Performances / Szigligeti Company / 2026-2027
D. R. Popescu
The Garden Gnome
Play in Two Acts
Translated by:: Árpád Páll
The play's events unfold in August 1944. A young communist woman, Mária, is sentenced to death after her clandestine activities are exposed. However, her execution is delayed because it is revealed that Mária is pregnant. In this case, though, the word "blessed" would hardly suffice—perhaps "burdened" would be more fitting—as the arrested girl was assaulted by her interrogators in the police cell. The group of murderous interrogators naturally provokes strong hostility in the audience, while the other group of characters—the prisoners—represents the victims of a constant life of torture.
Despite everything—or perhaps because of what happened—Mária radiates beauty and a belief in the beauty of life. When she gives birth to her child in shackles, it becomes a clear symbol of the triumph of good over evil.
This production was also staged as part of the studio performances, but in a unique setting: on the stage itself, which simultaneously accommodated the audience. The performance space and the seating for spectators were both arranged on the main stage—something that, at the time, was not as common as it became many years later.
Cast of characters:
0:
0: