The Good Person of Szechwan

by Bertolt Brecht

Dramaturgy: Angelina Roșca-Ichim

Directed by: Dumitru Acriș

Scenography: Mc Ranin

Choreography: Teodora Velescu

Video: Cătălin Cora

CAST:

Șen De – Andreea Tănase

Șui Ta – Mara Opriș

Iang Sun, a jobless aviator – Liviu Cheloiu

Vang, water carrier – Ciprian Nicula

Mrs. Iang, mother of Iang Sun – Delia Lazăr

Owner Mi Tsu – Lavinia Pele

Widow Sin – Antonia Ionescu

Barber Șu Fu – Corneliu Jipa

The Man, The Policeman – Andrei Mărcuță

The Unemployed son, the Priest – Emanuel Bighe

Woman – Iulia Dinu

Carpenter Lin To – Florin Georgescu Jr.

Neighbors – Ilie Ghergu, Octavia Gheboianu

Premiere: April 15, 2024, Main Hall
Duration: 2h

16+ Rated

The performances directed by Dumitru Acriș in Târgoviște have proven, every time, captivating, uncomfortable, shocking. As a director, Dima pushes the actor towards the upper limit of his artistic possibilities, discovering new areas of the humanity, but also of instinctuality. The play “The Good Person of Szechwan”, written by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht, talks about blatant social inequities, which reflect on the souls of the characters, distorting their reactions.

Szechwan (or Sichuan) is a province in southwest China. The western and northwestern part of this province consists of Tibetan autonomous areas. Setting the action in distant China is an allegorical option of the playwright for the entire political situation in Germany, in the 1930s – 1940s. At the time of writing this play, Brecht was in exile in the United States of America, due to the rise of Hitler influence and his stance against it.

At present, in various parts of the globe, mankind is not exempt from tyranny, oppression, madness, anarchy, poverty and misery. How to stay good under the given conditions? The show tells the story of Shen De, a woman who creates a male alter-ego, her cousin Sui Ta, in order to withstand a hostile and rapacious world. Constantly used and disappointed by those around her, Shen De clings desperately to kindness. Without her, her life would become completely meaningless. Moreover, in the desire to give meaning to the lives of others, Shen De sacrifices herself. Is there a God for whom her sacrifice matters?