Radu Macrinici

Gospel of Thomas

play

Translated by:: Réka Csűrös

All people long for salvation. In this desire, the idea itself, the truth, becomes secondary; its form, its image, comes to the foreground. To solve questions and problems, the rites and mechanisms engraved in us, whatever their source, are an obvious solution.

Suppose there is another scenario. Suppose that the question, the direction of the search, does not predetermine what we will find. Suppose there is an alternative; there is another gospel. It is as if Macrinici were playing an "evil" game with the characters in Matthew's Gospel, and performing this experiment on them. Two different forms of knowledge, two different readings of the signs, collide in the play, which remain fatally untranslatable and impervious to each other. The moment of encounter - the moment of redemption?

According to director Vadas László, an addition can be added to the Gospel quotation "Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do" in this play, but at least they do it with faith.

 

Radu Macrinici

(b. 1964, Sighisoara)

One of the most prominent representatives of the 'new wave' of contemporary Romanian drama. He is the founder of the Atelier International Theatre Festival and the founder and director of the Sighișoara Theatre (Teatrul din Turn Sighișoara) in Sighișoara. In 1996, he was awarded the Camil Petrescu Prize, and in 1997, his drama T(T)ara mea won the UNITER Prize.

His plays have been translated into several languages and performed in Paris, Madrid, Brussels and Lisbon.

The Gospel of Matthew was inspired by the Gospel of Mark, as noted by Jorge Luis Borges.

 

Synopsis translated by: Vivien-Tamara Sárközi

Cast of characters:

Premier: 2009.04.25