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Interview: ALEXANDRA CARAS / UNITER
"What's really at stake stays the same: the work, the encounters, the projects I choose to believe in and that keep me growing."
This year's UNITER Awards Gala brings our Reactor colleagues three nominations in three different categories. We talked with them, asked how they relate to this nomination and what expectations they have. Fingers crossed for them!
We continue with the second interview, with Alexandra Caras, nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category, for the role of Mica in the show "Dealul florilor" ("Hill of Flowers") by Calița Nantu, directed by Mark Cristopher Demeter.
What does this UNITER nomination mean to you? How does it feel in relation to your work so far?
Alexandra Caras: For me, this nomination comes first of all with a feeling of validation and gratitude. Validation for a path that wasn't always clear or easy, and gratitude for all the people and encounters that shaped me along the way. I got to be part of a dedicated and curious team, with cool, committed and generous people, who put their heart into every project, the kind of team that makes you look forward to coming to rehearsals.
And maybe that's why I feel it as a confirmation that the work put in so far is part of a process that's primarily collaborative, with all its doubts and fragilities. Because there were also moments of exhaustion, uncertainty and questions. But I think this craft is built exactly out of the stubbornness to stay there and keep going, even when you have no certainty about the future. What matters is not stopping. The rest… sorts itself out along the way.
Do you think anything will change for you if you win or if you don't win? Have you thought about a possible speech if you get the award?
A.C.: Honestly, I don't think anything essential changes. I mean, sure, if I won, it would be a huge joy and the euphoria would probably keep me going for a while. And if I don't, I don't feel like anything is lost… What's really at stake stays the same: the work, the encounters, the projects I choose to believe in and that keep me growing. The award is a nice moment where you pat yourself on the back and feel good in your own skin, but the road is longer and more complicated than that. Maybe "complicated" isn't the word, or at least I hope not, maybe "complex" fits better.
I have, obviously, thought about a possible speech. I'd want to keep it fairly honest and light, without feeling pressure to say something extraordinary. I'd like it to be less about me and more about the people I work with, and maybe about the need to support the more fragile corners of theatre more — like independent theatre, which often runs on passion and stubbornness, not on security. But I admit, there's also the version where I get very emotional and just say "thank you…" and rush off the stage. Let's hope it's not the second version, I'd still like to feel that adrenaline mixed with panic and emotion, at least a little.
Tell us a bit about the role you're nominated for, and also about the other character you play in the show "Dealul Florilor". Both are very important for the main character's arc. How do you see the function of a supporting character?
A.C.: Mica, the character I'm nominated for, is a grandmother from the 2000s. I was 11 in 2000, so that mental leap wasn't exactly easy. What was interesting to explore in her is a mix of fragility and stubbornness, and her own, sometimes clumsier, way of loving. Her relationship with her granddaughter (the lead character) is special because, without realizing it, she ends up being more of a mother than a grandmother. She has that kind of attitude, as if she wants to fix or fill in for something that's missing.
Fata Licurici ("The Firefly Girl"), on the other hand, is a totally different energy. She's a teenager in love, very intense and very direct. She has no filter at all, feels everything to the max and says exactly what's on her mind, the kind of energy that hits you instantly. For me it's really nice to play both, because they show two completely different ways of loving the same person, one more settled and one… without a brake. Mica keeps her close, wants to protect her, she's the type who'd put another sweater on you even if you say you're not cold, while Fata Licurici comes in and puts everything out in the open, with no plan, has a somewhat reckless courage, typical of her age.
And when it comes to supporting characters, I don't feel like they're "supporting" at all. Often they're the ones who move things forward, who push certain buttons, who make the main character change. Without them, the story would stay on the surface.
Photo: Ioana Groza-Pop
