Déryné on stage for two hundred years

The concept of speaking and acting theatre in the production of Álmaimban Déryné

Abstract

The production of Álmaimban Déryné (In My Dreams, Déryné) is based on György Lukácsy’s script, which he specifically wrote for my master’s project for the Doctoral School of the University of Theatre and Film Arts. I wished to present the history of Hungarian-language touring theatre (or travelling theatre), which began with Róza Déryné Széppataki and lasted for more than two hundred years, in a performance planned for an hour and a half, with dynamic space and time management, and character and scene building based on movement. I felt that in order to realise my concept, the actors needed to learn the method prior to the start of the rehearsal process, as it is not enough for them to understand the movement-based methodology, they need to experience it first hand in order to apply it. So I invited the Polish director Grzegorz Bral, creator of the Bral Acting Method (BAM), to give an intensive workshop for the artists. This summer workshop was the direct source of the ritual elements incorporated into the performance. In my case study, I will present the above mentioned performance and rehearsal process, as well as my experience gained during the work.