Lecture in English on Contemporary Hungarian Theatre
How Do Hungarian-Language Theatres Respond to Today’s Reality?
Today we are living through one of the most exciting periods in Hungarian theatre.
This is partly because theatres have become highly politicized in many cases; because public funding has been reduced, a reality felt across the entire sector; because many theatres are forced to close their doors; and because there has rarely been such a wealth of bold and daring productions on Hungarian stages as we see today.
The theatres led by Attila Vidnyánszky and Róbert Alföldi alike represent outstanding examples of contemporary theatrical processes. The same is true of Béla Pintér and Company. Beyond Budapest, however, it is equally important to consider regional and Transylvanian theatres, where audiences can experience productions of a remarkably high artistic standard.
Depending on the region and the artistic vision guiding a theatre, it can play very different roles in the life of a community, a city, or society as a whole.
SHORT BIO:
Theater director, associate professor, researcher, literary translator, Éva Patkó is member of Governing Body of Ecole des Ecoles Interdisciplinary European Universities Network(2022 to present), board member of the Theater Section of the Cluj Napoca Academic Committee KAB (2019 to present), artistic director of HD Drama Series (2013 to 2025) and external member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences since 2012.
Her research includes the aspects of identity in the theatermaking processes and the hierarchycal structures of theatermaking, also a vast view on the contemporary Romanian dramaturgy. Her latest book Változó távlatok(2025) in Hungarian language looks at contemporary directing practices. Perspectives (2023) written in English looks at the directorial perspectives on the Romanian contemporary dramaturgy. She published studies and essays in Korunk – Journal for Social Sciences and Humanities (ISSN 1222 8338, Erih +), Filologiai Közlöny – Journal of The Academy of Sciences Literature Sciences, (ISSN 00151785, Erih +), Symbolon Journal of Theatre Studies (ISSN 1582-327X, Ceool database), Jatéktér Theatrical Journal (ISSN 2285-7850, Ceool database), Látó Literary Periodical (ISSN 1220-5982) and other humanities platforms.
Mentor, program coordinator in Make a Move European ArtIncubator Project of 7 countries (2019), FabulaMundi European Playwriting Project, Lark Play Development Center cooperational projects of contemporary drama translation (2012-2024), Ovid Metamorphoses – Erasmus Intensive Programme of 7 European art universities (2014). Member of the Body, Power and Institution research team and the Philter Program of Regional (Romanian and Hungarian) Performance Analisys research project.
Éva Patkó is a Fulbright alumnae of the University of California Berkeley, Theater Dance and Performance Studies Department (Fulbright Senior Award 2018-2019) and is currently a Fulbright Professor at Starr King School for The Ministry in Oakland, CA.



