Independent Theater Hungary presented a performance and conversation around Who killed Szomna Grancsa? (Romania) as part of the Roma Theatre Retrospective 2020 livestreamed on the global, commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 13 October 2020 at 9:30 a.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 12:30 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4) / 17:30 BST (London, UTC +1) / 18:30 CEST (Budapest, UTC +2) / 19:30 EEST (Bucharest, UTC +3).
The play by Giuvlipen company from Bucharest tells the story of a young Roma girl who believes in the importance of education and does everything she can to keep going to school. But she encounters a lot of difficulties. What can a young student do if her family does not support her? How can she fight prejudices in the school every day? What is our responsibility for the youngsters and in providing equal opportunities for everyone when starting their lives and be able to study? The play provides insight to a really brave girl's life who does everything she can for what she believes in. The play was based on a true story and guides us to a Romanian village where Gypsy and Hungarian people live together and who are almost the same for an outsider.
directed by Mihai Lukács
written by Mihai Lukács & Giuvlipen Theatre Company
performed by Mihaela Drăgan, Zita Moldovan, Liana Ceterchi
music: Elena Albu
About the Series
Although Roma are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, they still experience high level of racism and have to deal with many societal issues. Additionally, Roma are being represented in a very stereotypical way in the media and art world. The Roma theater has more than a century long past with active professional theater groups in many European countries, but unfortunately, they are still hardly known. The Roma Heroes Theater Festival initiated by the Independent Theater Hungary is the only international Roma theater encounter in the World, which have been organized in every year since 2017. Many of the artists and their work are featured in this current series.
Judit Ignácz mostly worked at NGOs in Roma related projects, organizing and facilitating trainings, seminars concerning the topic of racism, human rights and non-formal education. She finished her studies of Master of Public Administration of School of Public Policy at Central European University and became a French and Romani language teacher at the University of Pecs. She also has experience in media and communication. She is passionate about human rights and non-formal education.
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