Journal Analele Banatului N.S. Archaeology-History

Vasile Rămneanţu

Contribuția Primăriei municipiului Timişoara la dezvoltarea mişcării teatrale interbelice timişorene / The contribution of Timișoara City Hall at the developement of the inter- war local theatrical movement

Jan. 1, 2014

Abstract

Between the two World Wars Timișoara City Hall administration undertook considerable e orts in order to support the theatrical local movement, the goal being the bringing into existence of a permanent Romanian theatre in Timișoara. After proposing to create a Romanian theatre for Banat and Arad, with the headquarters at Timișoara and failing in the attempt to colaborate with the theatrical troupe lead by Avram Nicolau, because of the failure to comply with contractual clauses, the administration of the City Hall, respectively the Local Council, came with the initiative of achieving cultural areas with a permanent Romanian theatre along the Romanian borders, for the support of the Romanian culture. The intercession failed, firstly because of the financial dificulties and given the conditions, the decision makers of Timișoara City Hall supported the creation of a cultural area only in the west part of the country. But again, the lack of financial resources and, in our opinion, the lack of a determined support from the central cultural authorities, baulked this important project too. It has to be emphasised the fact that the City Hall of Timișoara showed its availability to support a permanent Romanian theatre to play in the most important cities from the west part of Romania. The numerous intercessions of the municipality leadership in order that the city benefit by a Romanian theatre troupe had a relative success in 1927, when the National theatre from Craiova evolved in the city for a year, putting on valuable plays, with material and moral support from the Timișoara City Hall. these efforts continued and in the forth decade of the 20th century, when the City Hall offered essential facilities to the theatrical troupe lead by Maria Cinsky Nicolau, but again the collaboration ceased because of the failure of the leadership of Teatrul Banatului (the name of that troupe) to comply with contractual clauses. In 1937 they decided to initiate a collaboration with the Romanian Theatre Patronage Committee from Arad, in order to assure a Romanian theatre season, but the performances were to be held by the National theatre and “Regina Maria” theatre and not by their own theatrical troupe. It has to be pointed out the fact that the decision makers of the City Hall intended the foundation of a valuable theatre, with quality actors, as prestigious as those from the national theatres from Bucharest and Cluj. The intention was also to form some original actors from Banat, to back up a permanent Romanian theatre at Timișoara. At the same time the theatre had to have an important educational role, especially for the young, aiming to shape a numerous theatre connoisseur audience. There had to be staged valuable educational plays, both from Romanian and universal drama. But the financial dificulties and the lack of a determined support from the central authorities, obstructed the foundation of a permanent Romanian theatre in the capital of Banat region. Under the circumstances, the City Hall gave a series of payment facilities (lighting, heating, display tax exemptions) for some famous theatre troupes (Bucharest National Theatre, Cluj National Theatre, „Bulandra” Theatre, “Cărăbuș” Theatre lead by Constantin Tănase, etc.), which played a series of plays in Timișoara between the two World Wars. Of financial support and other facilities from the City Hall benefited also Hungarian and German theatre troupes, which also played numerous plays. The intention was to maintain a Hungarian permanent theatrical troupe, attempt that failed because of the economic crisis. Thus, despite of the failure registered with the foundation of a permanent Romanian theatre at Timișoara, failure not to be blamed of, the Timișoara City Hall supported the local theatrical movement both from material and moral point of view, which made possible that valuable plays to be staged in the city.