RCI Digital Stage Opens with Marvelous "Ashes Afar"

In eager expectation of the eventual return to physical events, we continue to enrich our online broadcasting of original and exclusive content by opening THE RCI DIGITAL STAGE, a brand-new program showcasing theatrical performances in English made by Romanian artists together with American and international talent. We are thrilled to launch the new series with the gripping immigration love story "Ashes Afar" by Andreea Borțun, expertly directed by Bobi Pricop and beautifully acted by Crissy O’Donovan and Liviu Romanescu. A production of Vanner Collective.

Watch the show on our FACEBOOK or YOUTUBE starting from May 5 (2 p.m. EDT) to May 6.

The show - characterised as "an intelligent and fraught examination of the possibilities and impossibility of the notion of home" (Mark Bolsover, Edinburgh Spotlight) and as "challenging, questioning, and absolutely beautiful" (Dixon Baskerville, BroadwayBaby) - explores the trauma of immigration, which burns down the edifices of love, family, and memory. 

Photo credit: Alex Coman

Bobi Pricop’s debut took place in 2011 with the performance "Games in the Backyard" by Edna Mazya, at ACT Theatre in Bucharest, after which he directed "Humpty Dumpty" by Eric Bogosian at the Clasical Theatre of Arad. He staged "Amalia respire profondément" by Alina Nelega at Theatre Les Déchargeurs in Paris, "Against Progress" by Esteve Soler at the Bulandra Theatre Bucharest, and "Against Love" by Esteve Soler in Piatra Neamț. At the Craiova National Theatre he directed "The Religion Teacher" by Michaela Michailov, performance awarded at the Wiesbaden Theatre Bienal 2014 with the Audience Award (second place). In 2014 Bobi was assistant director for Robert Wilson’s production in Craiova, "Rhinoceros" by Eugene Ionesco. In 2015 he directed "The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas" by Dennis Kelly at the “Regina Maria” Theatre in Oradea. His work has been selected for various theatre festivals in Romania, Moldova, France, Poland, Macedonia, Germany, and Italy. For his performances he received awards for best directing at the Undercloud Independent Theatre Festival 2012 and at the Short Theatre Festival in Oradea in 2012 and 2014. His performance at the Bulandra Theatre was nominated at the Best Performance category during the Oradea International Theatre Festival. His production of "Amalia respire profondément" attended the OFF section of the Festival d’Avignon in 2014.