THE AXE

Constanta Trade Union House of Culture - Great Hall

March 5, 2026, 5:00 PM

"The Axe" is a modern paraphrase of "Miorița" (The Little Ewe), if the old ballad reveals the shepherd's attitude in the face of death and nature, in the novel "The Axe", the shepherd's death is avenged, the crime receives its punishment, not from the society's prosecutor, but from the exponent of the people - Vitoria Lipan - who is, at the same time: victim, "prosecutor" and "judge"!

Vitoria Lipan embodies the moral beauty of the Romanian people, she is a determined and active woman from the mountains, with a great power of self-control, who speaks with a "sweet voice" or with harshness. She is very attentive and with an exceptional spirit of observation, she copes with the most complicated situations, understands quickly, judges soundly and acts promptly. One of the major qualities is the ability to self-control. Although she has an intense inner life, Vitoria controls her impulses and has appropriate manifestations, for the proposed purpose. Vitoria Lipan manages to lead the investigation against the perpetrators and maneuvers the man of the authorities (subprefect).

Her discussion with the deputy prefect is a masterpiece of insinuation and clearly shows the superiority of this woman's intelligence!

“Ceremonious politeness, the sober and measured gesture are manifestations of a society with a firm ethical framework, in which violent gestures, uncontrolled chatter are condemned with contempt” (George Călinescu).

Vitoria Lipan has predecessors in Romanian literature: Vidra, Lady Chiajna, Ana from "Năpasta", what distinguishes Vitoria from her predecessors is her moral purity. Vitoria Lipan is a skilled investigator, who leads the action not only with tact and perseverance but also with a sense of justice. She gathers evidence, verifies, judges and only acts when the guilt of Bogza and Cuțui is clear. Vitoria is more than a skilled investigator, she defends the principle of justice, the right to life, the respect for friendship and the given word!

The playing space must reflect the inner state of the characters: their anxieties, obsessions and struggles, everything must be transposed scenically under the sign of symbols and not of imitation. The soundtrack will support every moment, with a preponderance of Vitoria's journey/route towards discovering the truth, all in a crescendo, culminating with Vitoria's lament (the abyss/ravine where Nechifor Lipan is discovered) and of course, the end of the show.

Stage Adaptation and Direction - Toma Hogea
Scenography– Alina Dincă Pușcașu
Music – Cari Tibor
Video design– Andrei  Cozlac
Assistant Director – Erica Moldovan
Cast:
MAIA MORGENSTERN – Vitoria Lipan
Alexandra Paftală – Baba Maranda
Răzvan Grosu – Gheorghiță Lipan
Cezara Fantu – Minodora Lipan
Dumitru Florescu – Calistrat Bogza, Toma Macovei
Codrin Dănilă – Priest Dănilă, Ilie Cuțui
Erica Moldovan – Maria Vasiliu
Florin Gorgos – Iorgu Vasiliu, The Official, Thief
Alin Zară – The Subprefect
Dani Popa – Mitrea, The German
Gelu Ciobotaru – Moș Pricop, The Prefect
Mara Lucaci – Thief
Mariana Dumitrache – Baba Dochia
Mălina Balcan – A Woman

With the participation of actor Teo Corban in the role of Nichifor Lipan.