“100 de ani (100 Years)” by I.L. Caragiale: Recycling the Image of the Nation

Abstract

On February 1, 1899, the National Theatre of Bucharest hosted the premiere of the play 100 de ani. Revistă istorică națională a secolului XIX, în 10 ilustrațiuni [100 Years. National Historical Revue of the 19^th Century, in 10 Illustrations], arranged by I.L. Caragiale. Caragiale's controversial work is a montage of verses, prose and short plays written by several Romanian authors from the past (in other words, the play consists of old literary or dramatic works, appropriated, copied and pasted to fit into a new scenario). As a matter of fact, Caragiale wrote only the stage directions and a few lines and connecting scenes. But the overall, dramaturgical-directorial vision of the script belongs to him. Considering the way Caragiale treats the works of his literary colleagues in 100 Years, one could say that, in this particular case, he does not behave as a writer, but as a true author-director (or “auteur”). The ten “illustrations” arranged by him consist of a series of more or less allegorical or symbolic representations of the century about to end, with its emblematic moments, culminating in an “apotheosis” celebrating King Carol I. In my paper, I will try to argue that Caragiale's “revue” is more than a minor piece of homage art: it is an exercise of historical re-evaluation underpinned by a philosophy of history. I will also analyse the way the author recycles the image of Romania, departing from the traditional theatrical (allegorical) representations of the nation.