O SCRISOARE PIERDUTĂ

(LOST LETTER)

A Comedy in Four Acts

(Opening night: the 13th of November 1884 at the National Theatre in Bucharest)

Characters

Ștefan Tipătescu, the prefect of the county

Agamemnon Dandanache, former fighter in the Revolution of 1848

Zaharia Trahanache, the president of the Permanent Committee, the Electoral Committee, the Board for Schools, the Board for Agriculture, of other committees and boards

Tache Farfuridi, a lawyer, member of these committees and boards

Iordache Brânzovenescu, the same as the above

Nae Cațavencu, a lawyer, owner and manager of the paper Răcnetul Carpaților , the president and founder of the Encyclopedic Joint Society "The Romanian Economic Aurora"

Ionescu, a schoolmaster, collaborator with the above paper and a member of the above society

Popescu, a schoolmaster, the same as the above

Ghiță Pristanda, the policeman of the town

A drunk citizen

Zoe Trahanache, wife to Zaharia Trahanache

A servant

Voters, citizens, an audience

In the capital of a mountain county, nowadays

          This play tackles the issue of the elections for the changing of the constitution. Local parties, the liberal party and the independent wing, compete with each other, as they wish their own candidate to run for the constituency. Trahanache is the head of the liberals, while Cațavencu that of the independents. The liberals want farfuridi to run, and the independents appoint Cațavencu. All of them take part in the decisive meeting, but the political game complicates further, as Cațavencu finds in a love affair he comes across the pretext for blackmail. He tries to force Trahanache, Zoe and Tipătescu into supporting his candidature, as he threatens to publish a love letter unless he is elected. Terrible complications follow, as the members of the liberal group intervene, by accusing Trahanache of treason, while the drunk Citizen who found the letter discovers that it has been stolen by Cațavencu. Normality is restored as the central authorities appoint a surprise candidate, who turns out to be Agamemnon dandanache, while Cațavencu is unmasked as a forger. In the end everything is all right, everyone is pleased, while Cațavencu plays the role of the quiet citizen in charge of a public manifestation in the honour of Agamemnon dandanache, who has just been elected.

TEATRU (DRAMA), preface by Zoe Dumitrescu Bușulenga, Bucharest, E.S.P.L.A., 1960