The organizers kindly invite the members of the AmHunCham NY to the FIRST HUNGARIAN THEATER FESTIVAL in New York
Top Hungarian theaters bringing their performances, concerts and workshops to New York City in June.
Some of the most renowned theater productions from Hungary are coming to New York this June to participate in the first-ever Hungarian theater festival in the City. Titled Hungary Live Festival, the five-day long event dedicated to the most exciting theater in Hungary. The Festival will take place between June 23 and 27 in various venues around the City including the Abrons Arts Center, LaMaMa ETC and Nublu 151.
The Hungary Live Festival’s lineup will include three theater performances, a special ‘concert-theatre’ piece, two concerts by the Szakértők (‘Experts’) band and the BEKVART band, and will be feature a unique panel discussion titled ’Hungary in Focus’ and during the festival interested actors may also participate in a free acting workshop led by Hungarian actress Esztella Levkó.
Hungary Live Festival also aims to open an ongoing cultural dialogue and inspire artistic influence between the two countries. It is the explicit goal of the festival to reach a wider audience beyond the Hungarian-speaking population of New York City and introduce Hungarian theater to all art-loving New Yorkers, therefore most of the productions and events (with the exception of k2 Company’s ‘Moonstone’) will be performed in English.
PERFORMANCES
“Ghetto Sheriff” presented by the Örkény Theatre (Budapest), directed by János Mohácsi
Wed, June 27 at 7:30 PM Abrons Arts Center Tickets: $20
Performed in English
How can we talk about the biggest trauma of the 20th century, the Holocaust? According to the renowned director, János Mohácsi and his former students, we can do so with the help of Jewish jokes and songs, documents from the 30’s and 40’s, and by reciting them – in pitch darkness. The texts were selected by János Mohácsi and the actors, predominantly from personal reminiscences: Texts from the film “Shoah” by Claude Lanzmann, case studies, survivor testimonies, literary works, diary notes, historical sources, official reports and personal collections to evoke the historical period and the mood of the time.
“Moonstone,” presented by k2 Theatre (Budapest), directed by Bence Benkó and Péter Fábián
Tue, June 26 at 7:30 PM Abrons Arts Center
Tickets: FREE (RSVP required)
Performed in Hungarian
What does “collision of cultures” actually mean? The separation from the parent body which leaves an impact on the foreign hostile environment as well as in the following generations? What kind of political and psychological environment had been in Hungary when the revolution broke out sixty years ago? Furthermore, can one expect a similar situation in the near future? Can one actually do anything if one wants to change the present situation? What are adequate forms of resistance? As young theater architects, the creators of ‘Moonstone’ seek the answers to these questions through the collections and recordings of the personal stories of the survivors of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution who emigrated to America. These interviews were conducted in September 2016 in New York. The purpose of this particular performance is to bring the spirit of 1956’s Revolution close to our generation. The dramatization of individual stories and destinies will bring the events of the 1956 Revolution and the War of Independence home to younger generations.
“Searching Hands” by George Konrád, performed by the Szakértők (‘Experts’) Band and Adam Boncz
Sun, June 24th at 7:30 PM
La MaMa ETC, Ellen Stewart Theatre
Tickets: FREE (RSVP required)
Performed in English
George Konrád, the writer of the text of this special ‘concert theatre’ is one of the well-known figures of contemporary Hungarian literature. Konrád’s prose begins at that notorious Wannsee Conference, where cool, calm and sober gentleman decide the fate of the European Jews and their actual destruction. Konrád seeks the answers to the questions: how do we become killers of our own kind? What brings a man to destroy another? Meanwhile he shares stories about his childhood: how he witnessed, as the sky first became grey in his hometown, then turned black and how obscurities, peculiar coincidences, timings, travels back and forth, saved his life eventually, while his relatives almost became victims of that dark age. In this special ‘concert- theater’ Adam Boncz and the Szakértők (‘Experts’) Band’s concert talk about time, history, like a storyteller reminding the audience of the importance to remember.
CONCERTS
Szakértők (‘Experts’) concert Sat, June 23rd at 9:00 PM
at Nublu 151
Tickets: FREE (required RSVP)
The Szakértők (‘Experts’)
Band’s is one of the most unique musical groups of Hungary. Their repertoire is influenced by the Hungarian, Balkan, Gypsy and Jewish cultures as well as many contemporary international composers such as Steve Reich and Terry Riley.
BEKVART
Mon, June 25th at 9:00 PM
at Nublu 151
Tickets: FREE (required RSVP)
The BEKVART band also know as the ‘Bánfalvi Eszter Quartett’ was founded in 2010 by students majoring in acting at the University of Kaposvár. The band self-defines their style as ’pick up the girls’ rock. The members of the BEKVART band are all young Hungarian actors which also defines the style of their on-stage performance – there are 6-10 performers, many of them playing on several instruments in order to make the show more exciting. In 2018 the group released its first album titled „The Seventh Year”, and they have just premiered their first music video of their song ‘Spritzermann’.
SPECIAL EVENTS
“Intensive Acting Workshop” led by Esztella Levkó
Mon, June 25th and Tue, June 26th at 10:00AM – 2:00PM Abrons Arts Center
Tickets: FREE (RSVP required)
The workshop is held in English
The 2-day intensive workshop offers participants the opportunity to learn about a type of
theatrical method in which the body is a dynamic, instinctive and honest tool. Its essence is to develop body-consciousness, non-verbal stage expression tools, and stage presence. In addition to physical, rhythm, and team building exercises, live music improvisation will be an important part of the work Through the various physical exercises, a kind of openness and sensitivity develops within the actor to the physical expression of creative spiritual impulses. The goal is to make our bodies and our movements the primary expression tool in the work, through which we form thoughts, emotions, and relationships with our partners. Methods applied and taught at the workshop are based on movement, physicality, and music; a kind of theatrical language that transcends cultures. The method is a set of experiences and impulses that have shaped Ms. Levkó’s work, both as an actor and a trainer. A significant part of these are the techniques employed by W. Staniewski (OPT Gardzienice leader) and J. Grotowski. The work is challenging physically, emotionally, and mentally while it stimulates an intuitive and radical search that is different from the text-based acting applied in classical theater and from dance theatre. This is a form of theatre approach in which gestures, impulses, and live music form a whole.
“Hungary in Focus” panel discussion moderated by Tamás Jászay
Mon, June 25th at 7:00 PM Abrons Arts Center
Tickets: FREE (RSVP required)
The discussion will be in English
On June 25th the Hungary Live Festival will present an evening of discussion on the
similarities, differences and challenges of today’s contemporary Hungarian and American
theatre scene. Listening to the experiences of leading theater professionals from both Hungary and the United States, we will get a closer look at structural differences, the trials and tribulations of art financing and the life of a theater artist in both countries.
The discussion is moderated by Tamás Jászay
Hope to see you in our festival.
Details: www.hungarylivefestival.com , www.facebook.com/HungaryLiveFestival/