Being from East Europe, in the 1990-s I was amazed by the energy of democratization of the theatre life in Hungary – including Gyuri’s activity first in the Petofi Csarnok, then in Trafo.
Now it seems that all this remained in the past, and nobody even in my home country would ever believe that Hungary used to serve a good example for us – in revitalizing theatre life by the competitions, contract system, etc.
Trafo is a good
position, it really is! Grown on the lost land, by the work of the
person who seemed always just be curious
about very diverse new things – it’s his talent, among other
talents – of management, cultural policy, team-building.
We live in difficult times, when those who will be invited to work – or to perform – in the future Trafo will stand before a dilemma whether to save what they are still able to save from the original vision of Gyuri and his team or to express their solidarity by boycotting and/or the place.
All this is very unhealthy and, unfortunately, more and more characteristic for the Hungarian cultural scene.
We live in difficult times, when those who will be invited to work – or to perform – in the future Trafo will stand before a dilemma whether to save what they are still able to save from the original vision of Gyuri and his team or to express their solidarity by boycotting and/or the place.
All this is very unhealthy and, unfortunately, more and more characteristic for the Hungarian cultural scene.
Natalia Yakubova, theatre
critic, Russia/Hungary
