class="">… take George Constantin with you, wherever you go!

GRAND OPENING / “Peerless professor ,glory unto thee!” /this line given by Ariel to Prospero, characters played by Florian Pittis and George Constantin, at the end of Shakespeare’s Tempest, directed by Liviu Ciulei at the Bulandra Theatre, deeply impressed Marina Constantinescu, artistic director of the NTF, thus giving the title of the exhibition dedicated to the giant of an actor that was George Constantin.

An article by Maria Sârbu

The Grand Opening took place on Tuesday evening, in the foyer of the Grand Cinema&More in Baneasa Shopping City, a grand, atypical space for such an event, as Irina Tapalaga, exhibition curator, remarked. The space, however, change its visage through the nearly 50 black and white portraits of the great actor in the memorable parts he played throughout the years.

The opening took place after a “confession-show” for Nichita Stănescu / “Words,words,words…”, a recital by Ion Caramitru, accompanied by Adrian Naidin’s cello, in one of the halls here.

Marina Constantinescu, speaking of the exhibition, remarked: “It’s by no accident that we are here today (…). It’s been 20 years since George Constantin has left us and we all bring homage, and bow to one of the greatest actors of Romanian theatre: an exemplary actor, of huge, explosive force, who acted for arguably the most important of directors; an actor loyal to the Nottara Theatre, loyal to his viewers.

And the exhibition we propose today numbers nearly 50 portrait photos, in grayscale, to carry us into the world of George Constantin, of his gigantic expressivity, reminding us of some of his great roles”.

Marina Constantinescu also underlined that this exhibition is in reverence to “a personality which we miss very much, which we think fondly of”. She also gave a spoken portrait of him, as only an art critic who knew his work can do.

Sanda Manu: “George Constantin, the profound actor, the volcanic actor”

Director Sanda Manu was invited to speak at the grand opening, about George Constantin, she who loved this actor. “I was his colleague, we were born in the same year, we had our debut in the same play /“Pygmalion”.

He played a role which you wouldn’t think fit him. But it was my luck, and his luck, because he appeared as a star. He appeared and remained the shining actor, the powerful actor, the profound actor, volcanic and horribly shy”, Sanda Manu said, who added that shyness is inherited, reffering to George Constantin’s son, actor Mihai Constantin, present at the grand opening alongside his two children, who decided to sit in the crowd and live out his emotions.

The reputable director claimed she had Mihai Constantin as a student, that she knew beforehand he took after his father, “he inherits him both internally and externally, he inherits his talent”, because shyness was the base of this great actor’s talent.

Sanda Manu held nothing back in saying that George Constantin was the greatest actor she’s ever met. She said we have talented actors, but one as profound, as “especially deep”, is unheard of by her.

The director talked about a meeting between her students and George Constantin and about what he said when asked to address them: “I’ve never once climbed on stage, during a rehearsal or a show, without having it cost me”.

Sanda Manu remarked the fact the stage, for him, meant nothing else existed but the role. After these 20 years since George Constantin is no more, Sanda Manu remembers his “quaking emotions”.

“As he grew into the most important actor, as the admiration of everyone around him grew, so his nervousness before getting on stage increased. And his emotions were harrowing… an actor who gave his life for this profession, who gave us much joy and from whom we didn’t only learn of theatre, but also life”, Sanda Manu also added, who wanted to remind everyone of “and incredible scene” from “Crime and punishment” in which Ştefan Iordached acted alongside George Constantin

The scene proved that there was a collaboration between them which she hasn’t met in any two other actors: they were afraid of one another, they were in love, they admired one another.

Ion Caramitru acted in a few films with George Constantin, but only one show- “The Tempest” at Bulandra. He remembered how he used to run, as a student, to see the shows of George Constantin.

There was a certain closeness to him, “of the soul, up until the moment when something happened and, fortunately, things got fixed later on”. Caramitru referred to the professional side of things: “He was an actor of a profoundness and professionalism that were extraordinary. El offered you a professional comfort, he practically obligated you to be good. You had to stand up to him. His theatre and film partners have always been stimulated by his presence, his acting might”.

The exhibition was thought, structured and set up by Irina Tapalagă. As Marina Constantinescu mentioned, “it is a western exhibition and, seeing George Constantin here, in this way, you can’t help wanting to take him with you wherever you go.”

Following the grand opening, fragments of the DVD film of “Great Romanian Actors” have been projected. It is a product of the “George Constantin” Foundation, distributed by E-Media. There are theatre and film fragments showing George Constantin, but also interviews with other actors and directors, about him.