Theatre director Rudolf Péter visited actor Gábor Reviczky’s home to examine a preserved archive of Vígszínház posters. The historical collection, featuring legendary performers like Ruttkai Éva and Benkő Gyula, was originally rescued from destruction by a theatre electrician during a renovation.
The Bottom Line
- The Rescue: Theatre electrician Czagányi Jani saved decades of historic Vígszínház posters from being burned during a renovation.
- The Archive: Gábor Reviczky kept the complete collection, which features rare playbills starring Ruttkai Éva, Benkő Gyula, and other legendary company members.
- The Return: Following a visit and review by Vígszínház director Rudolf Péter, the rare theatrical artifacts are set to return to the theatre’s official archive.
The Renovation Save
When the historic Vígszínház building underwent renovations, the resident company temporarily relocated to a tent while the old structure was cleared out. According to accounts detailed by theatre director Rudolf Péter, piles of physical items became surplus during the transition. “When a person wants a tangible thing from their past, I scavenged,” Rudolf Péter acknowledged of his own efforts to collect keepsakes from the site.
However, the bulk of the paper archive faced an even grimmer fate. Gábor Reviczky noted that without the quick thinking of the institution’s electrician, the entire collection would have turned to ash. “They wanted to burn all the trash,” Reviczky stated. “It didn’t occur to anyone to save the theatre-historically extremely important material.” The electrician, Czagányi Jani, stepped in to divert the posters away from the incinerator, distributing individual pieces to various actors while keeping the complete archive for Gábor Reviczky.
Examining the Rediscovered Playbills
During his visit to Gábor Reviczky’s home, Rudolf Péter inspected the rescued items as they were laid out across a table. The oldest piece in the collection documented the inaugural performance of the Magyar Néphadsereg Színháza—the historical name used during the era when the building operated under state military administration. The playbill prominently featured a red star and noted that the production took place “az egykori Vígszínház helyén” (on the site of the former Vígszínház).
| Collection Detail | Historical Significance |
|---|---|
| Rescue Context | During pre-renovation discarding of obsolete materials. |
| Key Figures Involved | Czagányi Jani (Electrician), Gábor Reviczky (Custodian), Rudolf Péter (Vígszínház Director). |
| Featured Artists | Ruttkai Éva, Benkő Gyula, Ajtay Andor, Sulyok Mária, Bulla Elma, Tábori Nóra. |
Additional documents highlighted milestone productions from the theatre’s past. A rare Chekhov production playbill for The Cherry Orchard captured a distinct cast lineup featuring Ruttkai Éva as Anyevszkajaként, Egri Márta as Ányaként, and Kútvölgyi Erzsébet as Varjaként. For the performers and directors handling the papers, the items represented not just printed ephemera, but direct touchpoints with mentors and colleagues from an earlier era.
The Return to the Vígszínház Archive
As the meeting between the two theatre veterans concluded, the destination for the rescued items became clear. The extensive collection of historical posters is scheduled to move back to the institution where it originated. Gábor Reviczky maintained custody of the documents for decades, protecting material that had been marked for destruction.
The transition ensures that the physical records detailing decades of productions, cast lists, and historical opening nights will now reside within the Vígszínház archive. There, the posters will serve as reference material detailing the institutional history shared by generations of actors.
