The meeting of 40 writers and critics in Eger, in northeast Hungary, examined the elements of contemporary German plays in order to determine what makes them so successful, while contemporary Hungarian plays, although just as good, find only a small audience.
Tibor Csizmadia, who directs the Gárdonyi Géza Theatre in Eger, argued that more subsidies should be made available to theatres which perform contemporary plays because of the greater risk involved, compared to, say, a play by Shakespeare.
The meeting will also prepare for a contemporary play festival to be held in Debrecen, in northeast Hungary, over a week next year. Twelve of the newest Hungarian plays will be performed at the festival.
DESZKA comprises 28 contemporary Hungarian playwrights. Through its efforts, the Ministry of Culture recently established the Katona József playwrights? competition, which aims to support contemporary Hungarian plays.
While the roundtable discusses in Eger, the Gárdonyi Géza Theatre will hold its ?Season Within A Season? festival, repeating performances from the first several months of the year between April 18 and 22.
Source: Hungarian Press Agency (MTI)
