, created in 1965, member of the international association of theatres for children and youth, winner of many international awards along the time, for 5 years organising the international theatre for children festival ‚100, 1 000, 1 000 000 stories’, that was left without a major auditorium until December 2010. But the actors fear it’s more than that…
According to the manager Cornel Todea, the operation started by the city hall is‚ illegal’ and the dialogue between the two sides was impossible, the mayor Andrei Chiliman hadn’t even bothered to receive him in a short meeting, that was officially requested several times. Cornel Todea recalls that in the period 2007- 2009 the authorities from the sector 1 city hall did not want to provide them with information about the program and the duration of the consolidation works, although the theatre administrates 61% from the building in Piata Amzei, with only 39% administrated by the city hall; as per the manager, who is not opposing the modernization of the space, but explains that the auditorium in Piata Amzei is one of the recently rehabilitated ones and one of the most modernized. The official claims also that the city hall did not help with the relocation, since it only sent a simple notification, an „ultimatum” sent without a single discussion, in which the teatre was asked to evacuate the building between 27 November and 8 December!
Why not throwing a mall in Piata Amzei?
As for the actors they are outraged and fearful. These are the two reactions they were confronted with, the fact that they will have to play like the stooges. Mihai Verbiţchi is convinced that this is about the fabulous lack of interest towards the education and tomorrow’s generation and that the authorities „do blasphemies without any remorse”. He believes that beyond the consolidation operation there is something hidden: ‚Why not throwing a mall in Piata Amzei? For two years Mr. Chiliman hadn’t even bothered to answer. We ask for an answer but we received nothing.’ In situations of election campaign the authorities just love the education and the children. When they have to do something, it’s all sky-scrapers.?? As for the theatre I’m afraid that the trend is to eliminate it. You know how it is: from the jeep you cannot see the asphalt.
There is no guarantee
The actor Gabriel Coveşanu invokes the breaking of a tradition : that of the parents and grandparents that take their children to the theatre in the center of Bucharest on Saturdays and Sundays. „Our worst fear is, he confesses, that at the end of this consolidation through an order or some other tricks, we will not have a headquarter. We were forced to leave it. But it isn’t very sure that we will return there. We don’t have that certitude. Our auditorium was consolidated several months ago. It is of the latest generation. And now it will be destroyed. We hope that unpleasant things won’t happen.’
The actress Ani Creţu shares the same opinion, saddened that „the games of those persons are more important” and „the future is forgotten”. She doesn’t see anything degrading about playing theatre plays for children in spaces ( unsuitable for those shows) like the cinemas, but she is outraged that the city hall recommended them to search for it themselves. „How can we search for the place? It is possible? The order is an abuse and there is no guarantee. The documents aren’t very clear and we don’t have any documents to guarantee we will return at the end of 2010.”
Until then it remains as settled, like in the ad. I passed these days by the building in Amzei, wrapped like after an earthquake. But it was like a cold stone. No light, no movement, no workers. As for the little ones and their stories, they are waited at Gloria Cinema, then to Rapsodia room, waiting to return to their theatre.
Translated by Tone Monica, MTTLC, 1st year
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