THE BLACKSMITHS

Constanta Union Cultural House - Large Hall

February 18, 2025, at 20:00

Under various titles, the play “The Blacksmiths” by Milos Nikolic has been part of the repertoire in several theaters both in the country and abroad. The director of the show, Horațiu Mălăele, seems to be “in love” with this play in which he naturally plays the lead role. 

The original text by playwright Milos Nikolic, born in Kosovo in 1939, tells the story of a German blacksmith who discovers after a long time that his son is the child of a Romanian. Horațiu Mălăele adapts the subject, making the blacksmith Grigorie a Romanian who discovers that his son is the child of the Hungarian Peter, who, in turn, finds out that his own son’s father is the Russian Ivan, and Ivan realizes that his son belongs to... Grigorie! This genetic mess is the consequence of war, as all the men, blacksmiths by trade, were also soldiers at the front. The subplot of the play is thematically generous, offering suggestions regarding the consequences of war and the false trumpet of nationalism, which has become a “doctrine” for some current European parties. The comedy is skillfully written by Mios Nikolic, providing the audience with dark humor about the predicament of the three men of different nationalities, who realize that their sons genetically belong to another nationality. 

The adaptation by changing the nationality of some characters, however, is flimsy. The wives are represented in the text only by Matilda, the wife of the Romanian Grigorie, who argues that the women did not cheat on their husbands; they just wanted the blacksmith guild to have heirs. Matilda’s argument is conceived by the playwright on the historical basis that, after farmers and shepherds, blacksmiths serve one of the oldest trades, even mentioned in the Bible. These remain the basic professions of simple people. In today's world, however, Matilda's desire to perpetuate the guild fails, because the sons, as their fathers say, are no longer blacksmiths; they have chosen other professions. Horațiu Mălăele's adaptation uses the translation signed by Veronica Lăzăreanu, which is abundant in vulgar accents.

         Set designer Maria Miu, who has illustrated this play in another theater as well, constructs with her recognized talent, a detailed blacksmith workshop on stage, complete with specific trade objects and those from the household of simple people. The decor is enchanting and thoughtfully functional for diversifying the stage movement. Director Horațiu Mălăele humorously develops the story of the three men, mastering the field of comedy. The show lasts one hour and ten minutes, with the first five minutes consumed at the start by Grigorie’s absurd search through the workshop with a flashlight, in the dark, naturally, for “something,” although these searches do not find a solid justification in the ensuing action.

 The four actors remarkably fulfill their roles. Maia Morgenstern as Matilda, Grigorie's wife, delivers an excellent performance. The actress develops with inner conviction Matilda's struggle to convince her husband that she did not cheat on him during the four years he was at the front in Russia, also completing it with the emotion of reuniting with Peter. Once again, Maia Morgenstern demonstrates she is an actress of rare complexity and can credibly approach both comic and dramatic genres. 

Horațiu Mălăele subtly constructs the character Grigorie, a simple man trying to unravel the threads caused by Peter's arrival in his family. The actor dramatically handles the situation and evidently, the result is comic. With a timid Hungarian accent in his speech, George Mihăiță presents Peter experiencing the intense emotion of reuniting with Matilda, along with the complicated situation of the revelations. The final intervention by Ivan is admirably executed by Valentin Teodosiu, through posture and maintaining relationships with those he meets. The four actors meritously depict the story of the worthy blacksmiths, simple people whom the war has left ... scars, like many other simple people living today in a world confused in its manifestations.

         “The Blacksmiths” offers an opportunity for comedy to the audience, who should also think afterwards when they proudly trace their origins to ...  the Dacians and Romans. The show remains just a successful exercise in amusement …