foto: by Adriana Grand
„...Things Are Settled Now...”
Actor Balázs Attila is the Director of the Hungarian Theatre in Timisoara. This year, according to UNITER, the institution he leads came with the best performance of the year– “Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are Dead” by Tom Stoppard, directed by Victor Ioan Frunza. Balázs Attila told us about the new performance they prepare, as well as the Euro-Regional Festival that the Hungarian Theatre will organise in May 2010.
How significant is to you the fact that the Hungarian Theatre in Timisoara was awarded the UNITER prize with a director which was once in conflict with this institution?
What matters is that the theatre won, and the fact that it won with Victor Ioan Frunza shows that things are settled now, that it’s going better. What was is past – is history. Now we live in the present. And I feel we had a good collaboration with Victor Ioan Frunza. Everything goes forward. The UNITER Award for the Best Performance in 2009 is an award that the Hungarian Theatre can take pride in, as well as the city and the other theatres in Timisoara.
How did you work on “Rosencrantz and Guildernstern Are dead”, taking into consideration that Victor Ioan Frunza set up in parallel, on the same stage, the performance “June”?
In parallel (he laughs). We worked on “Rosencratz...” during summer, in order to have more time. I thank again to the actors for scarifying their holidays to do this good job. We had the chance to work quietly, without the daily disruptions. Further more, as we had guests in the play - Katona László, who wouldn’t have been able to come for such a long period during the season, as he is an extremely busy freelance actor, and Kardos M. Róbert, who is also busy at the Hungarian Theatre in Oradea, where he is employed - it was easier to work over summer.
What performances are you preparing the Hungarian Theatre Timisoara?
We’re preparing “The Cherry Orchard”, under the direction of László Sándor. It is the third year when László Sándor returns to work in this theatre. We grew next to him, step by step. First we set up a play of five characters “The Time Will Soon Come”, then a play of eight characters, “Heaven”, to end up now with “The Cherry Orchard” – in my view, a masterpiece of universal drama. Since this is the Chekov Year, we thought of marking it as well – and of course this was not the only criterion. I feel that the group here is prepared for this extremely difficult step. The premiere will take place on 30 April.
What are the strengths of the Euro-regional Festival Programme that the Hungarian Theatre is preparing for the period 22-29 May 2010?
As usual, we have a major performance from Budapest, in the opening of the edition this year, “The Party” by Mrožek, a performance which has been successfully up on stage for 10 years now in Hungary. I’ve first seen it about five years ago, and for about two years we’re negotiating with Barka Theatre in Budapest, to bring it to Timisoara. We will also have other performances invited from Hungary, as well as Serbia – from Novi Sad and Subotica. We expected a major improvement from last year, but as our budget is limited, we did not manahe to invite as many theatres as we would have liked. Of course, we are going to show our own plays as well, “The Return of Ulysses”, “Rosencrantz…” and “The Cherry Orchard”.
Director Balázs Zoltán took the actors at the Hungarian Theatre in Timisoara, Faragó Zénó and Tankó Erika, to Hungary, immediately after they premiered here the performance “The Return of Ulysses”. How do you feel about the fact that two good actors left the theatre that you’re leading?
I don’t feel this was a theft – neither intellectual, nor of people (he laughs). People are free to do what they want. If they feel they can develop better there, I cannot stand in their way. Of course it wasn't easy for the theatre I'm leading, especially now when we cannot employ other actors to replace them. I care about my team and I hope that people grow and develop in the team I create. This is a long term battle, but if anyone feels differently, he’s free to do so. I can't stand in anyone's way and I never will. And I have to admit that I have worked with several theatres in Romania and it was good, but I came back.
