The Scene Parallel Worlds

of the

Láposi Terka

The Scene Parallel Worlds

Prologue The “explorations” of recent decades have brought about a rich diversity in the art of Hungarian puppetry. Since the beginning of the 80’s, young, creative art groups with open, cosmopolitan sentiment and the desire for world experience instinctively launched artistic processes whose have effects can be felt up to this day. Thus, they broke the state’s relatively monopolistic, government funded puppet theatre structure and culture. Unique, dense forms of express-ion, self-signs, philosophical and artistic concepts — these were sought after, and artists strive to identify them in each other’s work even today. They leave their marks robustly on their creations. A conscious world view is voiced tersely in all levels of their performance. Seeing and hearing them, it becomes perceptible even to the audience that it is good to discover and seek, as well as to find sense and potent ability.

It is a privileged moment in which the renowned creators—Boráros Szilárd (Hottó), Gross-chmid Erik (Kecskemét), Kovács Géza (Kecskemét), Rumi László (Budapest)—of today’s Hungarian puppet art can and do co-exist. A series of works, grown beyond local significance and capable of carrying on a dialogue with life, have emerged from the fecund orchestration of their art. Living through their creative journey of a quarter of a century and standing amazed at their “life sets” we can say that trends have been born in the wake of their art; they have led to the restoration of the disintegrated fibre of the spirit. Their art is not of negation but, rather, of statement, expectation and permission. They are “explorers” who, discovering the various dimensions of life even individually, proclaim the life-giving power of playfulness. They seek the values and tools of art, theatre and the puppet theatre in such a way so as to present to us their own points of directions and weighting op-portunities. Kovács Géza and Rumi László are puppet directors and puppet artists, Boráros Szilárd and Grosschmid Erik are puppet set designers. We had a talk with them. About what?Let me respond with a quote from Valère Novarina, a remarkable figure of contemporary French theatre: “Theatre is the edifice of thought.” And if we accept that premiss, let us continue with the thought that puppets, objects and shapes are the wrap around the soul.The dialogue, then, was not about the process of creation but, rather, about “the piece of art torn from the artist.” In this case, the puppet show is a “piece of art”, as a unique manifestation of theatre, where the embodied spirit requires a multi-level analysis. The layer that is the most distinctively at-tribute of the genre, the “object”, is the use of puppets. What differentiates the puppets from all other objects around us? Its exciting, ancient “plus” that brings deep layers to the surface is its physical manifestation of the soul carried within—its aspect akin to incarnation, the breathing in of the spirit. The metamorphosis and complete transformation of this object can only be done in play. Thus, each puppet carries an independent, soul-breathed existence in the play. So, after all, how should we begin?

of the

Boráros Szilárd: Let’s talk about the Theatre!Grosschmid Erik: The theatre? That’s a completely unnatural state of being. Hundreds of people cram into a dark space, into each other’s aura, in order to watch many other people who sweat in the limelight.Boráros Szilárd: Why are you being ironic? This is not an unnatural state of being! Think about folk theatre, where the desire for common experience and simultaneous entertainment is the propeller. Grosschmid Erik: Has theatre, perhaps, originated from folk tales and storytelling?Boráros Szilárd: I don’t think so! In my opinion, initially, its purpose must have been making con-tact with the ancient ancestors. I have thought about this quite a lot: What is theatre? I think it is the scene of parallel worlds. The parallel worlds are among us. Everything is around us in the present that has always existed independently of time. Theatre helps us manifest that, to make it visible. It needs us, “theatre-makers”, to make this all incarnate. I try to manifest what has integrated, through my emotions, into a vision from all of the worlds thus far. I give space to the parallel worlds. This is theatre. Kovács Géza: Both theatre and puppet theatre have a sort of initiation rite calling. Man has been “tossed” into the world, and in this “tossing,” he has begun to make connections and to seek: Where have I come from? Where have I arrived? What is my relationship to all of this? This state of “being tossed into the world” can be experienced in the puppet theatre. Boráros Szilárd: Yes, theatre begins where we try to embody a notion, to give it a shape. Let the notion speak in the body.Kovács Géza: But if we look further, away from the present, we can see that it is not only our present state that is considered in theatre. The whole ritual of this process is within us. By nature, puppetry has preserved much more of this ancientness than live theatre today. The way you are faced with a puppet provides answers to existential questions. Something operates in a puppet which deeply moves you.Boráros Szilárd: It is because puppetry is multi-layered. Kovács Géza: And because puppetry has preserved much more of the questions and suggestions about making contact with the ancestors.

T H e S c e n e o f T H e p A r A l l e l w o r l d S

“Suttogó fûzesek”(whispering willows)director: Kovács Gézapuppet and Set designer: Boráros Szilárd

“A helység kalapácsa”(The Hammer of The locality)

director: Árkosi Árpádpuppet and Set designer:

Boráros Szilárd

4

Boráros Szilárd: I identify with another in live theatre also, but puppetry uses an object, a puppet, for this transforma-tion. Thereby, it can run through a much wider palette. Pup-pet theatres treat space just as freely today as real theatres and open-air performances. It can treat the other art forms as a partner of equal rank, as it can use anything for an equal rank conveyance.

Kovács Géza: However, in it, theatricality will always remain, as it was so accurately described by Kovács Ildikó (puppetry director, Kolozsvár 1927–2008): the moment of creation. In puppetry, you can detect and experience the moment of creation, the fantastic, utterly unique moment of incarnation, in the way a puppet begins to talk to you. This is special for both the audi-ence and the artist. This art form, indeed, is about our existential being and our soulful connection to God, the Creator, and to creation. Grosschmid Erik: Every creative art represents an act of creation, but theatre is created by man to man directly. Man, as the prop, cannot be missing in this process. Sculptors and painters handle physical matter differently from artists with a theatrical mindset. Perceptions are triggered on an entirely differently level here. I can see a man in front of me, even if he is moving a puppet. Humans, as the quintessential material factor, puppets carrying souls are present. Láposi Terka: Who is the player in a puppet show: the Word incarnate in matter or the Word expressed from matter? What is a puppet?Boráros Szilárd: The Word itself embodied in matter. Grosschmid Erik: This cannot even be separated. Word, which is the most important, exists between the actor (the human) and the puppet. The cooperation between these two brings out the essence from each. But let’s not forget the fact that the audi-ence is present. And Word, uttered, meets the audience. It is not enough to conjure Word out of a physical object; if there is no audience to address, there is no theatre. Theatre as creative art is connected to humans and their presence on many levels.Kovács Géza: Theatre is making a connection.

“Sellôének”(The Singing of Mermaids)director: rumi lászlópuppet and Set designer: fekete dóra

“Álomjáró testvérkék”(dreamwalking little Brothers)director: Kiss ritapuppet and Set designer: Grosschmid erik

5

Láposi Terka: Why do you make puppet theatre?The notions that elevate the dignity of man, sensitize his art, stimulate his desire for creativity can all be detected in your creations. It is still exciting to know what the core is that motivates you. Géza’s the-atre-making work and his directorial activities thus far reveal a sensitive exploration of the radiance of Life and the “transparency of existence”. Szilárd, while creating, safeguards many around himself as an axis. He likes creating art incarnate when surrounded by a theoretical, spirit-filled, talkative workshop atmosphere. He moves spaces around himself both in reality as well as symbolically. In Erik’s art, his most captivating is his knowledge of material and playful light-heartedness. His apparently limitless creativity explores incredible “isms”. His work thus far can be considered feast for the eyes. Rumi’s art is lyrical, poetic and mytho-poetic. One of the most refined, defining aspects of his theatre is continuous polyphony. The images, the visual elements, the words, the movements and sounds are intertwined with the multi-level layers of thought unceasingly. A creator who sees the whole, whose theatrical gestures are also reminiscent of the spiritual teaching evoking ancient knowledge. In the past quarter of a cen-tury, a dynamic cohesion has been operating around and through you. So. Why are you doing it?

“A fülemüle”(The nightingale)

director: rumi lászlópuppet and Set designer:

Bodor Judit

6

Boráros Szilárd: I feel I have seen a parallel world which has been captivating me. These worlds are in me, which I must make manifest. For me, puppetry is the perfect medium to accomplish that. Here is an important landmark of my life, the “Whisp-ering Willows” performance (Szombathely, Mesebolt Bábszínház) that Géza and I staged together. Géza created a story from Gypsy fairy tales, and we began to think. The most important thing in this process was that we were able to fill it with personal experiences and spiritual thoughts. It became credible because it had been made personal. It means me, as well as represents us. The essence became refined. When creator and creator come closer, when tensions between them disappear, when we are able to view and feel, even on the level of words, the world which we are trying to turn into a theatrical play, the impact will also be much more complete. It will be more radiant and affect the audience all around.Láposi Terka: Géza, when you are on stilts, can you actually channel all this? Virtu-ally all of your ritual plays performed in the form of street theatre are actually moving images of ancient, archaic worlds and myths. What happens up there? Kovács Géza: Beyond the technical development, we saw something in these “el-evating legs” with Rumi László and Pályi János 25 years ago, which really raise you to a different level. I rise above the crowd, also symbolically. Because what are stilts all about? You step on a higher level, rise above the crowd, and if you operate the right energies within yourself, this higher level will simply begin to create a new com-munity around you. I think that theatre is really creating community, whether it is street theatre, puppetry in a folk fair, or a puppet show in a real theatre. It is important what kinds of tools you use in which way when you strive to make a connection with the audience. Our plays involving stilts have incredibly brought people together, as we were all able to become one in some sort of energy field—we, the players and the audience. Experiencing all this enables me to say that it is utterly important for a well-operating puppet theatre today to contemplate how to become the engine that propels the integration of its audience into a community. State funded puppet thea-tres today should consider this issue as their salient responsibility. Today, when the opportunity in communal spaces to encounter communal experiences has been re-duced to the minimum, puppet theatre must rise to the occasion to fill this function. A creation-community mindset is what creates. Let me cite one example: the way our play Christmas Mystery was created at the Griff Puppet Theatre in Zalaegerszeg.Borbély Szilárd wrote the script, and Rumi László directed Kő Boldizsár’s images. In its spatial perception, its image and musical approach, its script, a mystery play, perfect in its sacredness, was created, which gives impactful experiences and forges communities, evoking desire for these values naturally. Everything we have talked about is reflected by it completely. It is very contemporary in its script and visual art, while reaching back to the medieval games when such mystery plays and mo-ralities operated in their natural power and context. We performed it in churches. In churches of congregations, and only in the prescribed time period. It had a shocking impact.

T H e S c e n e o f T H e p A r A l l e l w o r l d S

“Vitéz Kukoricza János históriája””(The Story of The Gallant Kukoricza János)director: rumi lászlópuppet and Set designer: Grosschmid erik

7

Boráros Szilárd: It is important to note what our goal was with this performance. Can today, in the 21st century, a puppet theatre celebrate together with the congregation on a sacred and traditional holy day? This is what we wanted to find out in Zala. Can a performance be created in an operating church facility instead of a built theatre in such a way that the resulting experience be a credible celebration to all participants? Kovács Géza: It was cathartic. The sort of common breathing ensued between actor and audience which created a common energy field. Nothing else was needed, except the creation of a sacred mo-ment in its own environment. Láposi Terka: This “energy field” can be created in a built puppet theatre also, if the spirituality and creative community is such that fulfils its calling with faith and credibility.Rumi László: Credibility? In this world which we live in today, the puppet theatre for me is an asy-lum: it allows me to play. In the most noble sense of the phrase, I can use all my energies here. Play is the opportunity for “life on a higher level”. I’m interested in play, the exploration, the discovery of new techniques, lights, shadows. Puppet theatre is a miniature universe, where you can experiment freely: create storms and calm seas with SFX experts, and play ball with the stars. You can play in a closed system, with pure rules; that is, to demonstrate the order found in the universe, to reactivate the myth. It is an ideal playground, the last spot of ground where not multinational corporations dictate the rules, which is also what the responsibility of the puppet theatre lies. Because what you put on the stage will form tastes and viewpoints and provide comfort.Kovács Géza: You create a closed world, operate an energy field—and it is not at all indifferent what, with what and how you do, because you can take the child anywhere. Boráros Szilárd: The puppet theatre is the pool of opportunities where you can manifest the cre-ated world with richer tools. What I sense in today’s Hungarian reality is that this era has come to an end, this time of visceral, creative road-search. I am not living my days of accumulation; I tend to simplify, to condense—I am interested in the essence of things. I am attracted by the directness of communication.Kovács Géza: The road that our generation travelled resembles most what Kemény Henrik’s fam-ily experienced. From somewhere, out of unexpectedness and unawareness, by a mere received impulse we realized and came in awe of what it would be like to play puppet theatre. Our road led through handicrafts, gathering experiences, and making missteps to conscious puppet theatre. We truly discover puppets for ourselves. Boráros Szilárd: The freedom of playing became engraved in us, which made Hungarian puppetry progressive and which, seen from the outside, appeared to skyrocket. Here in Hungary, creators meddled with techniques viscerally, as they had “set off to explore”. They had to begin from deep below, in order to reach down to their ancestors, their mythological, human symbols.Kovács Géza: How wonderful is the kind of breathing together, how peculiar is its psychology, when a man can grab a glass and believe that it is a person. Opposite him sits another man, who believes, through that glass, that it is who that man thinks it is. How mysteriously complex is the entire psy-chology of puppetry! It does not exist without that awareness. Thus, it is more complex than stone theatre is, where you must create another living human being of yourself (in most cases). Here, you have an object, a puppet, through which you must accomplish all that.Rumi László: The stronger the imagery of your imagination is that you project toward the audience, the more easily they are able to believe that the glass that you have just broken is Ophelia’s death in the performance. If the actor is strong enough, the children will begin to weep—although it was only a glass that was broken, they will know that someone died.

T H e S c e n e o f T H e p A r A l l e l w o r l d S

8

Kovács Géza: And not only the children. It can be achieved with adults also. Rumi László: I think the most important aspect in a puppet theatre is not whether the show has been created for junior or adult audiences but, rather, what the different layers of a good performance communicate to the different members of the audience of various ages and cul-tural and educational backgrounds. Can it draw the spectator into that parallel world which we have been talking about. This is what matters. On the other hand, it is important that we do not downgrade or infantilize the original qualities and archetypes that this genre is called to demonstrate. Boráros Szilárd: We must think in multi-layered puppet shows that span across ages and generations, which ad-dress children. They provide well-read-able stories, while inviting adults also into the play. The more conscious expe-rience and execution of creation must take place.

Kovács Géza: I think that a change in pace in Hungarian puppetry has arrived. We expect our present theatre managers to exhibit recognizable consciousness in their artistic direction.Rumi László: Hungarian puppet theatre has left the baby steps behind; but one thing still has not taken place in Hungary yet. Society has not allowed puppet theatre through the rite of passage to legal age; adult puppetry has no proper social recognition.Kovács Géza: I also think it a lack that no real workshop theatres have been established yet. No real intellectual workshops and the related background structures serving them have been created. I think that to create an image and to train actors and audiences can only be accomplished with a professional creative community, where the team is made up of the direc-tor, the writer, the dramaturge, composer, designer, who all work together with a view to the future, projecting a vision to posterity. Today’s puppet theatres must adopt a value oriented approach. Canned culture and sacredness are phenomenal opposites. If you can demonstrate this in a play, you have already won. Láposi Terka: Can it be expressed what you would like to convey to the next puppet artist generation with your theatrical ap-proach? Rumi László: Hm. I am looking for the great adventure in puppet theatre. The theatre is the scenery of the great journey. If I want to explore a phenomenon, like an issue, for example, more extensively, I make a performance of it.

“Égen-földön mese”(Tales from the earth and Sky)director: Kovács Gézapuppet and Set designer: Boráros Szilárd

9

Boráros Szilárd: I really miss the art. The high level art that characterizes this puppetry art form. If, for example, I want to use marionette-type puppets in a performance on the stage, I know what marionette really means, what kind of semiotic and genetic meaning it carries, how it is constructed mechanically, so how it can and should be used during the play.Láposi Terka: Does the social context in which you live influence you in the development of a crea-tive-intellectual concept? Kovács Géza: You don’t have to conform to the trends of the world either with respect to content and intellect. We do well to try technical diversity on the stage, but it would be irresponsible to proceed towards and serve a canned culture. You must demonstrate quality according to your faith.

Grosschmid Erik: I am interested in all kinds of materi-als that one can hold in his hands or try using. However, I know I won’t just create anything from them, as materials have their own internal (perhaps) spiritual laws. I can use them, but I can’t make just anything from them.Rumi László: What is good in puppet theatre is that it al-ways brings about world redemption—playing does, that is. We have been granted the privilege to create values. The entire world, in the form of theatre, is at our disposal, and our responsibility is to select what we will utilize on this 12-square-metres of the countless elements that filter through from the world. In order to become familiar with the sys-tems, everyone should explore the world with us. Play is on the top of values for me. The ways children play always fascinate me—the method, the ease and beauty with which they redeem the world from moment to moment.Láposi terka: What is your view of the future? What kind of

puppet theatre would you like to see, to direct? Kovács Géza: Hungarian puppetry and puppet theatre are standing at the threshold: it has come to a point of development. I mean the spiritual, operational and theatre management changes of quality consciousness. A spiritual paradigm shift must take place, as the majority of theatre managers must realize that without spiritual companions their company cannot be further developed. The forms of operation of stone theatre and institutionalized puppet theatre will remain, although the types of formation will also be present that reach back to the ancient, handicraft traditions of the process of puppetry creation. It is not in the themes that they will be traditional but, rather, in their creation methodology. They will work in the form of creative groups. Rumi László: The cultural “moment of inertia” will probably give impetus to city puppet theatres, but the structural change cannot be put off too much longer. Grosschmid Erik: A handicraft workshop is a precondition of the operation of a puppet theatre. Is it possible that renowned directors establish schools, conduct workshops and thus rally their dis-ciples? I would like to establish my own workshop blessed with a guild mindset. Kovács Géza: I have outlined two possibilities for myself. One: the establishment of a company with its own permanent creative team where this team can create the performances (writer, director, designer, composer). The other: A theatre where I am the producer and finance the creation of the performance. I buy performances. I maintain a theatre so creators can bring about performances, which I launch. From that point on, performances live a life of their own.

T H e S c e n e o f T H e p A r A l l e l w o r l d S

10

“A fülemüle”(The nightingale)

director: rumi lászlópuppet and Set designer:

Bodor Judit

Rumi László: These are completely liveable models. And what would I like? A team that appreciate their puppets and value the money that they receive in sup-port and use it to create good performances.Kovács Géza: I’d like to add to my wish list that if I choose the company establishment, then this man (Rumi) will be the Director, Szili (Boráros) will be the head designer, and (Grosschmid) Erik the leader of the factory. Grosschmid Erik: I’d like to create this complex de-sign and handicraft workshop at Géza’s future thea-tre. Such a guild factory where the step of physical and scenic materialization of the theatre process the creation from the material, the incarnation into a physical form does not pose any problems. Technique, material, technology, handicraft, and aesthetic quality should go hand-in-hand.Rumi László: Okay, but who will accomplish all this?Boráros Szilárd: We will!

“Égen-földön mese”(Tales from the earth and Sky)director: Kovács Gézapuppet and Set designer:Boráros Szilárd

11

“Bonifác a figurász”director: rumi lászlópuppet and Set designer:fekete dóra

12

Has the “gist” of what was said been made clear? They express themselves clearly and unambiguously: having learned and gained experience from a quarter of a century of theatrical existence, to cre-ate more robustly, revealing the essentials. with faith, delving into the depths of the materials, seeking the three-fold harmony of the spirit, the soul and the body. To penetrate spaces, worlds and irrationality via the understanding of the physical operation and mechanics of the body and the shape, in order to enable us, the audience, to grasp, even if only for a fleeting moment, the place of the spirit, and the flight of the soul. Since their most fervent desire is to involve us, those, who have almost completely forgotten how to play. This interview can be viewed as a partial summary. An increasing amount of courage is required to face the processes, both here in Hungary as well as abroad. of those who know that a globalised world (would) require a glo-balised culture; of those who even slightly perceive that the expansion of spiritual space is obvious; of those who, looking around, sense the continu-ous revaluations, wire-crossing and extinguishing of things even within the arts on their own skin; of those who seriously experience the fact that we live in the culture of forgetfulness; well, of those can be expected some scrutiny and inspection so they can face (at least from time to time) their own present state of being. It can only be expected.

Epilogue

“odyssey”director: Kovács Géza

puppet and Set designer: Boráros Szilárd

13

T H e S c e n e o f T H e p A r A l l e l w o r l d S