“Uneducated fools!” This is how our French teacher labeled the entire class for their unwillingness to watch the Romanian operetta ‘Ana Lugojana’, a production imposed by cultural norms of that era. We were in the 5th grade of primary school, 10-11 years old, not particularly fond of opera and operettas at that age. To ensure we didn’t remain uneducated fools, we were required to attend the upcoming performance of the operetta at the National Theater House.. The audience comprised students, and, unexpectedly, soldiers were also present, seemingly coerced victims of the operetta. At one point during the performance, we noticed the soldiers discreetly removing their shoes and hanging their socks to dry on the opera house radiators, a comical and odorous incident that elevated the performance into a memorable experience. Infinite Love.
Bits of childhood – ‘Uneducated fools!’
