Proton Theatre is an independent company based in Hungary. It was founded in 2009 and is operating according to the production concept shaped by Kornél Mundruczó (film and theatre director) and Dóra Büki (theatre producer). The virtual artistic group is organized around the director's independent productions.
History
Mundruczó has worked in the theatre field since 2003. During his career, he has developed a unique working method, already put to use in 2007 with his piece Frankenstein-project at Bárka Theatre. This highly acclaimed work was to be the Proton Theatre's founding production. It convinced him of the need for a “base”, where he could work freely with his own company.[1] Theatre producer Dóra Büki devised the organisation's operational structure to ensure long runs of their performances. Thus, in 2009, the Proton Theatre was born.[2]
Besides preserving maximum artistic freedom, their goal is to provide a professional framework for their independently produced theatre plays and projects.
Chiefly, their performances are realized as international co-productions,[3] and their frequent collaborators include the Vienna Festival; HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin; KunstenFestivalDesArts, Brussels; Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, Budapest; and HELLERAU, Dresden. Besides productions directed by the artistic leader – namely, The Ice (2006), Frankenstein-project (2007), Hard to be a God (2010), Disgrace (2012), Dementia (2013), Winterreise (2015), Imitation of life (2016), The Raft of the Medusa (2018) and Evolution (2019) – they wish to provide space for the realisation of the company members’ ideas. In this spirit, the following performances were created: Last (2014), directed by Roland Rába, 1 link (2015), directed by Gergely Bánki, and Finding Quincy by János Szemenyei.
Their co-producers are among the most prestigious festivals and theatres. On their first international co-production, Hard to be a God, the main co-producer was KunstenFestivalDesArts,[4] on their second, Disgrace, the Vienna Festival,[5] on their third, Dementia, HAU Hebbel am Ufer, and Vienna Festival again on their fourth.[6][7] Their constant partner in Hungary is Trafó House of Contemporary Arts.[3]
Proton Theatre performances have toured more than 110 festivals over the years – from Festival d’Avignon and the Adelaide Festival to the Singapore International Festival of Arts, the Seoul Bo:m Festival, and the Zürcher Theater Spektakel. In 2017 their performance Imitation of life was nominated for the Faust Award for Mundruczó's outstanding directorial achievement. It was the first time in the history of this award that a non-German theatre was nominated.[8][9]
Productions
The Seven Deadly Sins/Motherland
Kornél Mundruczó has paired his production of The Seven Deadly Sins with the drama Motherland, which explores the subjects of capitalist exploitation and the exercise of power in a family of the present day.[10]
Based on György Ligeti's Requiem the world premier of Kornél Mundruczó and Proton Theatre lies on the boundary of concert and theatre and analyses the theme of repetition.[13]
The Raft of the Medusa, an oratory by Hans Werner Henze, was inspired by Théodore Géricault's famous painting by the same name from 1819. Directed by Kornél Mundruczó, this installation of the Proton Theatre aimed to tell the story of The Raft of the Medusa – one that is universally valid and spans different eras – from a unique perspective.[15][16]
Since January 2019, the Katona József Theatre’s "Sufni" (Shed) Studio has hosted the performance based on the award-winning cyber novel written under a pseudonym.[28][29]
Transitions Central Europe Festival, Onassis Cultural Centre 2015. Athens, Greece
Santiago a Mil International Theatre Festival 2017. Chile[52]
Awards
Best performance - 8th National Theatre Festival 2008. Pécs, Hungary[53]
Best actress: Lili Monori - 8th National Theatre Festival 2008. Pécs, Hungary[53]
Audience Award - 8th National Theatre Festival 2008. Pécs, Hungary[53]
Special Prize of BITEF - 44th BITEF Festival 2010. Belgrade, Serbia[54]
The Ice
The original staging of The Ice by Kornél Mundruczó is dated back to 2006, when it was a co-production between the Trafó House of Contemporary Arts and Krétakör Company. In 2008 the performance was revived with some new cast members at the National Theater of Budapest, where it was on the repertoire until 2013. Two years later the show was transferred to the Trafó again, this time under the umbrella of the Proton Theater.[55][56][57][58]
21 September 2006Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, Budapest • 26 September 2008[59]National Theatre, Budapest • 2 June 2015[58]Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, Budapest
International Theatre Festival "Kontakt" 2009. Toruń, Poland
MESS International Theatre Festival 2009. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vienna Festival 2010. Vienna, Austria
Texture Film and Theatre Festival 2010. Perm, Russia
19th International Festival Theatre 2011. Plzeň, Czech Republic
HELLERAU - European Center for the Arts 2019. Dresden, Germany[61]
Awards
Best young creator: Kornél Mundruczó - XIX. Międzynarodowy International Theatre Festival "Kontakt" 2009. Toruń, Poland[62]
Silver Laurel Wreath Award for Best Performance in the Mittel Europa category - MESS International Theatre Festival 2009. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina[63]
The Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble - MESS International Theatre Festival 2009. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina[63]
The Avaz Dragon Award - MESS International Theatre Festival 2009. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina[63]
Texture Name Prize - Texture Film and Theatre Festival 2010. Perm, Russia[64][65][66]
^"Vámpírok az áruházban". trafo.hu (in Hungarian). Magyar Nemzet. 16 September 2014. p. 10. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
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