USQ Artsworx

School Resources

Mad Forest teachers` notes

Prepared by
Archina Turner-Mobbs under the advice and counsel of Dr Janet
McDonald.

Contents
1

Our production

1.1

Director

1.2

The rehearsal process

Caryl Churchill

3.

Political theatre

Romanian revolution

4.1
5

Synopsis

6
8

5.1

Act by act description

5.2

The two families of Mad Forest

5.2.1

Vladu family

5.2.2

Antonescu family

Themes and conventions

10

6.1

Death and sex

10

6.2

Relationships

10

6.3

Youth

10

6.4

Hope

10

6.5

Churchill conventions

10

Design elements

12

7.1

Lighting

12

7.2

Set

12

7.3

Costumes

12

Activities
8.1

13

Pre-show activities

13

8.1.1

Still images

13

8.1.2

Defining space

13

Post-show activities

13

8.2

Day-by-day history of Romanian Revolution

8.2.1

Meetings

13

8.2.2

Diaries

13

Further resources

15

1 Our production
1.1 Director
Associate Professor Kate Foy is a respected and recognised contributor to the arts in Queensland.
Currently Deputy Dean of USQ's Faculty of Arts, Kate has been Chair at the Queensland Theatre
Company since 2003. She is also on the Board of Directors of the Empire Theatre and has directed
numerous plays for the New England Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, the
University of New England in Armidale, as well as the University of Southern Queensland. Kate
specialises in the study of traditional Japanese theatre and has directed seven Shakespearian plays
during her directing career.
Kate was pleased when asked to direct the USQ production of Mad Forest, as she had seen a
production of the play during the early 90's. She remembered it as "a very moving experience", and
she hopes to repeat this for her audiences.

1.2 The rehearsal process

The USQ production of Mad Forest will reveal the talents of the 2nd year Acting students; it will be
their first public performance at whilst at University. The rehearsal process began mid-March and
spanned over ten weeks in order to develop and invest the actors' place in the political story of the
play.
USQ's production of Mad Forest has used a traditional rehearsal process where the Director
envisions the realm of the play with the Set Designers Chris Willems, Ben Stewart and Andrea
Corish. Kate Foy has used her own unique style as a 'teaching director' to encourage the ensemble
to work collaboratively. She has also made use of her own technical skills to encourage students to
use the blog spot, where the actors can share research online and to voice issues experienced in
relation with the play.
In undertaking this kind of rehearsal process it is hoped that the cast and crew will learn how to
rehearse' using the Stanislavski System via the use of exercises and discussion on the work being
explored. During this production, Kate especially focused on naturalistic acting and the building of
credible characters within a 'playful but purposeful' rehearsal room.

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2 Caryl Churchill
The incredibly successful Caryl Churchill is a prolific and daring playwright of the modern era, who
approaches many issues and gives a voice to the oppressed through her work. Using a feminist
style of theatre, she has written over twenty plays during her career, which has spanned nearly fifty
years from 1958 to today. As a materialist feminist, Churchill writes plays which challenge the
traditional patriarchal system and the associated prejudices imposed upon class/race/gender and
sexual preferences. For her, these are constructed notions of patriarchy that have the potential to
oppress women as well as men.
Born in London in 1938, Churchill's childhood was spent in both Canada and the UK. She studied
English at Oxford University, while also writing her first play Downstairs in 1958. This went on to win
an award at the Sunday Times National Union of Students Drama Festival. During the next ten
years, she and her husband raised their three sons, and Churchill perfected her unique writing style.
In 1972, Churchill began to receive recognition for her work with the BBC producing short radio
plays of The Ants, Lovesick and Abortive, and televising The Judge's Wife.
Churchill went on to collaborate with the Joint Stock Theatre Company and Monstrous Regiment,
and served as the resident dramatist at the royal court theatre company from 1974 to 1975,
producing such famous plays as Cloud Nine (1979).
Caryl Churchill continues to write today, most recently publishing a new translation of Seneca's
Thyestes, writing a new version of August Strindberg's A Dream Play (2005), and completing the
play Drunk Enough To Say I Love You (2006).

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3. Political theatre
Through political theatre, people are able to emphasise and define issues by addressing them in the
arena of theatrical art, a place where political issues have been examined since the beginning of
drama. Political theatre encourages the exploration of universal and central themes and issues to
human communities and societies who define themselves as politically conscious.
Feminist playwright, Caryl Churchill has been heavily involved with political theatre. The following is
an exert from Feminism, appearing in Different Types of Feminist Theories by Cara Stewart:
Feminism is the organised movement which promotes equality for men and women in political,
economic and social spheres. Feminists believe that women are oppressed simple due to their sex
based on the dominant ideology of patriarchy. Ridding society of patriarchy will result in liberation for
women, men, minorities, and gays.'
It was Churchill's beliefs in materialist feminism that led her to the Romanian Revolution in a study
into oppressed people and their empowerment.
Shortly after the Romanian Revolution in 1989, Churchill took a group of students from the London
School of Drama to Bucharest to study the effects of the revolution of the Romanian people; the
resulting play Mad Forest captures the chaos of revolution and the endurance of Romania in a
historically true and compelling piece of theatre.
The empowerment of a people to rise as one against an oppressor is a fantastic example of the
materialist feminist idea of group over individual'. To enable a radical and persistent change in
society is what lies at the core of the feminist belief system, the expectation that enlightened and
determined action can bring about positive change that liberates oppressed peoples is certainly the
corner-stone of this play.
Another issue, perhaps not so positive, arising from Mad Forest is that revolution is the procedure or
course, as if in a circuit, that returns back to a starting point. In the case of the Romanian
Revolution, it is defined by the changeover from Ceausescu and communism to Ion Iliescu and neocommunism, going from one oppressor to another.

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4 Romanian revolution
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 overthrew the communist regime and its dictator Nicolae
Ceausescu. On 15 December, in the town Timisoara, a battle was sparked between the riot police
and thousands of Romanians inspired by Father Laszlo Tokes, a former member of the Democratic
Union of Hungarians in Romania, who spoke out against Ceausescu and his dictatorship of
Romania.
Under Ceausescu's rule the people of Romania had experienced severe food rationing, power cuts
and fuel shortages, the abolishment of contraception and abortion, state controlled censorship of the
media, visitors and travel restricted, and the 'systematisation' of half of Romania's villages which
involved the elimination of a village and the repositioning of their residents into 'Agrarian-industria'
centres. Totally manipulated and controlled, the Romanian people suffered oppression for 21 years,
disciplined and monitored by the 'Securitate'. Ceausescu's secret police.
The week long revolution was one of Europe's most bloody and hostile revolutions since World War
II. Any acts of aggression or placation by the Government only seemed to fuel and anger the
Romanian people, led by Revolutionary leader, Ion Iliescu. On 21 December, Ceausescu made a
televised speech to reason with crowds in Bucharest, but it only served to incense the crowd which
became violent and riots continued throughout the day between the army and police. The following
day, the army joined the demonstrators and by the Christmas Eve, Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife
had fled Romania, only to be caught and executed by firing squad on Christmas Day.
After the Revolution and consequent fall of communism, Ion Iliescu was democratically elected to
President of Romania. Under his Government, Romanian politics grew more stable and Romania
joined North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), although there are continuing problems with
Government corruption.

4.1

Day-by-day history of Romanian Revolution

15 December 1989

16 December 1989

17 December 1989

18 December 1989

19 December 1989

20 December 1989

Father Laszlo Tokes speaks out publicly against Ceausescu in

the town of Timisoara. Backed by thousands, the riot police
arrived to try and remove Tokes and disperse the crowd. A
noisy, and at times bloody, battle ensued in the streets
Relative calm, as the Securitate and the army were called in to
restore order. The United States State Department reacts with,
"It looks like Romania's time may have finally come" although
the majority of the world still believed that Ceausescu will
successfully maintain control
A huge crowd amassed in Timisoara. The crowd became
aggressive and marched on the Communist Headquarters at
city hall. The demonstration was severely anti-government, as
portraits of Ceausescu were burned and thrown from the
building. The army used tanks, tear gas and water cannons
against the crowd
The Executive Political Committee in Bucharest ordered the
army to begin firing real bullets into the demonstrators. Civilian
casualties ran high in Timisoara and the dead were collected by
the army and either thrown in mass graves or burned
The resistance continued in western Romania, and the death
count rose. The United States condemned the Romanian
government for the use of "brutal force". It is believed that some
of the army began to switch over to the side of the
demonstrators on this day, although that is unconfirmed
Negotiators from Bucharest were sent to Timisoara, but really
only to buy time so that new elite troops could arrive to "crush
the rebellion". The Securitate continued firing on demonstrators
in the street.Ceausescu arrived home from a visit to Iran and
proclaimed martial law. He also blamed the uprising on
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Hungarian Fascists
Ceausescu addresses a crowd in Bucharest in a televised
speech. Unexpectedly, the crowd became violent and tried to
break police lines. A violent clash ensued in which at least 13
youths were killed.
Protests began breaking out all over the capitol, and the police
began arresting these demonstrators. The crowds refused to
disperse and the police used gunfire and armoured cars against
the people
22 December 1989
Even more demonstrators began to reassemble early in the
morning. Huge crowds were locked in a standoff with the army
in the main square of Bucharest. Reports of dissidence between
Ceausescu and his army caused the crowd to start chanting,
"The army is with us!" The crowd offered the soldiers cigarettes
and flowers and the battle seemed to be shifting to one between
the army and Ceausescu's security police. In a last ditch effort,
Ceausescu tried to speak from a balcony, but was shouted
down. He and his wife fled the capital and made plans to leave
Romania
23 December 1989
The fighting and brutality escalated in the streets, as confusion
reigned. Some of the army had switched over to the side of the
people and continued to battle security forces. Ceausescu and
his wife were captured and returned to Bucharest. Ion Iliescu
emerged as a leader of the National Front and made a list of
demands on the government
24 December 1989
The army continued to battle and gain on the Securitate in
Bucharest. The National Front claimed control of the revolution
and established a provisional government. Uncertainty and
terror still prevailed in the streets, although it is known that the
Ceausescus' were tried and shot in a very speedy trial
25 December 1989
The Ceausescu's bodies were exhibited on TV, marking "the
end" of these initial stages of revolution. Ceausescu was
described as unapologetic and refused to recognise the
decision of the courts. Despite this, fighting continued both in
the capitol and in Timisoara. It is unclear when complete order
was restored and even more unclear when Romania was able
to regroup after these 11 days of revolution.
Taken from: Christman, Jonathan, comp. Day-by-Day History of the Romanian Revolution Theatre
Resources. 16 Oct. 1998. Wake Forest University
21 December 1989

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5 Synopsis
5.1

Act by act description

Mad Forest, set in Romania during 1989 explores the reactions of ordinary people to the realities of
revolution. This play follows two families connected through the wedding engagement of their
children. Together these families experience the madness of the Romanian Revolution, its riots and
confusion.
In the first act of the play the audience is introduced to the Vladu's, a poor family of six, and the
Antonescu family, a wealthier, smaller family.
The two are linked through the relationship of Florina Vladu and Radu Antonescu and the friendship
between Radu and Gabriel Vladu . Both live under the oppressive rule of Nicolae Ceausescu. The
beginning of Mad Forest establishes the unrest and pressure of living under a dictatorship while also
articulating the economic and social problems of Romania. For example a lack of food represented
through the importance of Lucia's eggs in scene one, the lack of reliable electricity in scene two
when the Antonescu's resignedly light a candle when there is a power failure, and the lack of safe
contraception (scene seven) when Lucia must secretly pay for an abortion.
Act two serves to break up the realism of the play with original monologues of Romanian people.
These authentic monologues recounting the week-long revolution are the words of those who
participated in and observed the uprising. By describing to the audiences the revolution with the use
of this hyper-realistic device of authentic monologues it increases the reality of the play and its
issues.
The last act of Mad Forest opens to a vampire and dog in conversation, this use of supernatural
characters enables Caryl Churchill to give life to a larger issue through a body that is immediately
associated with what is distinctive about the said issues, so the vampire is used to represent people
who use a chaotic situation for there own gain; as those who emerge at times like a revolution. This
is not unlike the use of another supernatural character, the angel in the first act, who represents an
illusion of an untouchable mysticism that is merely corrupt and distorted; a representation of
communism and religion. The third act of the play once again revisits the Vladu and Antonescu
families, but this time in post-revolution Romania. The audience is immediately able to see a change
in the characters but after period of euphoria and freedom, issues merely begin to arise again.

5.2

The two families of Mad Forest

5.2.1

Vladu family

Bogdan

Irina

Lucia

Florina

The father figure of the Vladu family. It is clear throughout the play the
Bogdan is the head of his wife and to some extent his children. Employed as
an electrician, Bogdan, while quietly agreeing with the revolutionary
movement, he is unable to bring himself to publicly oppose Nicolae
Ceausescu dictatorship until after the week long revolution. Still harbours
prejudices towards minorities such a Hungarians.
The support system of the Vladu Family Irina works as a tram driver but really
wants to escape the dictatorship; her husband, Bogden, and she are very
supportive of her children's choices.
A rebel against social standards, she purposefully refuses to conform to any
expectations placed upon her. Disgraces her family by marrying an American,
but really loves a Hungarian man, Ianos. Spoilt and unaccountable, she
represents the move towards a capitalist way of society and thought.
An obedient daughter who does not wish to upset anyone and will put others
before herself. Is a hard-working nurse who is in love with the Antonescu son,
Radu, during the first act she accepts being unworthy of Radu due to her
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Gabriel

Rodica

5.2.2
Mihai

Flavia

Radu

sisters love-life but in the third act, the two are married. Florina is the stable
working Romanian who work and act consistently, regardless of what of the
ruling class.
An engineer who actively participates in the revolution, his wounded leg a
symbol of his dedication to freedom. His actions make his family proud.
Celebrated as brave, was truly an original revolutionary.
Gabriel's wife who is very badly affected by the revolution, afraid of losing
what she was able to build (home and relationship with husband) before the
revolution and is unable to comprehend a life not under the rule of
Ceausescu.

Antonescu family
A reasonably well-off architect who plays the role of quiet observer, who tries
to keeps out of trouble. Is given title of traditional head of his family but only
out of respect of his wife Flavia.
A teacher who represents manipulated society, she is able to preach
propaganda, and has problems adjusting to life after the revolution due to
being blacklisted as a Ceausescu supporter. Flavia exerts her strength over a
submissive husband and tries to do the same to her son, Radu, is the
unspoken head of the Antonescu family.
An art student who is heavily influenced by his parents before the revolution
but during and after he becomes outspoken and idealistic. A rebellious son
who fights against his parents as well as Ceausescu.

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6 Themes and conventions

6.1

Death and sex

The most basic themes of Mad Forest can simply be reduced to death and sex. Perhaps portrayed
most plainly through the Vampire (sex), ghost (death) and angel (eternal life) who are personified on
stage. Even these entities significance are closely intertwined with the vampire being a symbol of
blood-lust which is linked to death and in death it finds eternal life.
Most literally, the process of the play examines the death of a dictator and a way of life of his people
as a result of a violent and passionate revolution which, paradoxically, gives birth to potential
freedom. Death is often present at the time of climax or conclusion of a situation, which is also a
metaphor for the passion experienced through sex. Centring on issues such as oppression; where
the threat of death keeps a country silent and the monotony of oppression becomes deathly. The
revolution is the agent of death where people are brutally dealt with, the death of Dictator
Ceausescu who himself with his Securitate were symbols of death. In contrast however, though
closely linked with the revolution and the theme of death, are the relationships between the young
and a euphoric state immediately after the fall of Ceausescu, both which are metaphoric to sex.
While sex is often seen as a state madness, western belief is that the achievement of sex is a
triumph, one closely tied into Mad Forest by the overthrow of Ceausescu.

6.2

Relationships

Two of the three acts of Mad Forest revolve around two families. These families are defined by the
interconnecting relationships they share and their relationships with other characters that are
imposed into their lives.
A relationship is the condition or fact of being related, connected or associated, whether it is by
blood, marriage or kinship. It is an incredibly important factor of the characters lives because of their
lack of ownership over anything, due to living in a communist society, and these relationships
stabilise the characters throughout the events of the play. The journey these characters go on
throughout the play are symbolic of the resourcefulness of human beings; the processes of repairing
wounded ties and the creation of new relationships in the attempt to create a meaningful and
fulfilling existence.

6.3

Youth

The stage of early maturity is often associated freshness, vigour and spirit. While the condition of
being young is a hindrance before the Romanian Revolution and the old taught the young how to
survive in a dictatorship, when the old political system fell away, the old turn to the young for
guidance, because even though inexperienced, the youth represent potential and unproblematic
adjustment. It is also a stage where the protector of the youth can distance themselves as the youth
searches for independence away from their protector but authoritarian figure.

6.4 Hope
One of the three Christian virtues, hope, is the driving force behind Caryl Churchill's Mad Forest. It is
hope and a little bit of desperation that drives the Romanian people to revolt for a better way of life.
It is the expectation and wish for freedom that motivates characters Radu and Gabriel to fight in the
revolution and to continue voicing their beliefs well after the revolution.
"Hope against hope, to continue to hope, although the outlook does not warrant."

6.5 Churchill conventions

Mixing realism with the super natural - a dog being able to talk, the characters of the
vampire, ghost and angel.

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The use of a series of truncated or anti-climatic short scenes, these ending in silences
undefined as a meaningful pause or moment between scene change.
Scenes introduced by an actor, (one not involved in the scene at hand) reading from a
prominently labelled "Romanian Phrase Book." In each case the phrase, while plausibly a
phrase which might actually appear in one of those books, it also identifies a character and
the theme of the upcoming scene
Mixture of fictional with the actual, the hyper-realistic device of incorporating authentic
monologues of those who participated in and observed the uprising.
The use of mixed of languages, in the introduction of the scenes in act
one and in the final scene both Romanian and English are used.

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7 Design elements
7.1

Lighting

Brecht believed that the stage should be brightly lit at all times.
Special effects such as lighting were a device to create 'mood' and this was not allowed on a
Brechtian stage. In order to remind the audience that they were watching a play, Brecht made sure
that the lighting devices were clearly visible and no 'illusion' was created.

7.2

Set

The sets used are mainly 'suggestive' and not realistic.

For example, in USQ's production of Mother Courage and Her Children, Mother Courage does not
have a cart, but the idea of the cart is represented by the revolve. It is the metaphor of the cart that
embodies the importance, rather than a literal cart.
The set in this production is an enormous and epic construction. The design aspects are dark and
there is an air of misery and pain which surrounds it. The cart, which is a main character in the play
is represented by a circular revolve in centre stage. It is as if the cart (which is the symbol of
economy and survival to Mother Courage and her children) is what has ultimately buried them in the
world that they live in. The revolve continuously turns in a circle, representing the eternal struggle of
Mother Courage and the fact that they are always moving but at the same time not really going
anywhere. No matter how hard she works and struggles, she never gets anywhere, and as life goes
on, the cart continues to bury her deeper into this hell.
Brecht usually left his stage bare in productions. It was a way of preventing the audience from being
lost in illusion. Although this production does not have a bare stage, it finds a middle ground
between where Brecht might have been and where Director, Scott Alderdice has interpreted the
play. The production is self-consciously theatrical and is, essentially, pared back. The suggested
cart of Mother Courage is in fact what Brecht used in his very first production of the show. It's a
strongly visual play and the designs coincide with it to create a world that is both shocking and epic.

7.3

Costumes

The costumes in this production, designed by Angela Ponting are a reflection of the life of the
characters and the play. Although not era specific, they give an idea of the layers and age of the
characters and their journey. Each costume makes an individual point about the character. The
costumes are a mix of layers. It is as if the characters are wearing everything they own, and the
costumes are their own skin, decaying from their bodies. As the characters have walked through life,
it has become apparent that bits and pieces have grown or melded onto their 'skin' and layers have
been stripped away. The whole design aspect looks at the idea that the characters are constantly
clinging to life. It is as if the war and the world in which they live in has killed them already and the
set and costumes reflect that. Their circumstances have drilled them down into a 'hell' in which they
struggle to survive. The design aspects show how the life and death of these characters walk hand
in hand and what remains of their soul is shown through the physical design of the show.

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8 Activities
8.1

Pre-show activities

8.1.1

Still images

Discovering Preconceptions of Revolutions

Giving the Class the three titles or Dictatorship', Revolution', Victory', allow the class to formulate
three freeze-frames to correspond with the titles. Discuss who, what and why the freeze-frames
represent. By allowing an economical and controlled form of expression which is then able to be
read by observers, peer teaching is invoked, allowing the students to share and solidify there
knowledge of the meanings of the words dictatorship, revolution and victory.
8.1.2

Defining space

An Exploration into Physicalising Oppression

Using available resources imaginatively groups build cells that consider and represent the effect of
oppression on people living under a dictatorship.
These cells should have dimensions and what is inside the cell can be seen.
The cells' are then compared and discussed. By negotiating the way a place should look and
representing meanings the spatially the class are clarifying the affect oppression has on people
while being able to creatively use material and furniture in an imaginative way.
1. Ask your students when they feel oppressed. Discuss what they feel is oppressing them,
whether it be society, authoritarian figures, their own desires and expectations?
2. How would they feel is all the rules could disappear? Would they impose their own rules
upon their environments and selves?
3. Make a list of every reason that they felt oppressed, be it
youth/class/stereotyping/race/gender etc. What do they think would happen if all these
things disappeared?
4. Explore the materialist feminists' ideas of all those things being constructs of society. What
would it mean for the student individually if all those constructs disappeared?
Now discuss how they can use these constructs to fight oppression, with the knowledge that if it
decided that if it was more productive, a construct could be unlearnt, it would be?

8.2

Post-show activities

8.2.1 Meetings
"Too fight or not to fight!"
Chaired by the teacher, a meeting is held to decide whether the students as Romanians should start
a revolt in their small Romanian town. It is known by listening to illegal international radio stations
that there has been up-risings in Timisoara but to revolt would mean possible death and the
eradication of the town by the Securitate.
Simulating this meeting allows the students to make collective decisions while solving arising
problems. This activity has emphases on negotiation and bargaining as the students are required to
balance individual's needs and interests while calmly considering alternatives.
8.2.2 Diaries
Diaries, Letters, Journals, Messages: The Selection of Content and Managing Alternative View
Points

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After viewing Caryl Churchill's Mad Forest ask the students to write:

As Ceausescu's wife, write a message to Iraq, to Ceausescu warning him of the riots in
Timisoara
Three of Radu's diary entries about the Romanian Revolution
An American newspaper article on Christmas day of 1989
A letter from Rodica to her mother on Boxing Day
A list of teachers that have been black-listed and why are they, to be compiled by Ion
Iliescu's new government officials.

This activity will encourage reflection on the Romanian Revolution and how it affected individuals
with opportunities to adopt appropriate registers and vocabulary, form unexpected or cryptic
messages and provide imagined audiences for writing.

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9 Further resources
Caryl Churchill
http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth259
http://www.womenwriters.net/editorials/PriceEd1.htm
http://www.stthomasu.ca/~hunt/reviews/forest.htm
http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=878
Other Mad Forest productions
http://www.wfu.edu/theatre/archives/archives1998-99/madforestprod/mfprogram.htm
Further information about Romanian Revolution
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/574200.stm
Brief biography of Nicolae Ceausescu
http://www.giles.34sp.com/biographies/ceausescu.htm
Brief biography of Elena Ceausescu
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/criminals/p/elena_ceausescu.htm
Transcripts of the Ceausescu's trial
http://www.timisoara.com/timisoara/rev/trialscript.html
Further reading on political theatre
Charlotte Canning, Working from experience : a history of feminist theatre in the United
States, 1969 to the present, Seattle, Univ. of Washington, Diss., 1991
Erika Fischer-Lichte, Theatre, sacrifice, ritual : exploring forms of
political theatre, London: Routledge, 2005
Michael Patterson, Strategies of Political Theatre: Post-War British
Playwrights, Cambridge studies in Modern Theatre.
Themes, concepts and myth resources
To explore Western metaphors of sex, there are great examples in Reforging Relationships:
intimacy without violence by David Frazee, language warning:
http://www.pacifict.com/ron/Frazee.html
Biography of the Romanian, Vlad Dracula, who inspired Bram Stokers Dracula:
http://members.aol.com/johnfranc/drac05.htm

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Background on the myth of the vampire:

http://members.tripod.com/~Kekrops/Mythology_Vampire.html
An angel guide:
http://www.angel-guide.com/angels-definition.html

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