A lost letter : From 19th century Romania to 20th century Greece

Nineteenth-century Romanian theatre vacillates between vaudeville and historical drama, reflecting the ideological dichotomy of its time, seeking a balance between the Western world and its national identity. After the struggle for independence, the political and social changes influenced a new generation of writers-playwrights who came into conflict with the choices of the (provincial) bourgeoisie. Ion Louca Caragiale is one of the most important representatives of this generation. In The Lost Letter he reveals the bankruptcy of the political system and transfers on stage "the suspicious" activities of the members of a society in the middle of a moral crisis. The play was first staged in Greece 75 years after its Bucharest premiere and the critics discovered the resemblance of its characters to their Hellenic counterparts. The common historic course of the two countries as well as the Hellenic descent of its author contributed to the creation of dramatis personae who surpassed the narrow local boundaries and were incorporated into a Balkan perspective.