"The world is a miracle, and this miracle can be shared"
Patrel Berceanu, Theater in dialogue with the age
National Theater "Marin Sorescu", Craiova Branch of the Romanian Writers' Union organizes on April 17, 2024 the 4th edition of the "Patrel Berceanu" Poetry and Dramaturgy Festival. Partner, Pen Club Romania. The initiators and coordinators of the festival are the writers Nicolae Coande and Mihai Firică.
On Wednesday, April 17, from 11:00 a.m., in the foyer of the National Theater "Marin Sorescu" there will be a debate on the topic "Theatrology and theater criticism - new paradigms of theater history". Special guests: Ion Parhon, theater critic, Mariana Ciolan, Radio Romania Cultural, Mircea A. Diaconu, prof. "Ștefan cel Mare" University, Suceava - will hold personal conferences within the proposed theme.
From 1:00 p.m., in the National foyer, book launches will take place - Patrel Berceanu, "Theatre in dialogue with the age", studies theaters, Ed. Revers, Craiova, 2nd edition. The volume appears in the Library collection of the "SpectActor" magazine, 2024. At the same time, the theater volume for children, "Povești dăruite scenei", by the same author, will be presented.
The debates are coordinated by Nicolae Coande, artistic consultant of TNC.
From 16:00, the poets present will read from their creation - a tribute to the poetry of Patrel Berceanu. Presented by Mihai Firică, president of the Craiova Branch of the Romanian Writers' Union.
Starting at 17:00, the literary critic Mircea A. Diaconu will hold the conference "Caragiale. The machine that swallows us", during the SpectActor Meetings specially programmed for this event dedicated to the theater scholar Patrel Berceanu.
The project is included in the program Mnemosyne - Muze@Poezie - of the National Theater "Marin Sorescu".
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The first edition held in 2019, in collaboration with the City Hall and the House of Culture of Băilești Municipality, debated the literary work of the writer Patrel Berceanu (1951-2006) and gave the occasion to evoke him by the participating writers, as well as the void left by his early departure . As part of this inaugural edition, the poetry anthology "six kinds of fear, seven kinds of courage" was printed, edited by Doina Pologea (Ed. Aius, 2019), a project financially supported by the Craiova National Theatre. The edition benefits from a preface signed by Paul Aretzu, afterword by Nicolae Coande; Al. Cistelecan – word on the IV cover.
The poet Marian Drăghici was the laureate of the "Patrel Berceanu" Poetry prize.
The 2nd edition of the festival (organizers Teatrul Național Craiova and the Craiova Branch of the Writers' Union) also discussed the theater work of Patrel Berceanu, an eminent connoisseur of Romanian theater. On September 15, the debate took place with the theme "Theatreologist and literary secretary - the living memory of the stage", with an emphasis on the activity and profile books of Patrel Berceanu, with the participation of the theater critic Doru Mareș, and Victoria Balint, director of the troupe. Iosif Vulcan", Queen Maria Theatre, Oradea. Under the aegis of T.N.C. the monographs of the shows Titus Andronicus and Ubu rex with scenes from Macbeth (directed by Silviu Purcărete) conceived and written by Patrel Berceanu were republished, in a single volume. Actors Eugen Titu, Angel Rababoc and Nicolae Vicol (T.N.C.), Adriana Ioncu and Ionica Dobrescu (Colibri Theatre) recited poems from Berceanu's work.
At this edition, the poet Vasile Baghiu, a special guest at the Poets' Assembly 2022, held the conference The chimeric metaverse of poetry. The poet Vasile Baghiu was the laureate of the "Patrel Berceanu" Poetry Prize that year.
Presented by Nicolae Coande and Mihai Firică.
The 3rd edition took place on April 27-28, 2023. The first day, in the foyer of the "Marin Sorescu" National Theater, where the debate took place on the topic "Contemporary theater - crisis or abundance?" Special guests: Doina Papp, theater critic, university professor. dr. Ioan Cristescu, director of the National Museum of Romanian Literature, publisher "Tracus Arte", Bucharest. Moderator, Nicolae Coande. The volume "Cel care trece" (Ed. Tracus Arte, 2023) chronicles, portraits and theatrical studies, author Doina Papp, was released. This was followed by the release of four volumes of poetry signed by Patrel Berceanu during his lifetime. The books were republished, by the care of the writer Constantin Barbu, at "Revers" Publishing House, Craiova: "The feeling of the barricade" (Ed. Scrisul Românesc, 1976), "Poems in natural size" (Ed. Scrisul Românesc, 1983), "The incident mare" (Eminescu Ed., 1984), "Civil Tears" (Scrisul Românesc Ed., 1991). Actors Angel Rababoc and Petronela Zurba gave a recital of his poetry.
On Friday, April 28, poets and writers from the Craiova Branch of the Writers' Union participated in a meeting at the "Mihai Viteazul" Theoretical High School, Băilești, where they held discussions with students and teachers.
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Patrel Berceanu (b. 1951, Băilești – † Bucharest, 2006). He was born in Băileşti. In 1980, he obtained his license at the Institute of Theatrical and Cinematographic Art (Theatrology-Filmology section). During the student period, he attended the "Amphiteatru" cenacle, and later he was one of the active participants of the "Ramuri" cenacle run by the writer Marin Sorescu. He was an admirable literary secretary of the National Theater in Craiova (1990-2006), in the line built up by names like Liviu Rebreanu, Adrian Maniu, Ion D. Sîrbu, but also director of the "Colibri" Theater in Craiova (1997-2006), secretary of the Craiova Branch of USR (1994-1996). Dedicated to journalism, he was also director of the daily "Gazeta de Sud", Craiova, 1995-1996. He was a member of the Romanian Writers' Union, a member of UNITER and a member of the Romanian section of the International Association of Theater Critics.
He made his publishing debut with poetry in Preludiu (the literary and artistic supplement of "Scînteii tierentului", no. 31/1969). He made his publishing debut with the volume of poetry "Sentimentul barricadei" (Ed. Scrisul Românesc, 1976). He collaborated on the magazines "Romania literară", "Ramuri", "Luceafărul", "Amphiteatru", "Student Life", "Teatrul", "Vatra", "Familia", "Literary-artistic supplement of the Spark of Youth", "Viaţa Romanian", "Tribune", etc. Abroad, he published in the magazines "Belvedere" (France, 1995) and "Wiener Festwochen" (Austria, 1993). After his debut, Patrel Berceanu published the volumes of poetry "Poems in natural size" (Ed. Scrisul Românesc, 1983), "The Great Incident" (Ed. Eminescu, 1984), "Lacrimi civile" (Ed. Scrisul Românesc, 1991) , "Planetă de poet", anthology (Ed. MJM, Craiova, 2003), as well as the theatrical monographs "Titus Andronicus - monograph of a theatrical event" (Ed. Aius, 1997) and "Ubu Rex with scenes from Macbeth" (Ed. Aius, 2000, 2nd edition, 2022). The volume "Teatrul în dialogue cu veacul", theatrical essays and chronicles, appeared posthumously at Aius Publishing House (2006), as well as "Cosmonaut Flea", poems for children, parents and grandparents", Mitropolia Olteniei Publishing House, 2006. Together with Doina Pologea , his wife, signed the volume "New stories after Shakespeare's plays" (Ed. Dionysos, 1992). He is present with poetry in the anthologies "Young Poets of a new Romania" (Forest Books. London & Boston, 1991), "Day after Night" (Criterion Publishing, USA, 1999), "Sorescu's Choice" (Bloodaxe Books, Ireland, 2002 ). Posthumously, the poetry anthology "six kinds of fear, seven kinds of courage" was edited, edited by Doina Pologea, foreword by Paul Aretzu, afterword by Nicolae Coande, word on page 4 - Al Cistelecan (Ed. Aius, 2019).
Awards and distinctions: "Luceafărul" Magazine Award (1974), "Amfiteatru" Magazine Award (1976, 1980), "Ramuri" Magazine Award (1984), U.T.C. Award (1984), Award of the Craiova Branch of the Romanian Writers' Union (1991, 1992). In 2004 he was awarded by the Presidency of Romania the Third Class Cultural Merit Medal, category F - for "Promotion of Culture". He participated in the Symposium of Theater Leaders from Southeast Europe (Budapest, 1993), the Meeting of Press Attachés within the European Theater Convention (CTE, Paris, 1999) and the University and School Theater Seminar (University of Corsica, Bastia, 1999). In 1994 he benefited from a research internship at the National Drama Center in Caen (France).
He died on May 2, 2006, in Bucharest.
In honor of the writer, the "Patrel Berceanu" Poetry Prize was established. The laureates of the first editions were the poets Marian Drăghici (2019) and Vasile Baghiu (2022). From the 3rd edition, the "Patrel Berceanu" Dramaturgy Prize was also established, awarded to Doina Papp, theater critic (2023).
