The event took place on May 22nd and May 23rd 2005 at New York's "Acorn Theatre" on West 42nd St. Eminescu's masterpiece "Legenda Luceafarului' ('The Legend of the Evening Star' in Adrian G. Sahlean's translation) was directed by Terrence Christgau Montgomery and choreographed by Raluca Georgiana Shields on original piano music by Ion Ionescu. Actors Brian Kuchta and Patrick Murney were also part of the cast of this production of one of Eminescu's and Romanians' most celebrated poems.
Catalina - Raluca Georgiana Shields
Evening Star - Brian Kuchta Catalin - Patrick Murney
Narrator & Demiurge - Terrence Christgau Montgomery
Music composed & performed by Ion Ionescu
Choreographed by Raluca Georgiana Shields
Directed by Terrence Christgau Montgomery
The 2005 production (see more details here) was staged anew in 2008 (more details here) on June 13 and 14 at the Marjorie Dean Little Theatre in Manhattan. It included an additional scene inspired by the original correspondence between Eminescu and the poet's life-long love, Veronica Micle. The two appear in the opening scene as real-life characters, played by Eric Ortega and Raluca Georgiana Shields.
Eric Ortega (the new addition to the almost identical cast of 2005) and Raluca Georgiana Shields played Eminescu and Veronica in the intro scene - then turned into the legend's main characters, Evening Star and princess Catalina, as both actors and modern dancers.
Patrick Murney appears in the initial scene as the postman carrying letters between Eminescu and Veronica. He later plays Catalin in the story, the page who gains the princess's love.
As in 2005, the play was directed by Terrence Christgau Montgomery, who also the voice of Narrator and Demiurge on music composed & performed by Ion Ionescu
