Successful Tour at POSZT

On 9 June, Szigligeti Company presented The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht in the competition of the National Theatre Festival in Pécs. The Oradea company's performance was a great success with the local audience.

Regős János and Térey János were the ones responsible for selecting the plays into the competition of the 18th POSZT. Overall, there were 14 plays selected from the Hungarian-speaking regions in and outside of Hungary. A special feature of this year's edition was the fact that for the first time in the festival's history, three performances of the same title have been invited: besides the Brecht adaptation of the Oradea theatre, a version of The Caucasian Chalk Circle by the National Theatre of Miskolc (directed by Szőcs Artúr), and one by Katona József Theatre Budapest (directed by Székely Kriszta) was also presented to the audience and the rofessional jury.

The Oradea company performed their play on 9 June, in front of a full house at the National Theatre of Pécs. “I thought it was a sensational show, and also faithful to Brecht's spirit. I liked the music very much as well, and the actors' performance was especially emotional” – one member of the audience has said in the short video filmed after the show.

On the day after the show, on 10 June, the company's actors took part in a roundtable discussion, moderated by Lévai Balázs and including remarks by philosopher Weiss János and director Ascher Tamás. About the selection, Ascher Tamás said that The Caucasian Chalk Circle is a play that gives space to the development of the actors. About the relevance of the play, he said: “We have seen a play made with a high-level of aesthetics, one that is perhaps a little sweeter than the evil world of Brecht. (…) The Caucasian Chalk Circle is about how it is possible to remain human amidst ever-changing circumstances of power, an extremely relevant subject matter these days”. He added: “Gruse is played by an actress with an enchanting personality”, but mentioned that with the exception of a few prominent portrayals, the Oradea show is „a common effort” featuring „great character actors”.

The National Theatre Festival in Pécs takes place between 7–16 June, with five theatres from outside the borders of Hungary, besides the ones from the country. At the closing gala, 17 prizes will be awarded, among others, to the best show and the best actors in main roles and supporting roles. Besides, there will also be an award by the actors' jury, as well as several audience awards.

Theatre Marketing Conference

On 7 June, the fourth edition of the theatre marketing conference entituled Theatre For Sale took place. General director Czvikker Katalin and communications expert Biró Árpád Levente represented Szigligeti Theatre. Parallel with the conference, a competition also took place in several categories, including the best poster, the best printed material, trailer, and – for the first time this year – the best merch of the season. Based on the votes by all participating theatres, the jewelry collection handmade by actress Pitz Melinda, bearing the logos of Szigligeti Theatre, won the prize for Best Merchandise.

 

Photo by: POSZT, Hajdú Zsófia