Herbarium by Simona Popescu and Radu Afrim (directed by Radu Afrim) (RO)

A poetic meditation on life, drawing inspiration from poetry itself as well as from nature, HERBARIUM presents an original perspective—filtered through the unmistakable artistic sensitivity of Radu Afrim—on the passage of time, within a framework where young couples, middle-aged couples, and elderly couples coexist.

These characters find themselves in different existential stages, yet fragility, the desire for love and connection, and the awareness of life’s transience permeate every gesture and action. In the endless rustling of nature, we can perceive, on a micro scale, the infinite nature of the macro-universe, which greets us with sunrises, sunsets, and stars—a universe at once familiar and mysteriously fascinating, from which we are, in essence, inseparable.

HERBARIUM is a multisensory theatrical experience, but also an inner journey, where the magical accompanies the concrete, just as in cold weather our breath turns into visible vapor that momentarily frames our faces.

Widely regarded by critics and audiences alike as one of the most important theatre-makers of the post-communist era, Radu Afrim has shaped the last two decades through a coherent yet diverse body of work, characterized by nonconformism, a strong sense for striking visual imagery, elaborate stage compositions, intense acting, and a synthesis of the visual arts expressed in a style that is both sophisticated and accessible. In recent years, Afrim has also begun writing his own texts and has been involved in shaping the soundscapes of his productions.

His work has received numerous awards, including three UNITER Awards for Best Director. HERBARIUM marks the return of the Romanian company of the Târgu Mureș National Theatre after more than 20 years.

“Poetically assumed, with a splendid dramaturgy created by Radu Afrim in creative partnership with Simona Popescu (The Book of Plants and Animals), Herbarium explores in an atypical way several themes that are, in fact, familiar in Afrim’s directorial work: time, forgetting (both the wild kind, which makes you lose the things you once loved, and the gentle kind of the ‘forget-me-nots’ from an old herbarium), the fragility of being, the emotional revisiting of the past, and so on. This time, however, Afrim explicitly relies more than in previous works on poetic structures, which he explores down to their finest theatrical and dramatic potential.” (Călin Ciobotari – “On the architecture of grass and what ‘farewell’ gently whispers…” – 7iasi.ro)

Cast:
Viorel (Stalker) – Nicu Mihoc
Róza – Katalin Berekméri
She – Elena Purea
He – Theo Marton
Darius – Alex Stoicescu
Staminia – Larisa Dobrin / Laura Mihalache
Rebeca – Cristina Holtzli
Piticu – Luchian Pantea
Dia – Ale Țifrea
Sister 2 – Dana Pancu
Sister 1 – Loredana Dascălu
Teacher – Mela Mihai
Cameraman – Radu Anastas

Direction, screenplay, filming and sound universe: Radu Afrim
 Set design: Irina Moscu
 Stage dramaturgy: Andreea Radu
 Light design: Cristian Niculescu
 Video design: TRUCZA Samu
 Assistant director: Dragoș Stoenescu
 Assistant set designer: Sikó Dorottya
 Prompter: Iolanda Belbe
 Technical director: Teodora Crăciun

The video projections include a work by visual artist Helen Flockhart.

The next performance will take place on Thursday, 30 April, at 7:00 p.m., in the Main Hall.

The performance lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes and is recommended for audiences aged 14 and above.