Told by a Saxophonist Who Has a Girlfriend in Frankfurt
A man wakes up next to a woman whose name he does not remember; nor does he remember where and how they met, their journey to his apartment or what they did after they got there. The woman is happy to explain, and her recollection of the facts makes him plead with her to stay. She promises to return. He promises to wait for her.
“Nine nights. Fine. But after that, you ask for nothing more.”
Bound by a promise and a bottle of wine, they discover that sometimes all you need to approach perfection are nine nights and a broken alarm clock.
With an international cast and crew – Romanian, Icelandic, German, Danish and Chilean – that connected over Visniec’s writing, the performance highlights the unifying force of theatre and its power to become a common language that exceeds any borders.
“Visniec writes charming, nonsugary dialogue, utilizing that rare element in highly romanticized storytelling: silence.” Tim Lowery: Time Out Chicago
“This play is very dear to me because I try to talk about love, the mystery of love, reincarnation through love, and initiation… about many things that we don’t think about often enough.” Matei Visniec
At present, Visniec has had many of his works staged in France, and some of his plays written in French are published. His plays have been staged in more than 20 countries. In Romania, after the fall of Communism, Matéi Visniec has become one of the most frequently performed authors.
Everywhere they look things are not equal; in the taxi at the end of the night, on the bench in the middle of a village, in the congregation, in the boardroom, in the home. They tell stories of abortion, sing about violence and dance about menopause. They remember the lies they were told as children and question the hope that things might be different for future generations.