class="">Lucian Vărşăndan: „ Quality is the only criteria in maintaining and expanding an ensemble”

At the 2015 edition of the National Theatre Festival, the audiences will be offered the possibility to see two of the main productions of the German State Theatre in Timişoara.  

About these productions, about the ensemble and about the projects, as well as about other interesting things in this interview with theatre manager Lucian Vărşăndan.

An interview by Maria Sârbu

Maria SâRBU: Over the past few years, the German State Theatre in Timişoara became more and more present at the NTF. To this 25^th edition it has been invited with both „Electra” and „Moliendo café”. Lucian Vărşăndan, how did you manage to bring this institution on a high level of performance?

Lucian Vărşăndan: First of all, through a lot of work and the joint efforts of a team. We tried, over these past years, to create events in order to attract the attention of the audiences; we wanted to make them assimilate the idea that they will see high quality productions at the German State Theatre.

Then, we invested a lot in the growth of the actor ensemble, so that today they can compete with the best, most malleable group of performers around the country.

Last but not least, we tried to keep our minds fresh and our souls open to fresh and clean theatre, not on interests or biases. We do our work in such a way that only theater matters.

„Electra” is a very famous play. There are and there have been many versions of it. What is different in this performance directed by Bocsárdi László? Why would the FNT audiences come to see it?

The audiences should come to see a contemporary and unexpected reading of the classical text, that doesn’t alter the depth of it, even in a performance of just 75 minutes. And also, the spectators will enjoy seeing one of the most recent works of this important director and some remarkable acting.

What about „Moliendo café”? How did this Silviu Purcărete performance, that reunites for the first time the two ensembles sharing the building, come into being? What are the features that recommend this performance?

The performance is a result of the improvisation of the actors of the German and Hungarian State Theatres in Timişoara, as a result of the fact that both Silviu Purcărete and myself found it somehow impossible to find a suitable text, to be shared between German and Hungarian in a dramaturgically coherent way. Joining the two ensembles together was a great gain itself: practically, what we see on stage is a great and strong ensemble and the fact that the actors come from two different theatres is absolutely unnoticeable.

You started working for the German State Theatre Timişoara În 1999. First as a literary manager, then as the director or the artistic, marketing and programming department and finally as artistic advisor. Since 2007 you are the manager of this institution. Quite some steps. To what extent did they help in achieving these very good results?          

As a joke, Peter Zadek speaks at some point about the types of theatre managers analyzing them by their initial profession. He thinks the worst are those who started as literary managers. But the steps you mentioned were essential, they showed me how difficult and how beautiful a work of construction can be. This theatre had to be rebuilt from scratch over the past 20 years, mainly because of the exodus of the majority of the German population. Rescuing the theatre and furthermore developing it were very motivating goals. I have thus learned to put the interest of the theatre in first place and those of the individuals in the second place, and never neglect the first in any decision that has to be made.

Is keeping an ensemble together an easy thing?

An ensemble keeps going and growing only based on the criteria of quality. In this theatre we only have those people who really want to be here. It’s important to stick to this, to do very good things together. If it weren’t for that, we’d only confound each other. Building onto this idea, we can see clearly that the actors we have here are ready and willing, as soon as they recognize the value of a project, to go in depth, to take unknown paths, to explore, to question themselves. And this is part of the normal professionalism of being here, at the German State Theatre and not elsewhere.

An important part in growing the ensemble is our activity concerning theatre for schools and German speaking young audiences. We support this activity as best we can. Without the youngsters that are passionate it would be very difficult.

How did you put together the new repertoire of the theatre?

There are four strategy lines that I have taken over in my managerial project: first of all, the highlights, generally stagings of fundamental pieces of German, Romanian or world literature. This is a category of performances that attract, through their scope and standards, a special attention onto the activity of this institution. The second strategic line is dedicated to performances based on German expression texts, the third is the repertoire for children and youth, including the area of experimental theatre and, last but not at all least, the comedic and musical repertoire. Every one of our performances has to follow one of these strategies.

What titles from the repertoire of the GSTT are most successful?

Many of them and this demonstrates the wide ranging interest of the audience, an audience we have tried to build and to convince to follow us, leaving the gaudy options aside. Performances like „The Girl in the Golden Fishbowl ”, „Nadirs”, „The Seagull”, „The Respectable Wedding”, „Cabaret”, „Moliendo café” or „Hotel PM” are a few of the audience favorites. Our children’s plays also enjoy a great success. At a general level we have an occupancy level of 80% over the past five years.

You are also the initiator of the European Theatre Festival, now at its 5^th edition, inviting performances from Romania and from abroad. What features are specific to this event, comparing to others taking place in Timişoara?

 „Eurothalia” is the only festival that centers on European theatre in Timişoara. It’s conceived as a space of exploring the newest directions in European performing arts. Our editions so far had very rich programming, including works by top artists such as Sanja Mitrović, Volker Schmidt, Gianina Cărbunariu, Oliver Frljić or Krzysztof Garbaczewski. This year we will see in Timişoara, from October 8^th to 15^th, works by creators that have decisively influenced the European theatre and dance map: Oskaras Koršunovas, Jan Lauwers or Wim Vandekeybus.

In our 2015 program we also have performances that take new theatrical approaches, such as those produced by the Teatru-Spălătorie in Kishiniev, the „Anton Pann” Theatre in Râmnicu Vâlcea and the Hungarian State Theatre „Csiky Gergely”, Timişoara.

Do you find understanding from the authorities when you require funding for this event?

The German State Theatre is subordinated to the Timişoara City Hall,which takes over the cultural destiny of the town in an essential manner. When I speak with fellow theatre managers I realize that I am one of the few who can have a project- specific and beneficial dialogue with the officials. Without them, the Eurothalia festival would not exist. The Local Council has approved the funding of the adaptation of a new venue for the German Theatre, an industrial plant. Nevertheless, we do develop other partnerships with authorities or institutions from Romania and from abroad, that have identified the value implied by the projects we came up with. 

Unfortunately, the regulations in the theatre world are obsolete, and this creates even greater difficulties. A fundamental reform of the legislation for the functioning of cultural institutions and for accomplishing cultural projects would be extremely necessary.

What is the news of this season at the German State Theatre?

We opened the season 2015/2016 with the premiere of  the „Fuchsiad”, after Urmuz, a performance by Helmut Stürmer, assisted by Silviu Purcărete. We continue with the premiere of „Simuliert”, by Sergiu Matiş, a contemporary dance performance co- produced with the National Dance Centre and the German Theatre. We will also produce „You Can Be Happy”, written and directed by Volker Schmidt from Austria. In the second half of the season, Peter Kerek will stage „The Little Prince”, premiering in January, and Michael Frayn’s comedy „Noises Off” directed by Wolf E. Rahlfs, from Germany, premiering in April.

At the end of the season, Tompa Gábor will stage „Biedermann and the Arsonists” by Max Frisch. We will also perform at the National Theatre Festival and at the National Dance Centre in Bucharest, then at the Piatra Neamţ festival. And we’ve already been to la Bacău and Gheorgheni. 

 October 6^th 2015