Beneath the Neon Light: the Anatomy of a Lost and Found Orchard

This article investigates the manifestations of the new sincerity on the contemporary Romanian stage, with a particular focus on Am avut o Livadă, a theatrical production directed by Eugen Jebeleanu. The play blends Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard with a modern text by Yann Verburgh, recontextualizing Chekhov’s themes within the socio-political reality of post-communist Romania. Characters from Chekhov’s original are intertwined with contemporary figures, creating a polyphonic narrative that reveals generational trauma, fluid identities, and emotional dislocation. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from Erika Fischer-Lichte, special attention is given to the interplay between presence and absence, as well as the transformation of actor-audience dynamics, embodiment and corporeality on stage, and the symbolic spatial design.