SAVIANA STANESCU introduces her play ALIENS WITH EXTRAORDINARY SKILLS

Hosted by Dr Mike Phillips OBE, British novelist, historian and curator Followed by a Q&A session Friday 1 July 2011, 19.00-21.00, The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108 e-mail: bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk; Entry is free but booking is essential. In a special event at the Ratiu Foundation, New York-based Romanian playwright Saviana Stanescu introduces her critically acclaimed play ‘Aliens With Extraordinary Skills’, a dark comedy about a clown from the “unhappiest country in the world”, Moldova, who pins her hopes on a US work visa. Chased by Homeland Security, a deportation letter deflates Nadia’s enthusiasm and a pair of spike heels might be all it takes to burst her American Dream (or turn it into a nightmare). The event will feature readings from the play. “Saviana Stanescu’s Aliens With Extraordinary Skills is an enchanting piece of theater… Ms. Stanescu’s dialogue is flawlessly observant…the energy people talk about as New York’s essence comes from all those newcomers’ hopes and dreams in the air. Aliens pays tribute to that energy and at the same time radiates tons of its own” – The New York Times Saviana Stanescu was born in Bucharest, Romania, and was ‘reborn’ in New York. Her plays have been widely presented internationally and in the US, in stage productions, readings, and workshops, gathering rave reviews and awards. Saviana won the 2007 Marulic Prize for Best European Radio-drama for ‘Bucharest Underground’ (presented, with the support of the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, at the Edric Hall Theatre of the London South Bank University in January 2009). Saviana teaches at New York University. ‘Aliens With Extraordinary Skills’ was published by Samuel French in 2009. Besides plays included in various anthologies, Saviana has also published six books of poetry and drama including ‘Google me!’ (poetry), ‘Black Milk’ (four plays) and ‘The Inflatable Apocalypse’ (Best Romanian Play of the Year UNITER Award in 2000). Saviana also co-edited the anthologies of plays “Global Foreigners” (with NYU professor Carol Martin) and ‘roMANIA after 2000’ (with CUNY professor Daniel Gerould). // // // // // // // // // // // // Organised by The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London. Culture Power is a programme initiated by the Ratiu Foundation, consisting of a number of presentations and constructive dialogue with an invited audience. With the support of Profusion International Creative Consultancy. Note: Image above © Ratiu Foundation