THE PASSION OF CSÍKSOMLYÓ

Based on 18th century Franciscan school plays and Passion by Géza Szőcs

National Theatre, Budapest, Hungary

Director: Attila Vidnyánszky

2 hours 15 minutes, without breaks.

In 2018, the performance was shown in the saddle of Csíksomlyó, in 2019 in the square in front of the Esztergom Basilica, in 2021 in front of the Reformed Great Church of Debrecen. In 2022 we visited Cluj-Napoca. This also includes a free performance in the capital as part of the 10^th Theatre Olympics programme.

PASSION AT THE BASILICA
May 26, 2023
Budapest, Szent István square, 8 PM

With the participation of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble and its Orchestra

This performance is a co-production with the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble.

Members of the older generation may recall the Passion of Csíksomlyó, which premiered at the then National Theatre in 1981 and ran very successfully for over ten years. Staging the passion of Jesus during the last decade of a morally disintegrating communist dictatorship amounted to a veritable demonstration against the regime. Imre Kerényi’s direction also proved that the language of 18^th century school plays is still enjoyable for today’s audience, if it is accompanied by the traditional folk culture revived by the Dance House Movement. But is a major undertaking like that still viable today?

From the 1990s onwards, Csíksomlyó became a pan-Hungarian pilgrimage site drawing ever-larger crowds. It represents a spiritual pivotal point on which we believe we can safely build. This Passion of Csíksomlyó of the National Theatre asks questions about the foundations of our Christian faith, and draws attention to the prospects of the European faith community. It aims to create a new stage language in which the 18^th century interpretation of the Biblical story and Géza Szőcs’ contemporary adaptation form an integral unit with the religious folk songs performed by András Berecz and the folk-based dance choreography performed by the members of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble.

Wayfarer

András Berecz

Mary

Auguszta Tóth

Mary Magdalene

Ágnes Barta

Christ

Nándor Berettyán

Peter

Zoltán Rátóti

Judas

József Rácz

Pilates

Tamás Olt m.v.

m.v. /

Pilates' wife

Eszter Ács

Ágota Szilágyi

Annas High Priest

Ádám Schnell

Salesclerk

Tamás Ábel Winkler e.h.

Jerusalem man

László Tóth

Barabbas

Roland Bordás

Disciple

Sándor Berettyán

Lasarus

László Szabó Sebestyén m.v.

The son of Pilates

Donát Dorián Hegedüs

Child Jesus

Barna Szűcs

Deus Pater: Attila Benedek, Archangel Rafael: Dániel Csicsmann, Archangel Gabriel: Dávid Barka, Faith: Balázs Ertl, Death: Attila Tókos, 1. Devil: Bence Fekete, 2.Devil: Sándor Juhász, Love: Edina Rab, Mercy: Mária Péter-Oltárczy, Truth: Amanda Béli-Orbán, Certainity and Veronica: Mária Péter-Oltárczy, Wisdom: Norbert Rencz, Innocence: Sarolta Molnár, Contended: Dóra Payer, Adam: Barnabás Bordás, Noah: Barnabás Bordás, Abraham: Gábor Valach, King David: Barnabás Szeverényi, 1. Soldier and Sheperd: Flórián Hajdú, 2. Soldier: Gábor Takács, Strength: Zsombor Juhász, and all the dancers of the ensemble.

Musicians:

István Gázsa Papp (1. violin), Kálmán Balogh (dulcimer, gardon), Ádám Takács (violin), Sándor D. Tóth (viola, drum), Attila Csávás (clarinet, recorder), Róbert Liber (doublebass)

Stage designer

László Székely m.v.

Costume designer

JDS (Jeremias Bianca) m.v.

Dramaturge

Zsolt Szász

Historical text expert

Norbert Medgyesy S.

The songs and tales of the wayfarer compiled and processed

András Berecz

Ethnographic expert, dance dramaturg

Zsuzsa Zs. Vincze m.v.

Stage manager

István Lencsés

Gábor Dobos

Prompter

Kati Gróf

Assistant director

Rita Herpai

Co-director-choreographer

Zoltán Zsuráfszky m.v.

Artistic director of the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble

Director

Attila Vidnyánszky

Main Stage

Attila Vidnyánszky

Hungarian theatre and opera director, teacher.

He was born in Berehove (Ukraine) in 1964.

He graduated in Hungarian literature and linguistics from Uzhhorod State University (1985). He taught literature and history for two years. In 1992, he graduated in theatre directing from the Karpenko-Kary State Academy of Theatre and Cinema in Kyiv.

In 1993, he founded his own company, the Gyula Illyés Hungarian National Theatre in Berehove, of which he is still the Principal Director.

In 2004, he was appointed Principal Director of the Hungarian State Opera House. In 2006 - 2013, he was Director of the Csokonai National Theatre in Debrecen.

Since 2013, he has been the Director General of the National Theatre. In 2014, he founded the National Theatre's MITEM festival (Madách International Theatre Meeting).

Since 2023, he has been a member of the International Theatre Olympics Committee and Artistic Director of the 2023 Budapest Theatre Olympics.

He has also directed at the National Academic Theatre in Kyiv (Leszya Ukrayinka Theatre), the Alexandrinsky Theatre in St Petersburg) and the Hungarian State Opera House.

His performances have toured Europe from Stockholm to Moscow and Tbilisi, from Strasbourg to Nancy and Kyiv.

He has received many awards, including Ukraine's Artist of Merit (2002), the Meyerhold Prize (2009, Moscow) and the Kossuth Prize (2011).

His films include Liberté 56, The Boy Who Turned into a Deer.

He has taught acting at the Karpenko-Kary State Academy of Theatre and Cinema in Kyiv and at the University of Kaposvár. Since 2020, he has been the master of a directing class at the University of Theatre and Film in Budapest.

He has been a member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts since 2005. In 2008, he co-founded the Hungarian Theatre Society and has been its President since. Between 2010 and 2013, he also served as Chairman of the Theatre Arts Committee under the Minister of Human Resources. Since 2020, he has been Chairman of the Board of the foundation operating the University of Theatre and Film in Budapest.

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