Scott Johnston at Babel Fast: Targoviste is a remarkable city, where I am always welcomed

Scott Johnston, professor & director, member of the board of the Babel festival, message at the opening of the 13th edition:

”Ladies and gentlemen, fellow artists and friends,

I am truly delighted to be back in Târgoviște for the 13th edition of BabelFest. I am lucky enough to have been here for the very first festival and, indeed, for its launch, where I created a piece especially for the event. Now, all these years later, we are privileged to be here with an extraordinary program of events—an abundance of Shakespeare, theatre, film, music, dance, and art from all over the world.

Two quotes from *Hamlet* seem especially appropriate as we open this festival:

> *”The play’s the thing…”*
> *”Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.”*

We will witness great plays and magnificent theatre, sharing them with one another and the people of Târgoviște. This is a remarkable city, where I am always welcomed—not only by my fellow artists here but by the incredibly open and kind people who make me feel truly at home.

We live in turbulent times. Conflict and war are painfully close to where we gather today. Last year, we saw the Mariupol Theatre’s performance, which told the story of their experience of war in Ukraine. I cannot begin to imagine what it must have been like to live through such devastation, but their play opened my eyes in a way only theatre can. If theatre can help us understand one another and question the world in which we exist, then its importance remains undeniable.

**Thank you** to MC Ranin, Liviu Chelonia, my fellow board members, and artists from across the globe for their dedication and work in creating this festival.

**As Shakespeare wrote in *A Midsummer Night’s Dream,***
> *”The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact.”*

This festival is a testament to that imagination. May we continue to dream, create, and inspire one another.”

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