THE SUNSHINE PLAY

Written by Peca Stefan

Directed by Ana Mărgineanu
with: Daniel Popa, Isabela Neamţu & Cosmin Seleşi
Set Design by Ina Isbăşescu


MONDAY Theatre @ Green Hours , Bucharest (2005)
Project CUBE  Theatre, Dublin (2006)
The Lafayette Street Theatre, NYC (2007)

“…an overt physical comedy that hides the cynicism underneath. (…). The direction from Ana Margineanu is thrilling: for all the small gestures, there's a sense of excitement in each nuance, and even a few surprises, too. That final scene, anything but happy, follows logically and completely from everything before, and the whole Monday Theater team has done us a service by bringing this play here.” Aaron Riccio, New Theater Corps

“The concepts "Romanian theatre" and "romantic comedy" don't juxtapose comfortably—which is what makes The Sunshine Play work. As a western romantic comedy, it's pretty conventional—but as a piece of Eastern European theatre (performed in English by a Romanian cast), it's charming and surprising in its focus on its characters and their personal travails rather than any political context. The Sunshine Play is about disaffected people yearning for romance, honesty, success—just like any romantic comedy—and it shows us a perspective on Eastern Europe that we rarely get to see. It also showcases all three actors and their director doing rich, emotionally resonant work—and in a non-native language. (…)all three actors, under Margineanu's astute direction, find ways to ground their roles. (…)So the final scene, in addition to being the comic payoff, is also a tribute to director Margineanu's inventiveness; she's still finding ways to keep the relationships physically engaging and fresh, even adding a sense of danger in the last moments.” Loren Noveck, www.nytheatre.com

“Story-telling - particularly acting - is make-believe, and great story-telling keeps an audience unaware of such artifice until they find themselves crying, laughing or gasping at a moment of danger that they know is unreal. The Sunshine Play (written by Peca Stefan, directed by Ana Margineanu), set on the roof of a building in Romania, is an example of great story-telling. (…)). This is a great little play that deserves to be sold out for the rest of its run.” John Hayes, The Irish Theatre Magazine

 'The award reflects the excellence of The Sunshine Play from Monday Theatre of the Green Hours. A commentator described their performance as 'The best thing I saw on the Fringe - straight theatre with good story, character and plot - no gimmicks, no clichés'. An inspired cast and crew created theatrical magic in this delightful love-triangle variation, set on a sloping roof in Romania where people meet to smoke.' London Fringe Report

“This show is a welcome delight.”  Karen Fricker, The Irish Times

“The unexpected hit of the final week [of the Festival] was The Sunshine Play , a delightful rom-com by the Romanian company Monday Theatre @ Green Hours. (…)A polished, if not entirely adventurous, performance from a company that also should keep coming back to the Dublin Fringe.” The Irish Independent

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