The most diverse art companies from all over the world are coming to the 2023 Xth Theater Olympiad, whose programs are realized in Hungary with the coordination of the National Theatre.
Mentioning only the most outstanding ones: the Csíksomlyó Passion will be performed in the open air in front of the Basilica, but according to the plans, a special performance will be created from the play The Tragedy of Man: it will be performed by theater students from all over the world. From next April to June, the gigantic series of events in several art forms, with numerous accompanying programs and several smaller festivals, offers a unique opportunity to meet Hungarian and foreign theaters. The Theater Olympiad is one of the most recognized events of the world's theater life and of outstanding professional importance. It was founded in 1994 on the initiative of the renowned Greek theater director Theodórosz Terzopoulos, and was held for the first time in Greece, the cradle of European theater. In the past 25 years, there have been nine Theater Olympics in different countries of the world. The professional committee of the International Theater Olympiad awarded Hungary the right to organize the next, 10th, jubilee Theater Olympiad in 2023 - thereby recognizing Hungarian theater life and the importance of the Madách International Theater Meeting (MITEM). A round table discussion about the preparations was held on Friday at the National Theatre. Attila Vidnyánszky, the director of the National Theatre, Theodórosz Terzopulosz, the creator of the event, the world-famous Greek director, and the manager of several rural theaters, spoke about the outlined program of next year's Theater Olympiad.
According to Attila Vidnyánszky, this is a free festival. "Our belief in organizing this event is unwavering.
There is no other option than thinking together and dialogue.
Nothing can shake this," said Attila Vidnyánszky, director of the National Theatre, artistic director of MITEM and the Theater Olympiad. He added: when they started organizing the Olympics, they didn't know that such terrible events would happen a few hundred kilometers from the border.
Theodórosz Terzopulosz and Attila Vidnyánszky Source: Origo/Attila Polyák
"We couldn't even imagine that we would live like this again. But this did not make us insecure, but rather strengthened us. But not only this, but the debates that took place at MITEM and unpleasant – sometimes unfair – situations only confirmed the need to continue the dialogue. It would be too easy to close. The easiest way would be if we didn't reach out again and again. It's easier to get offended and decide to stay in our own thoughts and only look for partners who think exactly like us. But that's not how we do it. That is why we have been organizing the Madách International Theater Meeting for years along the principles of openness and freedom, where opinions can be clashed, where we can be next to each other with completely different thoughts, and we try a little to understand the other side, to listen to the other's arguments, even if , if this is sometimes accompanied by unpleasant and painful events," emphasized Attila Vidnyánszky.
He also said:
IT IS A HUGE HONOR THAT THE 10TH THEATER OLYMPICS WILL BE ORGANIZED IN HUNGARY - WHICH WILL HAVE THE NATIONAL THEATER AS THE BASE INSTITUTION.
The inventor of the Theater Olympiad, Theodorosz Terzopulosz, also spoke about the fact that the VIII. Olympics were held in India, where the audience was awaited at 17 venues. There was enormous cultural and political tension between the two cities. But during the event, the contradictions completely disappeared. Bridges were built between the parties. This characterized all our events.
This is also the goal of next year's Hungarian Olympics, to build bridges.
Source, full article: Origo
Featured image: MITEM/Zsolt Eori Szabó
