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We are constantly thinking about the magic we create, and we want to share those thoughts with you! We believe the wonderful connection between theater makers and theatergoers continues long after the final curtain call, and we want you to discover what inspires us when we create, the exciting challenges we face, and how the shows you see come to life. That’s why our #blogreactor section brings you lovely texts, collages, and reflections from the passionate artists behind the scenes.

Lucia Mărneanu is an actress and illustrator, an artist with a unique creative universe that surprises, thrills, and fills you with hope at every turn. We are delighted to share a few of Lucia's thoughts about working on "Exeunt" below:

The easiest way to start is by sharing how I discovered the character I play in Exeunt—the granddaughter looking at herself in the mirror, recalling her grandmother. No other spoilers, I promise!

One of the improvisation themes that Bobi P. gave us at one point was to imagine ourselves participating 50 or 60 years in the future in a TV talent show, like X Factor or Romania's Got Talent. We had to think of a talent from the future and craft a life story for our character, just like the emotional stories you see on screen in these kinds of shows... what motivated our character to join, the personal drama behind them—which is, of course, highly sellable in the TV industry! The final result of the improv was to be a "self-tape" sent to the contest organizers. I thought to myself that in 50 or 60 years, the technology we use today will surely be vintage, outdated, and beautifully antique. So, I decided that my talent in 50 years would be the ability to operate vintage equipment—specifically... a laptop! I also wanted a warm, personal touch for this story, so I thought a grandmother who taught me these skills would be wonderful. I named the grandmother Lucia, just like me. And I named my character Elize, introducing myself as a student at the Central European Technical University.

Above are some stills from this self-tape, and below is a little excerpt from her monologue:

”My grandmother’s name was Lucia, and here is a representation of her on a photographic print, a piece from 56 years ago, kept intact to this day. I specifically chose this younger image of her—she was around 28 or 29 here—to show you how much we look alike, and to avoid showing her in her old age when she wasn't doing so well. All this equipment belonged to my grandmother... an external battery, a mobile phone, a hairdryer, a projector... these are, practically, very precious collector's items from about 50-60 years ago. For me, when I was little, Lucia’s world of technology was my playground, a real amusement park! I was always fascinated by the physical tangibility of these old devices... look, they have cables, plugs, actual physical keys, buttons, and huge batteries and chargers... Yes, somehow with their unusually large size, their clumsiness and simplicity, they always looked to me like devices out of cartoons, like toys... and I am so grateful they existed, because they truly sparked my curiosity for the world of technology... which ultimately became my profession. The last 4-5 years of her life, my grandmother spent in deep sadness, in an almost silent state, a complete alienation akin to dementia, from which we couldn't pull her out. She passed away last year at 84. The reason her passing wasn't easy, at least mentally, is that until her very last moment, she was extremely affected by an outside world that had outpaced her, one she could no longer understand... it overwhelmed her, practically, with its relentless technological innovation. Lucia, like so many elderly people today, just couldn't keep up with the fast-moving present.”

Starting from the heart of this improvisation, Lavinia B. explored even further through a beautiful script, delving into the grandmother-granddaughter relationship, with all the reflection it brings, all the guilt, the fragility, the mysteries, and all the love. That text, set this time in a cozy, intimate space—a bathroom—made its way into the final version of the play. We warmly invite you to come and watch us!