Excerpts from the work The Cultural Chronicle of Szigliget, written in 1975 by teacher Mihály Májusi:
“…In the absence of a cultural centre, these plays were performed either in the school building or in what is now the council hall, always before large audiences and with great success. These folk plays reflected the taste of the era, and many carried a clerical or religious tone. Károly Horváth, who today belongs to the older generation, still remembers those times vividly. Organizing a theatrical performance was easy back then: there were many young people in the village, and there was no competition from television, since it did not yet exist. A theatre performance was considered almost a village celebration. Young people and adults alike were enthusiastic about it. Today, in 1975, only the memories remain, and this has now become an integral part of the village’s cultural history. It is true that after 1945, amateur theatre experienced another revival thanks to devoted teachers and the already mentioned Károly Horváth.”
“…After the Liberation, the village’s long-standing tradition of amateur theatre flourished once again. The first plays were still religious in subject matter, such as The Fourth Commandment. These productions were directed by teachers and staged by the youth organizations of the time, including MADISZ (Hungarian Democratic Youth Association), EPOSZ (National Association of Unified Peasant Youth), later DISZ (Association of Working Youth), and eventually KISZ (Communist Youth Association). Enthusiastic young men and women formed the acting troupe, gladly volunteering for these activities. Their enthusiasm in the 1950s was understandable. Since they had no opportunity to attend professional theatre performances, and television did not yet exist, they wisely and creatively filled their free evenings by performing theatre themselves. Their most successful productions included Gyöngyös Bokréta, Two Hearts as One, Geranium Windows, and The Fishermen of Tihany. Fazekas Mihály’s Matyi the Goose Boy was also warmly received by audiences. In 1958 they performed Be Good Until Death. The adult roles were mainly played by teachers, while the children’s roles were performed by members of the Pioneer youth movement. Another great success came with Móricz’s I Cannot Live Without Music. With this production the group even travelled beyond county borders, performing in Zala and Somogy counties, where audiences greeted them with great enthusiasm.
In the late 1960s, under the organization of the KISZ youth association, the village audience saw the modern play Wedding, which portrayed the clash between old and new values and attitudes. Despite excellent scenery and strong performances, after a full house on opening night, the second performance drew empty seats, and many people criticized the play’s message negatively. Those who saw Fanni’s Traditions, presented in 1967, still remember it vividly. Not only because it was the last theatrical performance ever staged in the village, but because it was a beautiful production with outstanding scenery and even finer acting. Alongside the younger performers, many older villagers appeared in the play, and looking back, one gets the feeling that these 40- and 50-year-old people, worn down by years of labor yet still passionate about theatre, stepped onto the stage with the determination: ‘Let us show what we can do one last time.’ And to their credit, they succeeded, receiving tremendous applause. For the previously mentioned Károly Horváth, this was the 24th play in which he had performed. In fact, his entire family was deeply devoted to amateur theatre. Besides him, the cast of Fanni’s Traditions also included his wife, his two daughters, his brother-in-law, and two nephews.
Amateur theatre, which had played such an important role in the cultural life of the village over many years and decades — providing not only entertainment but also self-education, learning through play, and evenings filled with joy — has since lost much of its former brilliance. The world has changed greatly since then. The interests of both young people and adults are different today. Television, this window onto the world, has brought world events and theatre itself directly into the homes of ordinary village people. As a result, perhaps we have become somewhat more passive, inward-looking, and homebound. Our village is no exception. The educational influence of mass communication must be acknowledged, but its negative effects must also be taken into account…”
Compiled by: József Takács