Why had stage director Mihai Maniutiu chosen this titel? „3A.M. – Three Hours After Midnight” is about crime time in Manhatten, a Lee Davis film from 2001, with a lot of bad critics because of the story, the actors, the sound, a so called boring late night entertainment. What you see on stage of Tony Bulandra Theatre is totally the opposite: A young choreographer ( excellent Andreea Gavriliu who also dances the lead) is prepairing her theatre dance show.

All fear and doubt do not only swirl around in her mind, but also in person of young actors expressing themselves in various forms of movement. A cool ambience of rectangular plexiglas elements on the right and left side of the stage and black/transparent mirrows in the back, properly designed by Tudor Lucanu with different colors enlightening the scenery depending on the mood of action. If Lucanu is also responsable for the sound, he did a perfect job.

Why was „Psalm” quoted, a poem by Paul Celan dedicated to the Nazi victims of Auschwitz, the spectators asked, what was it good for? I remember a Maniutiu performance basing on a similar idea, a text concerning mentaly illness of his mother interpretated by dancers. There also existed a discrepancy between text and stage action, unfinshed directing or deliberately staged fragment? While most contemporary choreographers like Pal Frenak develop their shows after an idea and give birth to it during the performance, stage director Maniutiu and highly talented Andreea Gavriliu as choreopgrapher, dancer and performer created something totally different.

Together with Vladimir Albu, Teodora Budescu, Roxana Fânață, Flavia Giurgiu, Adrian Loghin, Camelia Pintilie, Ana Pop, Antonia Teișanu and Vlad Troncea they give interpretation to the melody of words and the collage of sounds expressing sadness and joy, fear and power. Graviliu and her crew are kind of actors using different elements of moving like contemporary, classic, modern, street dance, hiphop. These „corps de ballet – actors” were really great in it. They created a very remarkable show and proofed that there is a powerful contemporary dance scene in Romania. It is growing, unfortunately not getting enough support. Lucky us to see such a good show at BABEL.

Dieter Topp, german journalist, guest in Babel festival