„Teatrul povestit“. Contribuții ale istoriei orale la istoria teatrului în perioada comunistă

Rezumat

„Narrated Theatre“ – Contributions of Oral History to the History of Theatre during the Communist Period
During the communist period in Romania, theatre functioned under constant ideological pressure and political control. While it continued to preserve its artistic and cultural role, it was also transformed into an instrument of propaganda and ideological education. The relationship between theatre and political power was marked by censorship, self-censorship, fear, compromise, but also by subtle forms of resistance and attempts to preserve artistic freedom. The intensity of political intervention changed over time, with periods of severe restriction alternating with moments of relative liberalization. Official archival documents provide only a partial image of theatrical life because they mainly reflect the perspective and language of the regime. In contrast, oral history offers access to personal experiences, emotions, memories, and everyday realities that remained absent from official records. Testimonies of actors, directors, stage designers, technicians, and spectators reveal the atmosphere inside theatres, the strategies used to avoid censorship, the moral dilemmas of artists, and the hidden meanings transmitted through performances. Theatre became not only a cultural institution, but also a space where symbolic resistance and coded communication were possible. Oral history is therefore essential for reconstructing a more complete and authentic image of theatre under communism. Through interviews and personal narratives, history can also be understood „from below“, namely from the perspective of those who experienced these events directly. At the same time, oral testimonies require careful interpretation because memory is subjective, selective, and influenced by later experiences, emotions, and political contexts. Even with these limitations, oral history remains a crucial method for understanding the complex interaction between art, ideology, and society during the communist era.