Anti-Establishment Documentary Theatre

Performance review: “Capete înfierbântate 2020” by Mihaela Michailov & David Schwartz, directed by David Schwartz, with: Alexandru Potocean, Oana Rusu, Teodora Retegan, Maria Sgârcitu. (A production of Centrul Educațional de Teatru Replika, October 2020)

Abstract

Capete înfierbântate 2020 (Heated Heads 2020) continues the performing endeavour which started in 2010 with the homonymous performance and which brought the 1990 Mineriad back to our attention. This time, this second premiere of Stagiunea Digitală de Teatru Politic 2020 (2020 Political Theatre Digital Season) has drawn inspiration from an acute contemporary situation: the crisis of the Romanian medical system caused (or rather revealed) by the fight against SARS-CoV-2. The project team reunited around this burning topic is made up of Mihaela Michailov and David Schwartz – co-authors of the text, the latter having also directed the performance, joined by Alexandru Potocean (the actor-performer of Capete înfierbântate 2010/ Heated Heads 2010), and Oana Rusu, as well as Teodora Retegan and Maria Sgârcitu, the latter two having created the music accompanying the scenic movement, which was choreographed by Mihai Mihalcea. The scenography was designed by Irina Gâdiuță, and Cătălin Rulea was the graphic designer. An essential aspect of the text construction and the performance structure is the collaboration with Dora Constantinovici for research, as the authors highlight the role of the interviews with doctors and labour union members, first and foremost.