class="">Marcel Iureș: “Romanian theatre in 2014? Very good!”

He walked for 11 years, in a single pair of boots, through the show of “The Theatre Creator”. Tens of kilometres, tens of stages. And now he’s donating them, the pave the road for those less fortunate then him.

An interview by Dan Boicea

In the actor’s cabins at the Act Theatre of Bucharest, which he created in 1998, Marcel speaks of a little gesture for a great auction / “Through giving you’ll gain. NTF, a thought of gratitude for the artists”, which will take place on Saturday, the 1^st of November, at 12:00 PM, at the Artmark Galleries.

The show in which Iureş plays alongside George Mihăiţă, “Well… what are we talking about anyway?” can be seen during the festival on the 31^st of October, from 9.00 PM, in the hall on Calea Victoriei, nr. 126. 

How are you, mr. Iureş?

I am doing what I do best. The Act Theatre is open. We play selectively, not very much, because I don’t think there’s any need for quantity. We travel the length of the country for festivals, with “Morometii” (the name Marcel Iureş and George Mihăiţă- the actors- ,Alexandru Dabija / director- and Cătălin Ştefănescu- playwright- use when talking of the Act Theatre’s production of “Well…what are we talking about anyway?”).

We’ve made this show after the novel by Marin Preda, because, from the standpoint of drama literature, the area of peasantry was wholly missing from the history of Romanian Theatre- the part told honestly, without excessively turning it into folklore and without the patriotic emphasis.

Meeting George Mihăiţă was good for me. George is a combustive actor, who’s made an exercise of re-measuring the expression and relationship in a 100 square-metre space ,with an audience who’s close enough to slip you the lines. It was something new for him. Some spectators left with tears in their eyes, others confessed to me they felt shaken…

Many artists have donated to the National Theatre Festival’s auction. The sums thus raised shall go to the “Artists for Artists” National Campaign. You chose a pair of boots, though you could’ve chosen something else…

These boots have an entire history. I wore them for the entirety of the 11 years I played Bruscon in “The Theatre Creator”, at the Act Theatre and in our tours of the country. It was the lengthiest show after a Thomas Bernhard script in the world, with over 250 showings.

I searched the length of Bucharest for Napoleon-style boots and I eventually found a craftsman shoemaker who tailored them to fit me. It was a search which paid off. Napoleon is, practically, the only show Thomas Bernhard shows, in a delirious play on the theory of theatre and society, which I made with Sandu Dabija, Valeria Seciu, Constantin Drăgănescu,

Afrodita Androne and Vitalie Bantaş.

In acting, the word “Luck” is the basis of all work.

Playing in “Absolute” and “Moromeţii” at the Act Theatre, you place yourself under a looking glass, because the viewers are sitting not a meter from where you are, they can notice your every gesture. For the public it’s fascinating. How is it for you?

Equally as fascinating, thought it’s an extremely tough exercise, because there isn’t anyone to slip you the lines, you have no chance to step back, to place yourself anew. You have no backstage. It’s an experience for a certain kind of theatre company. You make do or you die!

Have you ever had a panic attack before going on-stage?

No, but I know actors that did. We, actors, are more people in one. Sometimes you feel exhausted, other times the man inside you is in a terrible affliction and drift. The actor is that being which feels, vibrates at the slightest injustice: when one sees an abandoned child, or finds out that 100 acres of forest have been cut. We get hit by all these things, because that’s how we live. Other times you don’t realise you’re too tired and you press on the gas pedal of an already over-throttled engine.

But what scares you?

The idea of not being prepared, of going in a show “cold”, it’s like jumping from the bus straight on stage. You need to get accustomed to the energy of the place. At the amount of theatre that’s going on at this time, it’s impossible for actors to give themselves time to warm up, to gain over the space, to make a rehearsal. Athletes ,too, have a ritual before a race, they don’t start running directly.

Which are the roles that made you surpass yourself?

The first leap was straight from the Institute, in College, when we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and we succeeded, gaining a confirmation that we belonged in this area. The second level was developing an heroic couple, made of myself and Mihai Măniuţiu, up to 2000. Mihai Măniuţiu was a trainer, a manager, a friend and the metaphysician of our group of actors.

In theatre, as mr. Ciulei used to say, all excess is immoral!

We realised together that there are no winners or losers in theatre, only a troupe which risks its name and health, both physical and mental, for a fiction. I would also add luck into the equation, which is the basis for all work. I’ve had the luck to play very difficult parts: Caligula, Richard III, Beckmann in “The truth in front of the door”, Bruscon in “The Theatre Creator”, Krapp, Caţavencu, Ivan Turbincă in “Absolute”.

Temperature of a festival

How do you find the Romanian Theatre of 2014, keeping in mind the selection of the National Theatre Festival?

Romanian theatre is very good! The shows selected also contain the arguments for which they’ve been chosen. Or, there’s little room for discussion here. I’m very glad that Marina Constantinescu is back at the helm of the National Theatre Festival. I think we finally have what we need. There’s a new age dawning in which things will settle down. Marina Constantinescu chose a staff in line with the criteria which are likened to her. She is a human being of immense vision for theatre and the theatrical movement in Romania. I am honoured to have the Act Theatre included in the official selection. In the moment you play in a festival you’re in hallowed company. It’s another temperature, a special feeling. You have to be good. You have to be at your maximum.

Photo: Simion Buia