21. 09. 2020

HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE DRAMAS AT THE HUNGARIAN THEATRE OF CLUJ BETWEEN 1990 AND 2020 – A RETROSPECTIVE

On the occasion of the Anniversary of Hungarian Drama, we offer a review of the Hungarian language dramas we have presented on the stage of the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj within the last three decades (1990-2020).

Among the 74 premieres, we encounter the masterpieces of Hungarian dramatic literature. They include the most notable classical works written for stage (Csongor és Tünde, The Tragedy of Man, Bánk bán), the masterpieces of the 20th century (Liliom, The Play at the Castle, Caligula’s Governor, etc.) but also works by contemporary authors that were performed on the Cluj stage (Chickenhead, Ibusár, The Fruit of Your Loins, The Bird of Prey, Lace, Disciples, Bolero, etc.).

The dramas are diverse in terms of genre: in addition to tragedies, comedies, musicals, musical performances, there are also examples of New Year's cabaret productions (works by Jenő Heltai, Frigyes Karinthy, Miklós Jancsó, etc.), also, several performances were staged in the last decade that had their respective texts created during staging process (Draculatour or the Brand Stroker Project, Caravaggio Terminal, Homemade, etc.)

Numerous productions dedicated to children and families were included within the repertoire for our audience’s entertainment (The Adventures of Bab Berci, The Adversities of a Brave Mouse, The Miracle Cake, Maestro Csillala, Beyond the Smudgy Mountain, The Paul Street Boys, The Four-Square Round Forest, The Jungle Book, The Lubberly Wizard, Be Faithful Unto Death, etc.).

One-person shows were also featured (An Orphaned Life, Endre Ady Literary Evening).

The artistic director of our company, András Visky, who is our in-house playwright, enriched the theatre’s repertoire by no fewer than 8 dramas (Juliet, Disciples, Long Friday, Born for Never, Alcoholics, I Killed My Mother, Caravaggio Terminal, Porno – The Story of My Wife).

Here are the 74 premieres of the last 30 years:

 

1990-2020

János Székely: Caligula’s Governor, March 10, 1990. Director: Gábor Tompa

Péter Müller: The Blunt Truth, May 2, 1990. Director: Miklós Parászka

Jenő Heltai: Naphthalene, November 23, 1990. Director: Gábor Tompa

Jenő Rejtő: Hercules bonbon, December, 1990. Director: András Csíky, Gerő László

Ferenc Molnár: The Devil, April 12, 1991. Director: Ágnes Szabó

József Katona: Bánk bán, October 18, 1991. Director: Árpád Árkosi

Why does everything that is beautiful fade away?! - New Year's Eve cabaret, December 31, 1991. Director: Gerő László, András Csíky

Ede Szigligeti: Liliomfi, April 5, 1992. Director: Ferenc Boér, András Csíky, Gerő László, Gábor Tompa

György Spiró: Chickenhead, May 17, 1992. Director: János Vincze

Ervin Lázár: The Adventures of Bab Berci, September 26, 1992. Director: István Mózes

László Márton: A nagyratörő, December 17, 1992. Director: Miklós Parászka

Ferenc Molnár: Mr. Doctor, February 12, 1993. Director: István Mózes

Sándor Hunyadi: Erdélyi Kastély, April 15, 1993. Director: Gábor Dehel

István Örkény: Pisti a vérzivatarban, May 21, 1993. Director: János Vincze

Ernő Szép: Pharmacy, October 22, 1993. Director: István Mózes

Andor Szilágyi: Leánder and Lenszirom, November 21, 1993. Director: Gábor Czeizel

Jenő Rejtő: Cseberből vederbe - musical cabaret performance, March 27, 1994. Musical coordinator: Katalin Incze G.

György Spiró: The Imposter, June 1, 1994. Director: Árpád Árkosi

János Székely: Mórok, July 1, 1994. Director: Gábor Tompa

Milán Füst: Auntie Máli, October 8, 1994. Director: Árpád Árkosi

Ferenc Molnár: The Paul Street Boys, May 17, 1995. Director: Gábor Czeizel

Ferenc Molnár: Liliom, February 7, 1996. Director: István Kövesdy

János Arany: The Gypsies of Nagyida, March 15, 1996. Director: Endre Senkálszky

Péter Kárpáti: The Fruit of Your Loins, June 21, 1996. Director: László Bérczes

Mihály Vörösmarty: Csongor and Tünde, December 18, 1996. Director: Tibor Csizmadia

Lajos Parti Nagy: Ibusár, April 13, 1997. Director: István Kövesdy

Imre Madách: The Tragedy of Man, October 24, 1997. Director: Imre Csiszár

New Year's Eve Cabaret - Frigyes Karinthy: The Inimical Husband, Miklós Jancsó: He plays with Death. Guests. Lujza and Jenő - Written and compiled by: Miklós Jancsó December 31, 1997

Zsolt Láng: The Bird of Pray, May 23, 1999. Director: András Hatházi

Zsigmond Reményik: The Family Home, October 13, 1999. Director: András Hatházi

Mihály Vörösmarty - Gábor Görgey: The Secrets of the Veil, December 29, 1999. Director: Attila Keresztes

 

2000-2010

György Spiró: Quartet, May 12, 2000. Director: István Kövesdy

Andor Bajor: The Adversities of a Brave Mouse, April 8, 2001. Director: András Hatházi

Ferenc Molnár: The Play at the Castle, June 29, 2002. Director: István Kövesdy

András Visky: Juliet, November 8, 2002. Director: Gábor Tompa

Attila Szabó: Noddy Michael, September 28, 2003. Director: Attila Szabó

Bea Muszty - András Dobay: The Miracle Cake, September 19, 2004. Director: Attila Keresztes

Olga Barabás: Enigmatic Story, October 10, 2004. Director: Olga Barabás

András Visky: Disciples, November 4, 2005. Director: Gábor Tompa

Dániel Varró - Gábor Presser: Beyond the Smudgy Mountain, November 11, 2006. Director: Attila Keresztes

András Visky: Long Friday, December 8, 2006. Director: Gábor Tompa

Mária Kozma: Maestro Csillala, January 25, 2009. Director: Attila Keresztes

Julianna Marosi: An Orphaned Life, February 12, 2009.

András Visky: Born for Never, July 7, 2009. Director: Gábor Tompa

Bálint Balassi: A Fine Hungarian Comedy – scenic reading, December 3, 2009. Director: Salat Lehel

Mihály Csokonai Vitéz: Cultura – scenic reading, December 9, 2009. Director: Salat Lehel

 

2010-2020

Péter Bornemissza: Hungarian Electra – scenic reading, February 20, 2010. Director: Salat Lehel

Géza Szőcs: Passion – scenic reading, April 2, 2010. Director: István Albu

Sándor Petőfi: The Hammer of the Village - scenic reading, April 19, 2010. Director: Salat Lehel

Imre Madách: Only a Trick - scenic reading, May 12, 2010. Director: Salat Lehel

András Visky: Alcoholics, October 10, 2010. Director: Gábor Tompa

András Visky: I Killed My Mother, January 27, 2011. Director: Csilla Albert, Áron Dimény

István Örkény: One Minute Stories - scenic reading, November 12, 2011. Director: Csongor Köllő

Ervin Lázár: The Four-Square Round Forest, 08.05.2011. Director: István Albu

Jenő Heltai: The Mute Knight - scenic reading, May 12, 2011. Director: Salat Lehel

Lajos Kántor: My Friend in the Mill - scenic reading, May 18, 2011. Director: Salat Lehel

Péter Demény: Bolero - scenic reading, June 20, 2011. Director: Salat Lehel

Róbert Lakatos - Cecília Felméri: Draculatour or the Brand Stroker Project, September 18, 2011. Director: Róbert Lakatos

Tamás Jónás: Cockle-Shell - scenic reading, April 12, 2013. Director: Csongor Köllő

Zsigmond Móricz: I Can't Live Without Music, May 17, 2012. Director: András Hatházi

Lace - Based on Angi Máté's novel Mamó, May 21, 2013. Director: Kinga Mezei

Péter Demény: Bolero, October 23, 2013. Director: István Albu

Lajos Szabédi: Husband Career - scenic reading, November 13, 2013. Director: András Hatházi

Péter Eszterházy: I am you - scenic reading, November 26, 2013. Director: András Visky

Sándor Weöres: Towards Wholeness - scenic reading, December 22, 2013. Director: Gábor Tompa

Endre Ady Literary Evening by Zsolt Bogdán, April 14, 2014. Editor: István Szugyiczky

A project by András Visky and Robert Woodruff: Caravaggio Terminal, May 24, 2014. Director: Robert Woodruff

Mihály Csokonai Vitéz: The Widow of Mr. Karnyó and the Two Rascals, March 6, 2015. Director: Attila Keresztes

László Dés - Péter Geszti - Pál Békés: The Jungle Book, May 27, 2015. Director: Zoltán Puskás

Pál Békés: The Lubberly Wizard, 15/01/2016 Director: László Béres

Domokos Szilágyi: The Book of the Elderly, May 7, 2016. Director: Mihaela Panainte

Judge Réka, Deák Katalin and the team: Homemade, May 11, 2016. Director: Márta Vargyas

György Dragomán: Galoshes, November 16, 2016. Director: András Visky

Zsigmond Móricz - Tibor Kocsák - Tibor Miklós: Be Faithful Unto Death, January 17, 2017. Director: László Béres

András Visky: Porno - The Story of My Wife, June 1, 2020. Director: Árpád Árkosi