BLACKSMITHS

National Theatre Bucharest - "Ion Caramitru" Hall

September 28, 2026, 7:00 PM

Under various titles, the play "Blacksmiths" by Milos Nikolic has been part of the repertoire of several theaters in the country, as well as abroad. The director of the play, Horațiu Mălăele, seems to be "in love" with this play, in which he naturally also plays the main role.

The original text by playwright Milos Nikolic, born in Kosovo in 1939, tells the story of a German blacksmith who, after a long time, discovers that his son is the child of a Romanian. Horatiu Malale adapts the subject, and the blacksmith Grigorie is a Romanian who discovers that his son is the child of the Hungarian Peter, who learns that his son's father is also the Russian Ivan, and Ivan finds that his son also belongs to him... Grigorie! This genetic confusion is a consequence of the war because all the men, blacksmiths by profession, were also soldiers on the front. The play's substratum is thematically generous with suggestions regarding the consequences of war and the false trumpeting of nationalism which has become a "doctrine" for some current European parties. The comedy is thus written by Mios Nikolic and produces for the audience the humor of the misfortune of the three men of different nationalities who discover that their sons actually have a different nationality genetically.

The adaptation through changing the nationality of some characters is, however, flimsy. The wives are represented in the text only by Matilda, the wife of the Romanian Grigorie, who argues that women did not cheat on their husbands, they only wanted the blacksmith guild to have descendants. Matilda's argument, the playwright conceives it on the historical substratum that after farmers and shepherds, blacksmiths serve one of the oldest professions attested even in the Bible. These remain the basic professions of simple people. In today's world, however, Matilda's desire for the perpetuation of the guild fails, because sons, their fathers say, are no longer blacksmiths, they have chosen other professions. Horațiu Mălăele's adaptation uses the translation signed by Veronica Lăzăreanu, abundant in trivial accents.

Scenographer Maria Miu, who has also illustrated this play at another theater, with her recognized talent, builds a blacksmith's shop on stage in detail through objects specific to the profession, complemented by those from the household of simple people. The set design is enchanting and functionally conceived for the diversification of stage movement. Director Horațiu Mălăele develops the story of the three men with humor, as he is in the field of comedy. The performance lasts one hour and ten minutes, of which five minutes are consumed at the beginning of the performance by Grigorie's search through the blacksmith's shop with a flashlight, in the dark naturally, for "something", but these absurd searches do not find a consolidated purpose in the subsequent action.

The four actors perform their roles remarkably. Maia Morgenstern as Matilda, Grigorie's wife, delivers an excellent performance. The actress convincingly portrays Matilda's struggle to convince her husband that she did not cheat on him during the four years he was on the front in Russia, complemented by the emotion of reuniting with Peter. Once again, Maia Morgenstern demonstrates that she is an actress of rare complexity and can credibly tackle both comedy and drama.

Horațiu Mălăele nuances the character of Grigorie, a simple man trying to unravel the complications caused by Peter's arrival in his family. The actor dramatically treats the situation, and the result is evidently comic. With a timid Hungarian accent in his speech, George Mihăiță portrays Peter as someone intensely experiencing the emotion of reuniting with Matilda, as well as the complicated situation of revelations. The final intervention of Ivan is admirably performed by Valentin Teodosiu, through his demeanor and his support of the relationships with those he encounters. The four actors meritoriously retell the story of skilled blacksmiths, simple people whose lives the war left... marks, just like many other simple people living today in another world, confused in their manifestations.

“The Blacksmiths” offer the audience an opportunity for comedy, who should then also think, when it boasts that its genesis is in…  Dacians and Romans. The show remains only a successful exercise in amusement…

Cast: Horațiu Mălăele, Maia Morgenstern, George Mihăiță, Valentin Teodosiu

Show presented by Prestige Art Production, a company dedicated to promoting quality art.