The 2026-2027 season starts
Director István Albu is working with the company as a director for the first time since his appointment as manager of the Tamási Áron Theatre in Sfantu Gheorghe, and this will be the theatre’s first production to be staged in an alternative venue whilst the building is undergoing renovation. Alongside several other venues, the theatre will also be using the second floor of the former cigarette factory in Sfantu Gheorghe in the coming period; this is where the production The Lower Depths is being staged, with the first rehearsal taking place on Wednesday 26th August.
The season’s first rehearsal began with István Albu – who has also been the theatre’s director for nearly a year – giving the actors a tour of the factory, showing them the various spaces and explaining how they intend to adapt them for theatrical work. He then shared his thoughts with the participants at an impromptu gathering regarding Maxim Gorky’s play The Lower Depths and the production that will be prepared.
The idea of a refuge can be applied to the theatre itself, as the company is trying to find temporary venues for itself whilst the building is being renovated. Moving out of the permanent performance space may seem as though ‘the theatre dies a little’, but in reality it is situations like these that truly bring it to life, he explained.
“It’s all a matter of perspective; every truth is subjective,” he pointed out, before revealing that, given the cigarette factory’s wealth of exciting spaces and the potential to play with perspectives, he is considering a “travelling performance” in which the audience moves through the building alongside the actors. He also spoke about how music will once again be a key element in the production he is directing. This is because music offers the audience good points of connection to every theme.
The premiere The Lower Depths is scheduled for the end of October, but the theatre’s operations remain uncertain due to the difficulties involved in setting up new venues and spaces suitable for accommodating the audience, as well as the provision of toilets. We will inform our audience about our plans for the new season at the beginning of next week.
