Paper Planes
by Elise Wilk
Performance Exchange supported by ETC
Produced by: Romanian National Theatre Timisoara
Timisoara National Theatre’s production of Paper Planes by Elise Wilk is the first staging of the play that won the Romanian National Drama Competition in 2015. The play, which went on to be staged by several other theatre companies since, tackles one of the least comfortable topics of today’s Romania: the stolen childhood of those forced to come of age in the absence of their parents, gone to seek work abroad.
The play follows the destinies of six such children, who are cared for by grandparents or other relatives. Throughout the span of a schoolyear, we share their reactions, fears, hopes, relationships. Last, but not least, Paper Planes is a poetic, but uncompromising insight into the way in which a society so sick it keeps parents away from their children, is prone to destroy innocence and beautiful childhood dreams.
This production was shown at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe. The production is available for touring.
