The "Marin Sorescu" National Theater and the Craiova Branch of the Romanian Writers' Union are organizing, between April 27-28, 2023, the 3rd edition of the "Patrel Berceanu" Poetry and Drama Festival. Already nationally known, the Craiova festival is a celebration of poetry and theater that Patrel Berceanu served with equal talent.
On April 27, from 11:00 a.m., in the premises of the "Marin Sorescu" National Theatre, there will be a debate with the theme "Contemporary theater - crisis or abundance?" Special guests: Doina Papp, theater critic , university professor dr. Ioan Cristescu, director of the National Museum of Romanian Literature, "MLNR" publisher, Bucharest. Moderator, Nicolae Coande.
On this occasion, the volume "Cel care trece" (Ed. MNLR, 2023) chronicles, portraits and theatrical studies, author Doina Papp, will be released.
From 14:00, in the National foyer, the launch of four volumes of poetry signed by Patrel Berceanu during his lifetime will take place. The books were republished, by the writer Constantin Barbu, at "Revers" Publishing House, Craiova: "Sentimentul barricadei" (Ed. Scrisul Românesc, 1976), "Poems in natural size >" (Ed. Scrisul Românesc, 1983), "The Great Incident" (Ed. Eminescu, 1984), "Civil Tears" (Ed. Scrisul Românesc, 1991) . Actors Angel Rababoc and Petronela Zurba will give a recital of his poetry.
On Friday, April 28, the poets from the Craiova Branch of USR will travel to Băilești to the "Mihai Viteazul" Theoretical High School, Băilești, where they will have discussions with students and teachers. From 12:oo they will give a poetic and artistic recital on Balasan Island - Ghenciu. Musical moment supported by Nicolae Cimpoeru, classical guitar. Presented by Mihai Firică.
Project coordinated by Nicolae Coande.
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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 . Within this edition, the poetry anthology "six kinds of fear, seven kinds of curej" was printed, edited by Doina Pologea (Ed. Aius, 2019).
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, artistic director of the Theater Queen Maria, Oradea. Under the aegis of T.N.C. the monographs of the performances Titus Andronicus and Ubu rex with scenes from Macbeth (directed by Silviu Purcărete) designed and written by Patrel Berceanu. Actors Eugen Titu, Angel Rababoc and Nicolae Vicol (T.N.C.), Adriana Ioncu and Ionica Dobrescu (Colibri Theater) recited poems from Berceanu's work.
At this edition, the poet Vasile Baghiu, specially invited to 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.
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Patrel Berceanu was born on April 19, 1951 in Băileşti. In 1980 he obtained his license at the Institute of Theater and Cinematography 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 and secretary of the Craiova Branch of USR (1994-1996). 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 publicistic debut with poetry in Preludiu (the literary and artistic supplement of "Scânteii tierentului", no. 31/1969). A year later, 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", "The 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 theatrical monographs "Titus Andronicus – monograph of a theatrical event" (Ed. Aius, 1997) and "Ubu Rex with scenes from Macbeth" (Ed. Aius, 2000), "Theatre in relation to the age”, a volume of theatrical essays and chronicles published posthumously by Aius Publishing House (2006). Together with Doina Pologea, his wife, he 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).
He is the holder of the following awards: "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 third edition, the "Patrel Berceanu" Dramaturgy Prize will be established.
The project is included in the programMnemosyne – Muze@Poezie – of the National Theater "Marin Sorescu".
Partner: PEN Club Romania.
