Olivia Grecea – on the joy of creative negotiations and artistic chemistry!

This November, Reactor is absolutely thrilled to present the premiere of "Under Water" as part of the 7th edition of the Drama 5 project! "Under Water" is an exciting new show based on the beautiful text written by Ioana Toloargă, a talented participant in this year's Drama 5 residency.

The wonderful Olivia Grecea is directing this production—a dear colleague and artist we've had the joy of collaborating with on various projects over the years. Here is what Olivia cheerfully shared with us about her work and thoughts on this project:

In the theatre projects I'm involved in, I am always fascinated by the intersection of performativity and theatricality. I love how a concept branches out and generates a living organism with its very own language! My artistic exploration thrives in those cozy spaces where it organically finds its place, nestled between emotion, connection, self-expression, and a touch of light redundancy, detachment, irony, and deconstruction. Depending on the project, one or the other shines through. I'm also deeply interested in how the codes of different mediums—theatrical, performative, and cinematic—can beautifully inspire and contaminate one another.

I always strive to make the rehearsal process a wonderfully creative experience for everyone involved! I get super energized by the beginning stages, where we get to play, test things out, keep some, toss others, or upcycle them—a stage I like to call 'romping through the meadows'. The process of locking down the scenic structure and repetitive rehearsals are, of course, infinitely less satisfying, sometimes even a bit frustrating, but all part of the magic!

A devised creation process, where a concept comes to life through collaboration with a dramaturg and the actors, is something that feels incredibly personal, even if it can sometimes be uncertain or a bit uncomfortable for those involved. Working with a pre-written dramatic text depends a lot on the relationship with the dramaturg and the type of collaboration with the director, which can wonderfully allow for adjustments to the text.

When I work on a text that is already written, I feel a beautiful sense of responsibility towards someone else's creative quest. I try to get as close to it as possible, though I influence it less than I would with a devised piece or a text written over a longer period, where I can share ideas and brainstorm with the author along the way. In a way, the main and exciting challenge of staging an existing text is accepting the gentle limits of my own intervention.

While working on "Under Water", we enjoyed constant communication with Ioana Toloargă, the playwright, to happily negotiate every text adjustment along the way. In rehearsals, I aimed for the most emotionally healthy relationships with my collaborators, keeping in mind that the creative space shouldn't be seen as an inherently dangerous zone where conflict is inevitable and fertile (a common industry cliché!), but rather as a warm space attentive to everyone's positive energy.

I discovered some absolutely super artists I hadn't worked with before, and had the joy of reconnecting with those I already knew! I rediscovered that it can be frustrating when I'm not in full control. I learned that in any creative process, attention, patience, and empathy are absolutely key, even when time and energy are hard to tame. You have to give a lot of yourself, and sometimes that's the most beautiful part of the journey!

"Under Water" is a show that delightfully reveals itself. Depending on how each theatergoer connects with its code and experiences the content emotionally, different moments might resonate in wonderfully unique ways. The performance adds one (or many!) extra dimensions to the dramatic text, bringing it to life as an experience through a vibrant mix of theatricality, performance, text, and music. Even with its post-dramatic writing style, the stage presentation invites you to be an active, involved viewer, making it delightfully accessible. I would love for this show to be a beautiful journey that gently guides you inward, to that place where everything floats and flows. A wonderful, introspective epiphany!