"Tulipomania" Took Over the Stage of the Cultural Center "Jules Pascin"
On March 1st, the Cultural Center "Jules Pascin" in Vidin became a stage for powerful emotions and profound messages. The audience was immersed in the magic of *Tulipomania* – a solo performance by Adriana Slavova, presented under the direction and choreography of Petya Yosifova-Hunkins.
Inspired by real events and based on the novella *Tulipomania* (1995) by Swedish writer Bodil Malmsten, the performance told the story of the tulip mania that swept the Netherlands in the 17th century—a tale of obsession, ambition, and the price of dreams. Through a fusion of dance, theater, and music, the production depicted the fate of a young girl confined in a narrow space, where freedom was an illusion and the boundaries between light and shadow blurred.
The heroine danced in a world where reality and illusion intertwined, guided by two contrasting voices—Bob, the jailer who kept her imprisoned, and her mother, her brightest support. While Bob reminded her of the limitations and inevitability of her fate, her mother brought comfort and the memory of life beyond the prison walls. Every line, gesture, and movement built the tension between hope and resignation, between darkness and light.
“Try to watch the show with your heart, not your mind,” urged director Petya Yosifova-Hunkins, emphasizing the emotional depth of the performance. After the show, the audience engaged in a heartfelt dialogue with Yosifova, who spoke candidly about humility and human vulnerability. “Theater teaches us to surrender, to fall to our knees, and simply to be,” she reflected.
In the spirit of March 1st, guests received *martenitsa* with tulips—a symbol of new beginnings and the beauty of art.