About the theater

History | Technical Data of the Venues

History

The University of Theatre Tg. Mures is the legal successor of the Hungarian Music and Arts Conservatory Cluj. It was founded in 1946 as the result of a decree signed by the ministers Mihail Ralea and Gheorghe Tatarescu and approved by King Michael of Romania. After the educational reform in 1948, the training of actors continued in two separate institutes in Hungarian, respectively in Romanian language.

In 1950 the similar departments of the Hungarian Art Institute and the Romanian Art Institute were merged, so the Gheorghe Dima Institute of Musical Art, the Ion Andreescu Institute of Fine Arts and the Szentgyörgyi István Institute of Dramatic Art came into existence in Cluj.

In 1954 the Hungarian section of the Szentgyörgyi István Institute of Dramatic Art was moved to Tg.Mures, the students of the Romanian section and the Hungarian section-s students of directing were transferred to Bucharest. The new home of theatrical higher education was soon built in the historical Koteles Street of Tg.Mures, in the inspiring spiritual upheaval of the Sekler Theatre.

In 1962 the practice theatre of our university, the Studio was inaugurated, and it became in the following years the scene of many appreciated productions. In 1976 the Romanian section was reestablished.

The Studio Theatre opened to the public on November 24, 1962 with the comedy Tartuffe by Moliere (directed by György Kovács, the merited artist) and since then it has been functioning as a repertoire-theatre. The Studio Theatre became the seventh permanent Hungarian language theatre in Romania, with its own infrastructure (stage- and costume design department, artistic secretary, economical department, workshops, scene-personnel), with 4 premieres yearly, 3-4 performances weekly, that is 100-120 performances in each season.

In the 1979/1980 season, based on the presentation of the first finalist-class of the Romanian section, the Studio Theatre was transformed in a repertoire-theatre, playing performances in Romanian and Hungarian language. At first the number of performance-days remained unchanged and was divided approximately equally between the sections. So, the Hungarian section could play for the public 3-4 premieres yearly in 2-3 performances weekly, 60-80 times every year. The performances were staged by the head-teachers of finalist classes, the director-professors of the institute, as well as the guest-directors.

In the 1980's, as a result of the political dictatorship, the number of students decreased to the limits of functioning capacity. The activity of the Studio did not stop even in these years, because the actor-teachers of the institute played in the performances along with the students (for example: Loránd Lohinszky, István Ferenczy, Katalin Kovács, Ildikó Selyem, Gyula Zalányi).

After the revolution in 1989, the Studio Theatre has invited more and more directors from Hungary and Romania for the staging of examination performances. Therefore, very significant performances have been presented at the scene of the Studio Theatre, appreciated in professional circles at home and in Hungary. Some of these are:

-Paul Foster: Tom Paine (director: Victor Ioan Frunza);

-Moliere: Tartuffe (director: Gábor Tompa);

-Shaffer: Equus (director: Béla Merő);

-Shakespeare: Measure for Measure (director: László Keszég);

-Büchner: Leonce and Lena (director: Miklós Tóth);

-Pirandello: Man, Beast and Virtue (director: László Bocsárdi);

-Shakespeare: Twelfth Night or What You Will (director: Eszter Novák);

-Chekhov: Platonov and Shakespeare: Romeo(s) and Juliet(s) (director: Gábor Rusznyák).

The guest-designers, dramatic advisors and choreographers have been collaborating in the production of several performances, the teachers of the finalist classes have also staged significant performances. (Loránd Lohinszky, Levente Kovács, Elemér Kincses, István Ferenczy, Attila Gáspárik, Miklós Parászka).

Since 1990 the directing department has been functioning and the Studio has given place to the performances of the directing-students too (István Kövesdy, László Bocsárdi, Olga Barabás, Ágota Nagy).

After 1990, as a result of the strongly improved musical teaching, musicals, musical comedies, and also an operetta have been produced at the Studio Theatre: -

-Királyhegyi-Hencz: Oh, Abraham (director: Tamás Tímár -invited and Levente Kovács);

-Shaw-Larner-Löwe: My Fair Lady (director: Levente Kovács);

-Kander-Ebb-Masterhoff: Cabaret (director: Levente Kovács);

-Kálmán, Imre: operetta gala based on The Violet of Montmartre (director: Levente Kovács);

-Karácsony, Benő-Kisfalussy, Bálint: The Ugly Duckling (director: Loránd Lohinszky).

Many performances of the Studio Theatre obtained various awards in the last decade:

- Dürrenmatt: Play Strindberg (director: Loránd Lohinszky), Kisvárda;

- Paul Foster: Tom Paine (director: Victor Ioan Frunza) at Sibiu, Kisvárda, as well as the UNITER diploma at Bucharest;

- Pirandello: Man, Beast and Virtue (director: László Bocsárdi), Kisvárda.

Several productions have been invited for guest performances, to festivals, workshop-meetings in Romania and abroad:

- Dürrenmatt: Play Strindberg - at the IMMT festival Budapest;

- The Wall ( János Csányi-s adaptation of Shakespeare-s play) - at the IMMT festival organized by Szkéné Theatre Budapest;

- Arthur Miller : View from the Bridge - Vienna;

- Áron Tamási: Szüntelen király ( King Forever ) - Germany;

- Peter Weiss: Marat/Sade - at the HID festival Budapest;

- Pirandello: Man, Beast and Virtue - at the Új Színház, Budapest;

- Anton Chekhov: Performance without a Title (Platonov) - Thalia Színház, Budapest.

The Studio Theatre has participated at the Meetings of the European School of Dramatic Art (in Tg.Mures and Targoviste), at the international festivals organized by the University of Theatre and Film in Budapest as well as at the annual gala nights of the art institutes in Bucharest.

 

Technical Data of the Venues:

The Studio is a 200-seat theatre. The dimensions of the auditorium are: 10m x 15m.

The dimensions of the stage: 20 m x 10m.

The equipment for stage-activity: stage-lighting, sound, scenery, furniture, stage-properties.