26 October| 22:00 – Nottara Theatre, George Constantin Hall
27 October | 19:00 – Nottara Theatre, George Constantin Hall
“Iona”, the play that marked the debut of Marin Sorescu as a playwright, was first published in 1968 and together with “Sexton” (Paracliserul) and “Riverbed” (Matca) it belongs to the trilogy “The Thirst of the Salt Mountain” (Setea muntelui de sare). The play is inspired from the renowned myth of the Book of Jonah from the Bible, in which the Prophet is punished by God to be swallowed by a giant marine monster.
Cast:
Iona: Gabriel Răuță
Echo: Cristina Juncu
Directed by: Gábor Tompa
Set Design: Carmencita Brojboiu
Original Soundtrack: Ada Milea
Duration: 1 h 20 min (no intermission)
Nottara Theatre, Bucharest
English surtitles
However, the author gives an entirely new interpretation of the story. Unlike the biblical character, Marin Sorescu’s lonely fisherman bears no burden of any sin whatsoever. He is swallowed by a giant fish from the very beginning, and each and every escape from the whale’s belly leads to a even bigger belly; a prison is endlessly followed by another prison. It is precisely the condition of human existence. A true masterpiece, “Iona” in Gábor Tompa’s view becomes a poetical stage-performance in which the music of Ada Milea creates a peculiar universe that combines tragic absurdity and humour
Foto: Mihaela Marin
