Independent theater moves into the spotlight

D’AYA Theater Company is currently one of the best known independent troupes in Bucharest and Romania and is at the heart of the postmodern backlash against classical traditions. Chris Simion, the company’s president, writer and director, sat down with Business Review and unveiled some of the mechanisms behind the mysterious workings of a theater company, as well as future plans.

Corina Dumitrescu

Tell us about your background and how your passion for the theater was born.

I always say that the big things in my life took me by surprise; I was not prepared for them. Since I was 14, I have been writing for various publications. At 15, I began moving in literary circles, where I came across people who believed in me, like the critic George Pruteanu and the actors Florian Pitis and George Mihaita, and who encouraged me to write my first book of essays at 16. Since then, I have authored seven books. I had worked all through high school in preparation for attending the Psychology Faculty, until in the last semester of the twelfth grade I did a 180-degree turn and made my final decision to study the theater.

Tell us more about the D’AYA theater company – how the idea emerged, who your colleagues are and how the French writer Pascal Bruckner became honorary president…

D’AYA was born in 1999, after the premiere of The Divine Child, out of madness and enthusiasm. Back then, I was a student of Theatrology. I directed the show during college with my colleagues from Acting. I called our Universal Theater professor, Mr. Dan Vasiliu, to the play. He witnessed our exercise and took it to the Comedy Theater as an experiment. At the premiere, the author himself came. Impressed by what we had put on, he told us about independent theater in France and suggested we started a theater company. I took this step and proposed that he should become Honorary President. He agreed.

D’AYA defines itself as an independent theater company. What does “independent” mean, in the context of theater, and where did the need to break from classical rigors come from?

D’AYA productions are exclusively independent. They come to life with the aid of sponsors. We do not have a budget from the city hall, like a state theater does. I find a text which is vital for me, which I wish to transform into a play, I write the

project and then I start looking for business partners. The promotion of our shows does not cost money, but is based on partnerships. Independent also means that we do not have our own space, although this is not what independent should necessarily mean. For four years, we’ve been performing at Laptaria Enache / Terasa Motoare. However, I believe that after 11 years in which we have demonstrated that what we are doing is necessary (11 years of awards, tours, international festivals participation, social campaigns, as well as many other notable projects), we deserve a space to develop our activity without limitations.

What are the most successful plays of the moment?

“Love Lasts Three Years” , “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”, “Hell”, “I Love You! I Love You?”,

“Seven Curses… Asked, Made and Bound” and “I’m Moving to My Mother’s”.

When and why did the Undercloud festival appear? Tell us more about it.

The festival began in 2008. Why? Simply from necessity. This was its second year, for the same reason, and it was supported by the Ministry of Culture and the National Patrimony. It is a manifestation meant to integrate the best independent shows. Undercloud offers access to competition, meetings, discussions, a laboratory. You can’t run by yourself if you want to know where you are. Undercloud takes place at the La Motoare terrace.

What kind of reaction did you get from foreign audiences? Have you considered that D’AYA could go beyond the borders of Romania?

D’AYA has represented Romania in major theater festivals, and has managed to bring home prestigious awards. We’ve played in Australia, India, Egypt, France, South Korea, Jordan, Germany, Italy, the Vatican and Portugal.

Tell us more about your collaboration with Bulandra Theater for “Oscar and tanti Roz”.

Our most recent collaboration is with the L.S. Bulandra Theater, where we staged “Oscar si tanti Roz” (“Oscar and Aunt Roz”) and for this I have to thank the director Alexandru Darie, who is also the theater’s manager. Without exaggerating, this is the stage where I have felt the most protection and energy. Which is why I wish to return to this space, which opens you and teaches you a lot.

And finally, what projects are you currently developing?

For new shows, I am currently preparing “Maitreyi” by Mircea Eliade and some more which I am not revealing yet. As for the next writing project, the novel “What we say to one another when we do not speak” is coming up, released by Trei publishing house. Every Sunday, from September 26 all year long, I will be involved in the project “Actors whom you do not see anywhere”, reading shows starring great Romanian actors, with whom you also get the chance to listen to a good text, and discuss it.

Below, here are a few scenes from one of D’AYA Theater’s triumphs, “Dragostea dureaza 3 ani” (Love Lasts Three Years), starring Adriana Trandafir and Cristi Iacob:

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