Roma Heroes 2023
- GenerációkPerformances 2023
6th Roma Heroes International Theater Festival
The untold stories of so many generations imperceptibly determine the fate of families and public discourse. This year, during the 6th Roma Heroes International Theater Festival, we can get to know the productions of five Roma theaters. Drawing on their own experiences, Italian, Swedish, Romanian and Hungarian creators show the little-known faces of the European past and present through real and fictional stories.
This year, the motto of the festival, implemented jointly with the Eötvös10 Cultural Centre, is: Generations.
Continuing the tradition of the European Union's first international Roma theatre meeting, the sixth edition of the Roma Heroes International Theatre Festival will be held in Budapest at the end of November and the beginning of December this year. We recommend it to those who like to discover new worlds and are not afraid to review their own views.
Performances
"Svédország sötét arca"
Artists
Writer: Lindy Larsson, Stefan Fross, August Strindberg
Directed by Lindy Larsson
Performer: Lindy Larsson
Music: Bon Bon Band
Design: Delaine Le Bas, Stefan Fross
Short summary
The Swedish award-winning actor, singer and Roma activist artist Lindy Larsson, along with the multi-award-winning BonBon Band, explores an undisclosed part of Swedish history in their joint performance titled "Tschandala/Tattaren." The production, which recently won the Swedish Critics' Award, delves into various genres. The foundation of the show is August Strindberg's anti-Roma novel "Tschandala," as well as Larsson's personal and familial history.
A műfajok között kalandozó projekt alapja August Strindberg cigányellenes regénye a Tschandala, és Larsson személyes, illetve családi történelem-tapasztalata.
The artist himself hails from a Swedish traveling Roma family, who experienced unimaginable atrocities against the Roma in Sweden, which have never found their way into history books.
Rotting Birds
Artists
Writer and Director: Rodrigó Balogh
Cast: Dávid Varga, Orsolya Balogh
Dramaturg: Tímea Éva Bogya
Music: Dávid Varga
Music Collaborator: István Babindák
Set: Péter Gyenei
Short summary
The tearful-laughing punk opera written and directed by Rodrigó Balogh is based on a true story, focusing on the forgotten Roma author, József Holdosi. Imre, the grandfather, sues his grandson, József. The grandfather believes that József has offended him, his deceased relatives, and his current wife in his novel.
His social relationships have suffered, his personality has been damaged, and he even contracted a fatal illness due to the content of the book in question. According to József, the novel is only fiction, a figment of his imagination.
Who is right? The performance reveals the story of a family torn apart by generational curses. Is there a limit to creative freedom? What effects can be triggered in our families and communities, if we dare to talk about the ugly stuff?
Builders of a Country
Artists
Writer and Director: Rodrigó Balogh and Márton Illés
Cast: Dávid Csányi, Ramóna Farkas, Nóra Nemcsók, Tamás Szegedi
Dramaturg: Tímea Éva Bogya
Music: Dávid Varga and István Babindák
Set: Péter Gyenei
Short summary
The performance written and directed by Rodrigó Balogh and Márton Illés narrates the societal changes in socialist and later in the free, democratic Hungary.
t celebrates the unseen builders of Hungarian history. The production is inspired by real events and individuals, but leaves plenty of room for imagination.
What can a Roma people keep and what must they give up to find their place among the majority? How do the many sacrifices affect their family and personal relationships?
Viral on Tiktok
Artists
Writer and Director: Mihaela Drăgan
Cast: Nicoleta Ghiță, Bianca Mihai
Music: Andrei Horjea
Choreography: Răzvan Rotaru, Corina Platon
Set Design: Ileana Zirra
Costume Design: Zita Moldovan
Photo: Amalia Drăniceanu
Short summary
In the performance by Giuvlipen Theater Company, we witness a moving overview of the lack of sexual education affecting Romanian society, particularly the Roma communities, and its tangible societal consequences. TikTok, as the currently most popular social media platform, provides an excellent framework for the play.
The production, navigating at borders of various genres, portrays the life of two teenage girls discussing the contradictions surrounding female sexuality, the abuses associated with the myth of virginity, the traps of oversexualized beauty ideals, or the sins committed by religion and forced marriages against women.
Romnia
Artists
Drammaturgie: Sebastiano Spinella e Catherine di Carlo Campaz
Text and mise en espace: Collective
Music Direction : Sebastiano Spinella
Short summary
In the performance titled "Romnia" by the Italian Rampa Prenestina Company, the societal roles of Roma and non-Roma women take center stage.
At the heart of the story stands the statue of Saint Sarah, which the inhabitants of the small community depicted on stage are required to dress and prepare for a traditional procession. During the ceremony, personal stories come to life. The statue becomes a mirror of dreams and the experiences of social pressures for the female members from different generations. It is a celebration in which rituals of love, expectations, and the transformation or preservation of identity are revealed.
When the procession reaches its end, the statue becomes sacred, and a collective prayer for freedom is recited.
“Not observance, not obedience, but my thirst for knowledge”
Great Expectations
Artists
Director: Edit Romankovics
Sociodrama Leaders: Eszter Pados and Kata Horváth
Cast: Báder Renáta, Csörgőné Polgár Andrea, Horváth Barbara, Horváth Rita, Horváth Róbert, Horváth Zsanett, Juhacsek Ildikó, Kádár Szonja, Kárpáti Liza, Lakatos Anett, Lakatos Marianna, Lakatos Rudolf, Szabó Róza, Szitai Natália
Set Design: Gabriella Kiss
Parforum
Short Summary
How can one feel alone even in the midst of many people? Where is it good to be born and where is a good place for a baby? The performance by the Heart Voices Company was created in collaboration with Parfórum, Sajátszínház, Szomolyai Hungarian Roma Association, and the Emma Association, with the guidance of sociodrama leaders Eszter Pados and Kata Horváth.
The creative process was preceded by comprehensive research focused on abuses related to sexism and racism experienced by Roma women, mothers, healthcare workers, and institutional systems revolving around female existence and motherhood. What we see on stage is nothing but the stories and experiences of different generations in the real world.
Ramóna’s story is about what it means to become a mother in Hungary today!
After a short break following the performance, we will hold a discussion during which we will also ask the audience how they think things could be different.
