Our company is an alternative theatrical company.
The two founding members - Márta Tömöry and Zsolt Szász– have been pursuing common puppet and theatrical experiments since 1988. They were working as a puppeteer duet under the name Prolihistrió till 1990, when they established a new five-member formation with theatrical partners under the name M. É. G. Theatre. After three years of successful working we founded Swan - Song – Theatre together with the hurdy-gurdy player Károly Bálint, who joined us meanwhile.
Right from the start, the goal of our theatrical experimental work has been the presentation of the theatrical and puppet show traditions of our country and of the wide world. Creative use of the forgotten, by the Hungarian theatre and puppetry, not yet exploited treasures of the farce, showmen, folk dramatic forms, and their introduction to the general theatrical consciousness. By searching the roots reaching into ancient times, and branching out in the world, we are striving after the elaboration of a characteristically Hungarian theatrical form language, and for an up-to-date speaking.
Our formation is a street theatre, and our most sensible viewers are those who are not yet able to visit the theatres, moreover those, who cannot or wish not to identify themselves with television’s “value”-transmission.
In the past years we took part in practically all significant domestic theatre festivals and national feasts. We played several times abroad (in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, France, Rumania, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Serbia, Russia and the Czech Republic), and in international festivals. In 2001 we were invited to present our play on King St. Ladislaus on the 3rd Theatre Olympics organized in Moscow.
We performed several times on the Hungarian day of the International Puppet Festival in Banska Bystrica (1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004) Here our leader, Zsolt Szász, had a puppet exhibition together with Hungarian artists, and in 2000 on his own.
We agree with those who consider the theatre as an opportunity for communal meeting and feast. Nowadays it takes no little effort to create this festive medium for a few days. Shouldering this organizing work as well, we are art directors of two significant domestic festivals: Zsolt Szász of the Nyírbátor Winged Dragon International Street Theatre Festival which was first held in 1993, and which deservedly gained distinction all across Europe - Márta Tömöry of the National Nativity Players’ Meeting, which was organized eleven times until now. This latter festival deploys a vast variety of nativity plays, the ancient form of the Hungarian sacral theatre drawn upon the whole Hungarian settled territory of the Carpathian Basin.
Tutoring practice:
The so called Bábos Kurta Kurzus(Mini cours for puppet players), which has been organized since 1994 in the form of an all-Hungarian and international extramural course, offers theoretical and practical education for Hungarian teachers and students living over the borders. The workshop gathers the interested every year in Nyírbátor, as a professional background of the Winged Dragon International Street Theatre Festival.
Our activity has been subsidized with modest sums by the Szabadművelődési (Free Education???) Foundation, the Soros Foundation, the National Cultural Found and by the Ministry of Culture and Education (presently called Ministry of National Cultural Heritage) by the Cultural Committee of the Capital Municipality. Moreover by SZKÉNÉ, University Stage, Fonó, Gazdagrét Community House and the Nyírbátor Winged Dragon Cultural Enterprise.The Austrian Culture Institute provides rehearsal rooms for our newest project.
Our prizes:
- 1989: “Best/Excellent/Eminent Ensemble” title for our first formation called Prolihystrió.
- 1994: 3rd place on the a National Small Forms Festival in Balassagyarmat
for the play titled “Knight Bluebeard” for the Swan-Song-Theatre. - 1995: UNIMA small diploma for the play titled “Prince Argylus and Fairy Ilona”
on the International Puppet Festival in Pécs. - 1995: Child viewers’ prize in Prizran, Slovenia.
- 1997: “Best music edition” for Argylus on the Zagreb PIF.
- 2000: “Best music” for our musicians for the play titled “Song of King St. Ladislaus” on the Zagreb PIF.
- 2002: Szabadka….for regie The play of St. Ladislaus, Zsolt Szász
- 2003: Bp …price in a Forum of Children’s Theaters
- 2006: Special price for a Birdsong Theatre for a production called "Nyiccs kaput Mária" in Merlin Theatre.
- 2007: "Blattner Géza" price to Zsolt Szász (our puppetartist and director)
