In an interview published on the website of the Theater named after scream from Oradea, Gianina Carbonariu, the author of the dramatic script and the director of the named play Magyarosaurus Dacusadmitted that he learned something about the complex, fascinating, changing personality of Baron Nopsa Ferenc, who would become a dramatic character, thanks to information contained in an article published in the magazine Scene 9 journalist, and lately and sometimes playwright Ionuts Sotsiu.

Reading what Ionuts Sotsiou wrote in the mentioned publication, I also learned, unfortunately, only after the performance ended – and I make this clarification precisely because a good understanding of it presupposes a pre-informed, prepared audience, especially when it needs excessive titling – that Nopcha Ferenc was what is called a controversial personality. He was the pioneer of pygmy dinosaurs, or rather the one whose name gave the title of the text and the show, the dinosaur that was petted Magic, but he was also an ethnographer, photographer, scout. Even a pretender to the throne of Albania. Nopca Ferenc was considered neither Hungarian enough nor Romanian enough (he came from a Hungarianized Romanian family from Sechel, an area very close to Deva), since he apparently had a homosexual relationship with Bayazid Doda. He was a secretary for a long time. The relationship between them ended tragically.

Ionuț Sociu places Nopcsa Ferenc in what the late George Banu would call a entre – deux. The night oscillated – believes Ionutz Sotsiu – between Franz Kafka and Indiana Jones. And the same Nopcha, who traveled probably even more than Peer Gynt, was, according to the inspired words of the Belgian paleontologist Louis Dollo, comet creature. A Hungarian historian named Kistian Czaplar compared him to Lawrence of Arabia. maybe.

All this passionate and confusing story provoked Gianina Carbonariu. The fact that Nopca was born in 1877, i.e. exactly 100 years before the birth of the playwright and director from Piatra Neamc, also contributed. Gianina Carbonariou supplemented her information by contacting several other paleontologists and historians. Named so in the exercise book, in my opinion, is somewhat chaotic and not clear enough. That’s how Gianina Carbonariou learned that Nopca Ferenc was not the only interesting or, please, strange character in the family in question. A certain Nopča Elek was the general director of the Opera and National Theater in Budapest and was the subject of a scandal after the star of the time found that her contract was not renewed because she allegedly refused to offer sexual favors to her boss. This story begins the performance, placed with scenery created by Iryna Mosku within the framework of the theater in the so-called In the Belle Epoque. That is where the Oradea Theater was built. The sets, as well as the costumes, presented in an explosion of colors, are greatly enhanced by the video concept and lighting design of Cristian Niculescu. Images, photocopies from newspapers that reported on the actions of Ferenc Nopca and Elek are inserted into the shots of the theater scene. But also about some historical events, such as the struggle for the independence of Albania, the beginning of the Great War, the fall of the Empire or the Treaty of Trianon. About two or three times a replica of this mini-dinosaur descends from the bridge of the stage.

Gianina Carbonariou is developing a performance, as it would be more correct to call it that show in the formula of the theater in the theater. Which also allows him to play on the axis of time, and a certain temporal uncertainty, and appeals to anachronisms (with the famous and for worse, for better Franz Ferdinand, for example, we are talking using a mobile phone), and musical moments created by Trabalka Cecilia and performed by the named formation Nightthis is a groupwhich includes actors Dimeni Levente, Sotyori Jozef, Trabalka Cecilia and dance scenes created by Dimeni Levente.

The cast is consistent not only because many characters appear on stage, but also because the fascinating Knopsa Ferenc, with all his age and personality, is played by several actors. The ensemble – Chatlos Laurent, Dimeni Levente, Fodor Reka, Firtos Edith, Gayai Agnes, Hunyadi Istvan, Kocish Djula, Kovacs Eniko, Skurtu David, Szabo Eduard, Sotyori Josef, Tasnadi-Sahi Noemi, Tot Tunde, Totcis Ákadis works dynamically, impeccably, yet allowing to emphasize several individualities. Such as performers Chatlos Laurent, Dimeni Levente, Fodor Reka, Gayai Agnès, Hunyadi István, the always amazing Tot Tunde, Szabo Eduard or Sotyori Jozef, Tasnadi-Sakhi Noemi and Trabalka Cecilia or the very young Skurtu David and Tetos Adam.

Magyarosaurus Dacus it is and is not a reconstruction of the life story of Ferenc Nopca. It is and is not a saga about the Nopca family. In my opinion, this is of great importance, and it is they that provide the real key to reading the staging, the repeated references to world history. To the history of Central Europe.

While watching the show, I remembered an extraordinary quote by Milan Kundera. Very often quoted by the wonderful researcher and teacher Adriana Babeci. Here in Central Europe, “the past refuses to pass, and this means not only that the memory of the people of Central Europe keeps it alive, but also that everything that seemed to be finally finished can return at any moment, with incredible power.” Read the entire article and comment on it on Contributors.ro