It says a lot about a society how much it takes to see someone as brave, and one of the most well-known figures of the Hungarian independent theater life is called brave, Kriszta D. Tóth’s guest, Béla Pintér, begins the presentation of the latest I’ll take youin. I agree with Kriszta, and I have a pretty firm opinion on whether Pintér is brave: the conversation also reveals that, according to the director, the question is much more complex than that. Written by Zsófi Mózes.
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The Praying was the first Pintér piece I saw in the Újpest Rendezvénytér. The large, spacious space was unusual: not only were the stage, the walls and the ceiling further away than I was used to, but compared to the arrangement of traditional theaters, perhaps my feet could fit better between the rows of seats. And the same feeling of comfort accompanied me throughout the play, familiar characters appeared, familiar situations, reactions and feelings alternated both on the stage and in me.
It was as if my life had fallen into pieces, and the components had been put together a little differently, in a different order, with an unusual pairing, but still creating a feeling of home.
But far from being the only good feeling due to familiar things, I saw in the mirror held in front of me: all my mistakes, bad decisions, trauma, ingrained patterns and pain were also there, mercilessly filling the vast space available.
The piece got stuck in a knot, and I couldn’t move for several minutes afterwards. We walked to the car without saying a word, and as soon as we reached the surface from the underground garage, the raindrops began to tap on the windshield, and I burst into tears. You know, the kind of real, deep sobs that only leave relief at the end. Now the question is, how is Béla Pintér able to evoke such intense feelings from his audience, even though there are five hundred of us, five hundred with different life paths and backgrounds, sitting opposite the stage?
The broadcast also raises the question of what is different about writing and directing for such a large venue, whether the work process changes as a result of the fact that instead of 180, 460 people are watching a much larger stage than before. “There were times when we played in a bigger space and we found that it doesn’t work differently, the spectators won’t be more insensitive. […]
I don’t invent other stage effects for the new performances, nor do I ask the actors to do other stage plays”
– says the artist, and then adds that the use of the microport even gives the actor the opportunity to speak more intimately and quietly, despite the huge space.
We are becoming more sensitive
“It’s an open secret that most of my performances are autobiographically inspired. It also works when I have to imagine myself in a certain figure, life situation or personality, but you look for those topics that you really relate to, that really hurt, that are really your own.
And if you’re brave enough to reveal and examine the painful things in your own life, you have a chance to really, truly share it with viewers.
And it is not excluded that the viewers also experienced something similar” – says Pintér Béla in response to Kriszta’s suggestion that the best lyrics and the best works always come from a painful place.
At the same time, we are more and more sensitive to abuse, we are more and more aware of trauma, and we also pay more attention to how we speak to each other in situations of power, how the dynamic between two people works – but did this affect Pintér’s work as a director? “I tried not to offend my colleagues before, but there are moments when I lose my patience. It’s usually not about a person, but more about the situation, but after the rehearsal I don’t behave like a director at all” – he tells
Outside of the stage, however, he often finds it difficult to be confrontational, and breaks up is particularly difficult for him: “On the one hand, I know that the situation is untenable, but if I want to be really honest, I have to say that I am afraid. I am afraid of this situation and I am not at all happy to tell my colleague the bad news – so
I have to pick myself up and go fucking hard.”
Living the cult of courage from the inside
Pinter has been called brave by many and many times – however, he sees the situation in a more nuanced way. He cannot feel the cult of courage that surrounds him as his own, since he sees examples like Alexei Navalny, who paid for his principles with his life.
“I think I wouldn’t be able to do that – says. – But I can speak more boldly about the public life problems that I suffer from, because our association is not supported by the municipality, in this respect the mayor does not tell me what I can and cannot do. In fact, no one tells you. We don’t live on state subsidies, so I don’t really have to worry about that.”
Pintér is one of those who have the opportunity to communicate what they have to say, because they don’t risk too much. “I can do it and therefore I have to do it – this is how I live it” – he says, and Kriszta adds: the number of those who can do this is getting smaller and smaller, and there are fewer and fewer of those who actually do.
“This is the voice of conscience. If I find something so outrageous or unfair, then I need to talk about it.
And I am not deciding on this based on political considerations, since in my plays you have seen social phenomena that I am afraid of. I then convert this fear, my despair and my pain into the performance, so that they can be laughed at” adds the director.
And thanks to what coincidence did he start working with János Gálvölgyi, what is he afraid of, and how did Kriszta manage to scare Béla Pintér? Watch the full broadcast here:
Zsófi Mózes