Romuald or Romald Bulfinsky, also known as Bulfinschi or Bulfinski (23 November 1878 – 13 January 1953), was a Romanian actor, comedian, and theatrical manager. Remarked for his bass voice and athletic build, he debuted as a child singer; he also attended the Bucharest Conservatory in 1900, but only graduated, out of necessity, in 1921, preferring to work for the in-between decades as a lay actor. His first stage work was done at the National Theater Craiova, and, in the 1900s, he toured the country with a topical political show, Drama dela Belgrad. Bulfinsky, who studied theatrical realism with Ion Livescu, and was influenced by Ermete Novelli, acquired his fame at the National Theater Iași, and, in 1909, was recruited by Alexandru Davila's itinerant troupe. He returned to Craiova in the 1910s, assisting Emil Gârleanu with reviving the theatrical movement in Oltenia. In tandem, he helped lay the groundwork for a local film industry, starring in the highly popular production Oțelul răzbună. Bulfinsky and his wife Maria Ciucurescu were then employed by the National Theater Bucharest, which was the Romanian Kingdom's trendsetting venue. Here, Romuald's acting skills helped consolidate the success of local dramatists—including Octavian Goga, Nicolae Iorga, Mihail Sorbul, and Caton Theodorian.
At the peak of World War I, during a period of heavy losses for Romania, Bulfinsky returned to Iași, the temporary capital, and helped boost morale with patriotic performances. His early triumphs in interwar Greater Romania included new standards within the local Shakespearean tradition, with acclaimed takes on Sir Toby Belch, King Claudius, John Falstaff, Petruchio, and Macduff; in addition, he had his second silver-screen credit, as the eponymous rabbi in Jean Mihail's Manasse—which remains recognized as one of the main creations in local silent film. Building on his popularity, he merged his status as a state-sponsored member of the National Theater with stints at Comedia and Teatrul Mic, sparking protests from colleagues who could not hold concurrent sources of income. He was also criticized for his touring repertoire, which was considered beneath his artistic capabilities. By the time of the Great Depression, Bulfinsky was scoring easy hits with boulevardier plays, in which he was directed by Victor Ion Popa and Sică Alexandrescu. Such work peaked in 1930, when he had an extended-run production of Ladislas Fodor's Church Mouse. Though the artistic level of such shows was descending as the Depression deepened, his own acting was regarded as superior, capable of rescuing mediocre or ribald content.
Bulfinsky reached his zenith as a Shakespearean actor in his late fifties, with highly elaborate productions by Soare Z. Soare. He then retired, but returned to the stage several times during World War II, usually with private companies. He became vocal about his left-wing convictions after the anti-fascist coup of 1944; he briefly worked at The Barașeum, with a stage version of The Moon Is Down. In 1947, he returned a third and final time to the Craiova stage, this time as a manager. The new communist regime welcomed his showcasing of "progressive" plays, but also expressed disapproval of his "bourgeois" remnants. Bulfinsky resigned in 1948, spending his remaining years as a pensioner of the state.
Beginnings Bulfinsky was born in Craiova on 23 November 1878.George Franga, "Calendar", in Teatrul, Issue 1/1958, pp. 95–96 He belonged partly to the Polish Romanian community: his father had fled Congress Poland in the Great Emigration, and had married a Romanian woman upon settling in Wallachia. Here, he opened a carriage repair shop.M. Lp., "Cu actorii sportivi nu-i de glumit. Maestrul Bulfinsky a ridicat o trăsură in spinare și a făcut lupte greco-romane. Bebe Spitzer a fost portar într'o echipă de foot-ball și va juca în acelaș post în formația actorilor", in Cotidianul, 20 July 1946, p. 1Gaby Michailescu, "Bulfu", in Flacăra, Vol. XXXIII, Issue 43, October 1984, p. 25 Romuald grew up on and around Independenței Street, an area which is also where he finished gymnasium.G. Adr., "Eu și strada mea", in Adevărul, 8 March 1937, p. 5 Remarked for his bass voice, he was recruited by the local music teacher, Elie Michăilescu, to sing in a Romanian Orthodox religious choir, organized at Saint Elijah Church. He claimed to have been involved with many combat sports at an amateur level, including boxing, fencing, and Greco-Roman wrestling, to the point where other youth feared and respected him; also by his own account, he practiced weightlifting in his father's shop, until he was able to raise a regular-sized carriage on his shoulders. He also obtained a velocipede that he rode to Mehadia and Calafat.
For reasons that he did not clarify, young Bulfinsky had to take his high-school courses in various areas of the Romanian Kingdom, including Turnu Severin and in Brăila; he sang in another boys' choir, sponsored by the Brăila Orthodox Bishopric, where he met and befriended George Niculescu, a future opera star.Romulus Dianu, Tudor Mușatescu, "Cu George Niculescu-Bassu despre el și despre alții", in Rampa, 21 November 1927, p. 1 Bulfinsky ultimately graduated from Nicolae Bălcescu National College. Here, he had been classmates with future writers Panait Cerna and Ion Al. Vasilescu-Valjean, with whom he had co-founded a small literary club.N. Constantinescu, "Cu d. Valjean despre el și despre alții", in Rampa, 17 September 1928, p. 3 Initially passionate about mathematics, he was drawn to art during his time away from Craiova, suggesting that melancholy was a main driver for this change. In May 1901, he was attested as a first-year student at the Bucharest Conservatory, remarked by journalist Emil Fagure for his passionate rendition of Vasile Alecsandri's epic poem, Hogea Murat.Emil Fagure, "Cronica dramatică: Producția școlii de declamație. — Diletanți sau artiști? — Imitațiunea. — Alegerea bucăților. — Anul I și al II-lea", in Adevărul, 31 May 1901, p. 1 His first job as an actor was with the National Theater Craiova (TNC), while his first stage director was Al. Demetrescu Dan.C. B. D., "Cronica dramatică. De vorbă cu noul director al Teatrului Național din Craiova. Maestrul Romáld Bulfinski este emoționat și optimist", in Rampa, 16 February 1947, p. 3
Bulfinsky debuted in 1902—playing Mikes in Alexandru Davila's tragedy, Vlaicu Vodă. In summer of the following year, he was part of a makeshift troupe, performing Drama dela Belgrad—a dramatization of the Serbian May Coup, in which he played the antagonist, Aleksandar Mašin. The text had been written over one night by his colleague, Constantin Radovici, as a way to profit from the affair. On its premiere in Turnu Severin, it took in 1,100 lei, which was more than ten times the average.N. Constantinescu, "Cu d. Victor Antonescu despre el și despre alții", in Rampa, 21 May 1928, p. 3 The company began touring Oltenian towns (during August 1903, their presence was recorded in Corabia).Narcis, "Dela corespondențiĭ noștri. Corabia. Teatrale", in Adevărul, 26 August 1903, p. 4 The troupe ran into trouble when touring Serb-populated areas, who hated Mašin that they became threatening toward the actor impersonating him. He was never invited to banquets, whereas Victor Antonescu, who played the murdered king, was addressed as "Your Majesty" and paraded around town. The troupe was eventually invited to Bucharest, the national capital, as a permanent feature on the playbill at Eforie Hall. As recorded by the impresario Gaby Michailescu, they had 90 consecutive shows with Drama dela Belgrad.
Aided by his success with Drama dela Belgrad, Radovici obtained permanent employment at the TNC, for himself and his whole troupe. They performed the same play eleven times in a row, which reportedly rescued that institution's finances. In September 1905, Bulfinsky announced his engagement to a Craiovan woman, Fani Petrici."În țară. Craiova, 17 Septembrie", in Dimineața, 19 September 1905, p. 1 At Craiova, he was coached by the lead actor Ion Livescu; into the following decades, he declared Livescu to have been his first real teacher (a pronouncement that Livescu himself took pride in quoting).Livescu, pp. 124, 142 In his memoirs, Livescu mentions Bulfinsky as one of his major allies in promoting theatrical realism, or "naturalness" (firesc), as a bulwark against crowd-pleasers and melodramas.Livescu, pp. 216–217 Scholars replicate this verdict, also highlighting Bulfinsky's personal gifts and inclinations as a contributing factor to the realists' success. Theater historian Ioan Massoff retrospectively argued that he "possessed great talents, allowing him to perform in roles of the most bewildering variety".Massoff, p. 240 His colleague George Franga likewise notes: "Acting in tragedy, drama, as well as comedy, Romald Bulfinski, [had] a deep, roaring voice and a statuesque posture".
TNI and TNB For a while, Bulfinsky was also a civil servant, and as such was reassigned to Iași, at the other end of the country. Here, he initially lived outside Trei Ierarhi Church, on a street that he fondly remembered into old age. During the 1906–1907 TNI season, Bulfinsky worked at the National Theater Iași (TNI). In Maurice Landray's Victimes de la loi, which also introduced Maria Filotti, he won general praiseMassoff, p. 629 (an exception was journalist Avram Steuerman-Rodion, who only deemed his contribution "satisfactory").Rodion, "Cronica dramatică. Victimele Legei", in Opinia, 14 December 1906, p. 2 Early the following year, the same couple appeared in Ion Petrovici's verse drama, Urmările iertării; Bulfinsky was also cast in Alfred de Musset's Il ne faut jurer de rien, alongside Aglae Pruteanu.Massoff, p. 631 As the TNI reopened in October 1907, he and Ion Morțun took lead roles in Arthur Bernède's Sous l'Épaulette. As Massoff recounts, this political play, which was about issues specific to the French Army, "failed to interest the public".Massoff, p. 634 By October, Bulfinsky was starring in Ronetti Roman's Manasse, and was also, alongside Pruteanu, in Friedrich Hebbel's Judith.Massoff, p. 639 The following month, he was described as a "viguorous talent" by the local Evenimentul paper, for his work in Haralamb Lecca's Câinii.R. C., "Cronica teatrală. Câinii", in Evenimentul, 27 November 1907, p. 1
Bulfinsky was sought after by Pompiliu Eliade, who had taken over as manager of the National Theater Bucharest (TNB); Eliade drafted a contract for him to sign. Shortly after, Bulfinsky and Morțun both resigned from the TNI, joining Davila's itinerant troupe rather than the TNB.Massoff, pp. 638, 643 By September 1909, they were doing shows at various theaters in Bucharest, alongside colleagues that had previously been with the TNB—including Livescu and Ion Manolescu.Livescu, pp. 150–151 Also then, the company obtained that the prestigious humorist, Ion Luca Caragiale, write a short satirical play for them to perform in (called Începem, it mentions Bulfinsky by name).Valentin Silvestru, Elemente de caragialeologie, pp. 237–238. Bucharest: Editura Eminescu, 1979 Upon witnessing his performance in Theodor M. Nicolau's Urmările unei minciuni, Viața Romînească journalist N. D. Cocea informed his readers:It is difficult to say anything good or bad about Mr. Bulfinski. He possesses the correct traits of a conscientious actor. He probably has temperament, but he lacks a clear or broad understanding of the role. His performance is made up of fragments—the fragments of a skilled craftsman, but without a strong connection of all episodic components into an artistic synthesis.N. D. Cocea, "Cronica teatrală. Reprezentațiile teatrale din punct de vedere moral și producțiile dramatice originale", in Viața Romînească, Vol. IV, Issue 10, October 1909, p. 125