Famous Moldovan actor, stage manager would have turned 90

Chisinau, 12 March /MOLDPRES/ - Actor, stage manager, People’s Artist Valeriu Cupcea would have turned 90 today.   

Valeriu Cupcea was born in the Cupcui village, southern Leova district, in 1929. Cupcea studied at the B.P. Hasdeu lyceum from Chisinau and afterwards graduated from the A. Ostrovsky Theatre Art Institute of Leningrad and finished stage management courses in Moscow and Leningrad. During four decades, Cupcea was actor, stage manager and chief stage manager of the A.S. Pushkin Musical and Dramatic Moldovan Theatre (presently the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre) from Chisinau during 1963-1977 and 1981-1985. 

Valeriu Cupcea staged over 50 plays and played tens of theatre and movie parts, including the one of poet Mihai Eminescu in the play Eminescu by M. Stefanescu, Dimitrie Cantemir in Zodia Inorogului (The Sign of Unicorn) by Ion Gheorghita, Sword Bearer Milescu in Prologul (The Prologue) by Valeriu Matei, etc.    

Cupcea staged reform-oriented plays for the stage art of that period: Me, Grandmother Ilico and Ilarion by N. Dumbadze (1967), Faust and Death by A. Levada (1961), Hanuma by A. Tagoreli (1983), romantic dramas, such as The Masquerade by Mikhail Lermontov (1965), The Tiger and the Hyena by S. Petofi  With his permanent care for the national dramaturgy, Cupcea staged the play Tache, Ianche and Kadar by Victor Ion Popa, more plays by Vasile Alecsandri, such as The Well of Blanduzia (1967), The Iasi City in Carnival (1969), Two Girls and a Mother (1971), Gold-haired Fairy and Pepelea (1982). The departed actor also staged plays from works by Ion Creanga, such as The Mother and Three Daughters-in-Law (1967, 1972 and 1983) and Amintiri…(Memories…) (1977). Valeriu Cupcea played in the movies Lonely Facing Love, The Fiddlers, Dimitrie Cantemir, etc.          

Valeriu Cupcea left recordings of poems by Mihai Eminescu, plays and recitals from the classical and universal literature in the golden sound archives of the national radio and television. In 1975, he was awarded the honorary title of People’s Artist. Valeriu Cupcea was also awarded the orders Peoples’ Friendship and Badge of Honour. He died on 15 January 1989.     

In 1993, Valeriu Cupcea was posthumously awarded the Order of the Republic. The Education, Culture and Research Ministry established the National Prize Valeriu Cupcea – the most prestigious prize awarded to a theatre man from Moldova and the Theatre Union of Moldova launched a contest and recital Valeriu Cupcea. The street where there was the house where the departed actor lived almost all his life bears his name now. There is a studio room Valeriu Cupcea at the Mihai Eminescu National Theatre.