Join us as the wonderful Adonis Tanța chats about make-believe and the real magic of theatre!

Generally, I tend to shy away from questioning myself through writing; I always get the feeling that I haven’t said enough, or that I shouldn’t have said it quite like that, or who knows what! On the bright side, I absolutely admire anyone who manages to put their thoughts into words. I think the most beautiful way to write is by leaving a few ellipses... like an open question, or a wonderful invitation to add a little something more!...

I am absolutely thrilled with my artistic journey so far! I actually started out in the most classic of theatrical genres: opera. For me, transitioning into theatre didn't feel like a shocking shift; deep down, I feel exactly the same—as if I'm practicing the very same beautiful craft. I've always found the dramatic side of opera even more captivating than the music itself. The wonderful thing about singing on stage is that the music already guides you to the emotional intensity you need to reach. Most of the time, if you've studied and prepared, you simply open your mouth and—voila!—you are right where you need to be. Theatre, however, leaves lovely spaces between the words. You can shape them, play around with pauses, twist them, and mix them up in such delightful ways!...

That's exactly where my love affair with stage humor begins—especially the humor that sparks from language itself! Lately, as a performer, I've had so much fun playing with language and absurd, wonderfully silly stories. I love slipping in an unexpected word out of nowhere every now and then; it creates such a delicious effect both for me and for our wonderful audience! I truly believe it's all about communication, what it means to connect, and finding a unique way to tell a story. I’ve always been a keen observer of people, and I instantly spot when someone is exaggerating or puffing themselves up. Honestly, I find it quite endearing how much we all want to be perceived in a certain way—and I often catch myself doing the exact same thing! That's what is so incredibly funny and beautifully human to me: how we sometimes lower our voices, raise them, make them raspy, or scowl, especially when there isn't even a grand, dramatic story to justify it! :))

That is how I love to see theatre sometimes—or at least a certain kind of theatre: as a funny, playful mirror of our human quirks! I also find it absolutely hilarious when those quirks aren't delivered with deep, serious soulfulness, but just as pure, stylized form. I often laugh so much at my own struggles or those of other actors on stage when things just won't click. It might sound a little mischievous, but it isn't at all—it's just good fun! After all, nobody ever got hurt from a role that didn't go quite as planned...

Where things get a bit tricky, I think, is when artistic acts get bogged down by copied mannerisms. I must admit, I find it terribly amusing when someone suddenly lets out a dramatic shriek on stage, or falls in a way that is clearly super-technical and artificial—or when we see a wonderfully over-the-top, theatrical cry!

In "An Evening of Entertainment at Reactor," we had a blast playing with the very idea of entertainment and a certain way of making theatre. We questioned it all, playing with both form and, most importantly, content! Even though, in my eyes, it is a genuine entertainment show, we certainly didn't shy away from the responsibility of the topics we joked about. I am a firm believer in humor and its power to save the day, but I also believe it should be crafted with care. Audiences often absorb ideas much more easily through laughter. Theatre has a wonderful power to educate, or at the very least, to influence us—which is why we can't just carry all our social prejudices onto the stage. To me, our show is incredibly smart because it leaves all those beautiful, open-ended ellipses throughout the performance!

While working on this show, I took it step by step, carefully at first, until I grew more and more confident. For me, it’s so important to know what idea I am serving. If I truly believe in it, I can run with it wholeheartedly and feel completely secure in any improvisation I throw out there! I feel terribly out of place when I don't know what I'm doing, what I want to say, or if I don't believe in the action. I’m the kind of actor who needs to be in harmony with the message of the show—if not entirely, then at least a good part of it!...

Just so we're on the same page, I absolutely adore theatre! I don't think of it as a joke at all. But sometimes, rather than doing a half-hearted attempt at realism, I'd rather we fully embrace the theatrical playfulness of it all! It actually feels much more honest than trying to force something to look real when it clearly isn't—after all, we are all sharing a magical moment together in a theatre hall!...

In any case, I still believe in beautiful stories and rich characters, and I can't wait to get my hands on a script with another fantastic role! Sometimes, life seems wonderfully absurd and I hold on tight to finding meaning, which makes me more sensitive and eager to work on deep emotions. Other times, I am just so happy to be alive and ready to share a good laugh! It all depends on the vibe of the show I'm working on. If it's a devised piece, great! If not, I eagerly await being challenged by a script, a director, or anyone with a spark. And if the stage is quiet, every now and then I'll just create a show, a film, or a play myself—to keep exploring, seeing, and above all, having fun!