Peca Stefan

PECA ŞTEFAN

Playwright and screenwriter

PECA ŞTEFAN (b.13.08.1982) is an author experimenting with immersive storytelling (for the stage, site-specific/oriented, mixed media/multiplatform) aimed at creating participatory events of communion. Many times interactive, his work investigates subjective (hi)stories of people and places and the traces they leave in connection to the physical meeting of an audience sharing a space through the artistic event.

He is considered to be one of the most powerful voices in Romanian contemporary playwriting. He studied dramatic writing at New York University (2003-2004), was a resident of the Royal Court International Residency (2005) and CEC ArtsLink Playwright in Residence at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven (2007, 2008). He was the winner of the first dramAcum contest in Romania, in 2002. His work has been presented in Romania, the United States, the UK, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Ireland, Switzerland, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Holland, Russia, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Bulgaria, Belarus and Serbia. His plays have won several awards, including the Heidelberg Stückemarkt Innovation Award (2007) for Romania 21 and London Fringe Report Award for Best Play – Relationship Drama (2006) for The Sunshine Play. He was one of the 5 European Plawyrights selected in the Berliner Theatertreffen Stückemarkt 2010, with Wire and Acrobats. Peca is the winner of the Irish Embassy Award 2010/Emerging Romanian Playwright for 5 miraculous minutes in Piatra Neamț, and Best Play at the Romanian Playwriting Festival in Timișoara (2011) for Roșia Montană - pe linie fizică și pe linie politică (on Physical and Political Line) (with dramAcum). In 2012, the production of his play Târgoviște de Jucărie (Playground Târgoviște) was selected at New Plays from Europe Bienalle Wiesbaden. He was commissioned as one of the 35 European playwrights featured in the 35th Anniversary Edition of the Berliner Theatertreffen Stückemarkt in May 2013.

Peca is a partner of PopUP Theatrics, NYC and a founding member of the Narative Association.

LIST OF THEATRE PRODUCTIONS (SELECTED):

2023

Orașul Paralel: Party în Elisabetin (The Parallel City:Party in Elisabetin), Teatrul Maghiar de Stat Csiky Gergely Timișoara, Teatrul Merlin Timișoara, Asociația Diogene, PopUP Theatrics orasulparalel.ro

2023

Die Familienreise (The Family Trip), directed and performed by France-Elena Damian, dramaturgy by Peca Ștefan, tak Theater Aufbau Kreuzberg tak

2022

Green Hours Live(s) (A site-specific installation about the history of iconic Bucharest underground club Green Hours, created by Cinty Ionescu, text by Peca Ștefan) Green Hours, Bucharest FB

Orașul Paralel: Fabric (The Parallel City:Fabric), Teatrul Maghiar de Stat Csiky Gergely Timișoara, Asociația Diogene, PopUP Theatrics, Teatrul German de Stat Timișoara, orasulparalel.ro

2021

Krimi im Kiez,  tak Theatre, Berlin/Online Game krimiimkiez.de

min(d)ing, An immersive installation created with Silvia Roman and Bogdan Balea (various venues) minding.ro

Orașul Paralel: Iosefin (The Parallel City:Iosefin), Teatrul Maghiar de Stat Csiky Gergely Timișoara, Asociația Diogene, PopUP Theatrics orasulparalel.ro

geRecht (Law) (Episode 1, written with Mehdi Moradpour, Matin Soofipour Omam, dramaturgie: Maria Milisavljević) , Film Installation, Tak theater, Berlin/suite 42 geRecht

nouameapiesă? (mynewplay?), Online Interactive Antiperformative Lecture, peca.ro/nouameapiesa

2020

Instrucțional pentru singurătate (Instructional for Loneliness), Online Performance/PopUP Theatrics & Teatrul LUNI de la Green Hours instructionalpentrusinguratate.ro

Invent/(-)ar 2.0 (Invent/(-)ry 2.0), Online Concept & Performance/Compania BLA with Laurențiu Bănescu. inventoar.ro

2019

1.SalvationKit, ArtHub Bucharest  

InCREDibil (UnBELIEVEable), The National Theatre of Timișoara – along with writers Elise Wilk, Leta Popescu, Mihaela Michailov

2018

Idiș? (Yddish?), The Jewish State Theatre, Bucharest, Romania
Timișoara. Capăt de linie (Timișoara. End of the Line), The National Theatre of Timișoara, Timișoara, Romania
Muzeul Minciunilor (Liar. Museum of Lies), PopUp Theatrics, MONDAY Theatre @ Green Hours Bucharest
Coming of StAGE, Studio Theatre, Târgu Mureș
Die Ziganiada, tak Theater Aufbau Kreuzberg, Berlin
#TheNewOldHome, interactive theatrical installation, tak Theater Aufbau Kreuzberg, CLB Berlin

2017

Invent/(-)ry [PK], MONDAY Theatre @ Green Hours, Bucharest
The Vanished Year.200/7, Small Theatre, Bucharest
Die Ziganiada, Heimathafen Neukoelln, Berlin
Inside NYC, PopUp Theatrics, St. John’s Cathedral, NYC (one of the three writers)

2016

Broken City: Wall Street, PopUP Theatrics, NYC
The Complete Truth About The Life and Death of Kurt Cobain, Ciudad Cultural Konex, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Bucharest Calling, Teatr Współczesny, Warszaw, Poland
The Vanished Year. 1996 (Anul dispărut. 1996), Teatrul Tineretului, Piatra Neamț
În cuvintele tale (In Your Own Words), Centrul de Teatru Educațional REPLIKA, Bucharest
And Then We Took Berlin, written with Anne Rabe, Ballhaus Ost/suite42, Berlin

2015

The Vanished Year. 1989 (Anul Dispărut. 1989), Teatrul Mic, Bucharest
Our Daily Hunger (Foamea noastră cea de toate zilele), Centrul de Teatru Educațional REPLIKA, Bucharest
Broken City: Harlem (Broken Dream, Broken Trail, Broken Spell), PopUP Theatrics, NYC
Bremen, German State Theatre, Timisoara

2014

+/- 60 The Clock is ticking, Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Germany (co-production with the National Theatre in Timisoara, Romania)
Medium State of Decay (Stadiu Mediu de Degradare), Teatru FIX, Iasi, Romania
Broken City: Lower East Side (Pilot), PopUp Theatrics, NYC
Tower for INSIDE, PopUp Theatrics, Bucharest, Museum of the Romanian Peasant (site-specific), Romania
Geografia Inutil..., with the ERRO Grupo, street performance, Florianopolis, Brazil
The Saint of Saint George (Sfântul din Sfântu Gheorghe), Andrei Mureșanu Theatre, Sfântu Gheorghe (part of All the best about Romania), Romania

2013

Bucharest Calling - Studio Theater Yorick, Targu Mures, Romania
Best New Europlay – Berliner Theatertreffen Stuckemarkt 35th Anniversary Edition – Berlin, Germany
Long Distance Affair – NYC (Gershwin Hotel) and Edinburgh Fringe (Summerhall), PopUp Theatrics (contributed two of the pieces in the project)
Green Hours! – A site specific serial theatre show in 3 episodes – dramAcum/MONDAY Theatre @ Green Hours, Bucharest

2012

Romania 21 – Studio Theater Yorick, Targu Mures, Romania
Hotel Project - Summit Hotel, Summit, NJ and Washington Jefferson Hotel, Manhattan, NYC, produced by The Internationalists and Neighborhood Productions (contributed two 15 minute plays to the production)

2011

Wire and Acrobats; Theater Osnabruck, Germany
Nils’ Fucked Up Day, U.S. Premiere in FringeNYC, Dixon Place, New York City
Targovişte de jucarie (Playground Targoviste); Teatrul Municipal Tony Bulandra Targoviste, Romania

2010

Rosia Montana/Pe linie fizica si pe linie politica (Physically and politically), Teatrul Maghiar de Stat Cluj-Napoca, Romania (contributed 5 of the 6 texts in the production)
The Sunshine Play, TAG Theatre, Vienna, Austria, 2010
The Sunshine Play, neo-elliniko-theatro-giorgou-armeni, Athens, Greece
[picabo/pinguini] (picabo/penguins), various locations including CONTROL Club, and MONDAY Theatre @ Green Hours, Bucharest, 2010
The Blind Trip, produced by The Internationalists at the La Guardia Performance Center, New York (contributed one 10 minute plays to the project)
Cölors, Tristan Bates Theatre, London, UK
Cölors, Theatre de la Manufacture, Nancy, France
Romania 21, Teatrul Tineretului, Piatra Neamţ, Romania
Romania 21, National Theatre Uzice, Serbia

2009

5 Minute Miraculoase in Piatra Neamt (5 Miraculous Minutes in Piatra Neamţ),Teatrul Tineretului, Piatra Neamţ, Romania
Cölors, VAT Theatre, Tallinn, Estonia
Bucharest Calling, Dschungel Wien, Museums Quartier, Vienna
EUREPICA, Belarus Free Theatre (2008, 2009, 2010), Theatre Lund, Sweden (2009) and Almeida Theatre, London (2010) (contributed one 10 minute play to the project)

2008

Povesti adevarate compet inventate despre Baia Mare (Completely Invented True Stories about the Romanian Town of Baia Mare), Baia Mare Municipal Theatre, Baia Mare, Romania
Ziua fututa a lui Nils (Nils’ Fucked Up Day), MONDAY Theatre, Bucharest, Romania
Buy Me With A Coffee, Bulandra Theatre, Bucharest/Municipal Theatre Graz, Austria as part of the “Blog The Theatre” project
The Complete Truth About The Life and Death of Kurt Cobain, The Albany, London, UK

2007

COOLöri (Cölors), Small Theatre, Bucharest, Romania
Bucharest Calling, MONDAY Theatre, Bucharest, also had its U.S. Premiere in FringeNYC, 45 Bleecker Street Theatre, New York City
The Sunshine Play, U.S. Premiere at FringeNYC, 45 Bleecker Street Theatre, New York City

2006

[o statie] (Station), Comedy Theatre, Bucharest, 2006; Nottara Theatre, Bucharest, 2008
The Sunshine Play, Teatro Valle, Rome, Italy
Jazz, Schaubuehne Berlin, as part of the Orient Express Project, Berlin, Germany

2005

I H♥TE HELEN, ArCub Cultural Center, Bucharest, 2005
The Sunshine Play, MONDAY Theatre, Bucharest; also presented in Dublin Fringe 2005, The Cube, Dublin, Ireland, and FringeNYC 2007

2004

New York [Fuckin’ City], MONDAY Theatre, Bucharest
89noua 89noua... fierbinte dupa 89, Very Small Theatre, Bucharest (contributed two 20 minute plays to the production)

2003

Showdown (MONDAY Theatre, Bucharest)

SELECTED STAGED READINGS & WORKSHOPS:

Fabulamundi - Bal littéraire, Deutsches Theater, Berlin (2014)
Best New Europlay, Karlsruhe Staadstheater, Karlsruhe (2013)
The Price Is Right, Odeon Theatre, Bucharest (2013)
5 miraculous minutes in Piatra Neamt, Abbey Theatre, Dublin (2011)
Wire and Acrobats, Berliner Theatertreffen, Berlin (2010)
Wire and Acrobats, Hot INK, NYU, New York (2010)
Flowers are No Victims, Romanian Cultural Institute London, London (2009)
Romania 21, National Theatre Belgrade, Serbia (2008)
The Sunshine Play, Odeon Theatre, Paris, France (2008)
The Sunshine Play, English Theatre in Berlin, Germany (2008)
Gigantic at the Long Wharf Theatre, Connecticut (2007, 2008)
Romania 21, at the National Student Drama Festival, Scarborough (2007)
Cölors in Theatre Cafe Europe, Amsterdam, London, Tallinn, Lille (2007)
Romania 21, Heidelberg Stuckemarkt, Heidelberg (2007)
Bucharest Calling, LARK Play Development Center, New York (2006)
U.F., Avignon Festival, France (2006)
Nils’ Fucked Up Day, Wiesbaden New Plays from Europe, Wiesbaden (2006)
The Complete Truth about the Life and Death of Kurt Cobain, Royal Court Theatre, London (2005)
Punami, Bulandra Theatre Bucharest, (2004)

SELECTED AWARDS (Theatre):

Best Performance on a New Romanian Text – for Roşia Montană – pe linie fizică şi pe linie politică – Festival of Romanian Playwriting, Timişoara (2011)
Best Romanian Play of the 2009 - 2010 season - Irish Embassy Award for 5 miraculous Minutes in Piatra Neamţ (2010); also won the Best Production Award at the Comedy Festival in Bucharest (2010)
Best Romanian Comedy Text (2006) - for Cölors/COOLöri, awarded by the Comedy Theatre, Bucharest
Prize for Innovation – for Romania 21 awarded by the Heidelberg Stuckemarkt, Germany (2007)
Best Play - Relationship Drama - for The Sunshine Play awarded by London Fringe Report, London (2006)
dramAcum Award for New Playwriting (2002) - for Punami and Ziua futută a lui Nils, Bucharest

SELECTED RESIDENCIES, PROGRAMS AND GRANTS:

Ageing Democracies? Centro de Cultura Contemporania Barcelona (CCCB) & Open Society Foundation Fellowship, 2016-2018
Theatre and Civil Society, BIARI 2013 – Brown University, June 2013
Playwright in Residence at Long Wharf Theatre, ArtsLink Grant, 2007, 2008
Royal Court London International Residency, 2005
New York University, Open Society Foundation scholarship, 2003-2004

ADAPTATIONS & TRANSLATIONS IN ROMANIAN:

Hamlet by William Shakespeare (2015) (hip hop adaptation/rewriting)
The Full Monty (Gol Pușcă), Book by Terrence McNally, Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek (2011)
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (2010)
Happy End by Kurt Weill, Elisabeth Hauptmann, and Bertolt Brecht (2009)
The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare (2008)
Richard O’Brian’s The Rocky Horror Show (2008)
The Quick (Carne Vie) by Tanya Barfield (2006)

SELECTED TELEVISION & FILM:

Creator and Headwriter:

Creator YouTube Web Series Invent(-)ry (2018 - ), Compania BLA, sole writer (14 episodes, 4 yet unreleased)
Timpuri Noi (New Times) (2008), Media Pro Pictures; co-creator, 30 minutes comedy, head writer, 1 season; 13 episodes written with writing team (unproduced)
Anticamera (Antechamber) (2007-2008), Media Pro Pictures, staff writer, 2 episode scripts
California (2005 – 2008), Media Pro Pictures, Bucharest; one hour drama; creator and the only writer; 2 seasons; 24 episodes (unproduced)

Screenplays:

Beibi, short, Romanian (2022)
Inteligența contraatacă (Intelligence counterattacks), main writer, (co-written with Mihai Pîrcălabu, Doru Pîrcălabu, Valentin Gora), feature, Romanian (2021)
Niște copii (Kids), medium length feature, Romanian (2021)
The Last Sunny Day In Berlin, feature, English/German/Romanian (2021)
Elena & Serge's Complete Adventures, feature, Romanian and English (2018)
Lapsus, short (2017)
Nu exista-n lumea asta (No such thing in the world), short (2015)
Jazz, short (2014)
Bucharest Calling, feature (2013)
Romanian Porn, feature (2004)

VIDEO & REAL WORLD GAMES:

Story & Character Creator:

31 Days (in development), Real World Adventure, Sole Creator
Krimi im Kiez tiktok Investigation Puzzle/Interactive, Co-Creator PLAY HERE
Silent Sadie (in developmment), Kapra Games; puzzle-platformer PLAY DEMO HERE

PRODUCTION WORK

The Window for the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York (March – July 2012, NYC): a project created and directed by Ana Mărgineanu, playwrights Sam Hunter and Saviana Stănescu, set designers Nic Ularu and Daniela Codarcea Kamiliotis; The Window – 4 Alice by Saviana Stănescu received 7 nominations at the New York Innovative Theatre Awards 2013, winning 4, including Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Lead Actor, Outstanding Set Design and Outstanding Costume Design.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR:

Atelierul Greșelilor (The Workshop of Mis-Takes), concept creator and facilitator @ Art Encounters, Timișoara (2023)
#Small Data, workshop production coordinator, concept creator @ NEDRama, Sofia (2018)
Coordinator for the Mutants project at the Dramatic Writing Department, Targu Mures Theatre University (2016)
Playwriting and Screenwriting Workshop for Calea Victoriei Foundation, Bucharest (2010 – 2011)
Playwriting Workshop Instructor, Ruse, Bulgaria (2010)
Creator and workshop instructor Scrie o piesa (Write a play) project (2004-2005) for high school playwriting in Bucharest

OTHER WORK

Communication Coordinator and Theatre Programs Coordinator/Producer – Romanian Cultural Institute in New York – October 2011 – November 2012 (Production work including The Window and Women Write the New: Eastern European Playwrights)