CONTRASTS at FringeNYC “A performance that would make Tom and Jerry jealous”

Romania will be present at the annual New York International Fringe Festival with the award winning physical theatre production CONTRASTS, created and performed by actors Dana Cavaleru and Richard Bovnoczki. The play will be performed in U.S. Premiere during the 16^th Anniversary edition of FringeNYC, taking place between August 10-26, 2012.

Dana Cavaleru and Richard Bovnoczki are some of the finest movement actors in Bucharest, trained as part of Dan Puric’s internationally renowned Pasepartout Company. Their original approach to performance combines pantomime, dance and theatre assembled into an original stage vocabulary. In devising CONTRASTS, their first independent project, the two performers undertook the task of moving forward the development of this new technique. Cavaleru and Bovnoczki have declared themselves closer disciples of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, following similar story telling and gag-techniques, rather than of classical pantomime actors, and are excited to share their performing style in NYC for the first time. “In an extremely original way they have devised theatre pieces that have definitely enriched the Romanian stage in the past ten years.” (Cristina Modreanu, Adevărul Newspaper, Bucharest)

CONTRASTS tells the story of a man and a woman who wake up in the same bed and cannot remember where they have seen each other before. Using gestures, words, sounds or tap dance steps they create an ever-changing imaginary world. This high-octane show reveals, with great humour, the ever-present contrasts between men and women, in their everyday lives, in society and at home. “A performance that would make Tom and Jerry jealous” raved Academia Caţavencu, one of the most popular Romanian newspapers.

The show has already received two European awards: the 2009 Special Jury Award at the Faces without Masks Festival in Skopje (Macedonia), and the 2009 Audience Award at the “Solo Mime Festival” in Belgrade (Serbia).

Cavaleru and Bovnoczki are classically-trained actors who also act in mainstream theatre shows. Richard Bovnoczi has the leading part in Yuri Kordonski’s Crime and Punishment at the Bulandra Theatre, one of the leading Romanian theatres. Both actors have recently appeared in Cristi Puiu’s Aurora (2011) and in several other films of the Romanian New Wave.

The New York International Fringe Festival is the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues.