1. The Company
The theatre of Sfântu Gheorghe, as the permanent professional artistic institution, was established in 1948, under the name of Hungarian State Theatre. From 1987 two departments - Romanian and Hungarian - continued their activities under the name of "Sepsiszentgyörgyi Színház" (Sfântu Gheorghe Theatre). In 1992 these two departments separated, the Hungarian receiving the name of "Tamási Áron Állami Magyar Színház" (Tamási Áron Hungarian State Theatre), and the Romanian under the name of Andrei Mureşanu. Although they share the same centre, legally and financially they became two independent artistic institutions. In 1998 the theatre received its presently name: Sepsiszentgyörgyi Tamási Áron Színház (Tamási Áron Theatre of Sfântu Gheorghe), its supervisory and supporting administrative authority being The Local Council of Sfântu Gheorghe County.
The historical and social process and changes of the last half of century can be followed even for the least informed, if one looks at the many names this institution received, behind of which lies the whole struggling past, with its hidden and open efforts of cultural policy, self-determination, mission and artistic aim.
Throughout its own history, the theatre had to yield to all kinds of pressure and urging. As a theatre in the south-east part of Transylvania, thus far from the Transylvanian cultural centres (Târgu Mureş, Cluj Napoca, Oradea), it became primarily the theatre of the Szekler region, with all its concomitants. Not earlier than 1958 could the company take up its present centre, receiving an opportunity to strike roots in the little town as a permanent, professional theatre.
The year 1968 was a turning point in the history of the theatre. Under the name of Covasna County - with minor changes - the old Háromszék Vármegye (Three Chairs County) was restored, thus, Sfântu Gheorghe district centre became again county town. The little town experienced an intellectual upheaval never seen before, which meant to the intellectuals - writers, poets, actors - a spiritual attraction. This lively atmosphere urged the theatre as well to form its own artistic aspect, to begin a qualitative regeneration, a tendency towards a modern theatre, and a break from the relative isolation. This is the period during which productions were born that expressed the theatre's maturity and gained recognition as an artistic institution. During the management of Anna Dukász (1968-1973) and Lajos Sylvester (1973-1985) both the repertoire and the standards of the productions can be characterized by consistency and careful consideration. The "breakthrough" and "maturity" was due to the temporary subsidence of the ideological expectations of the time. The 60s in Romania, as anywhere else in the world, were the years of changes and revival. The theatres free themselves from the Russian socialist "class struggle"-plays, and although the official supervision remains, the Theatre Directorate responsible for the endorsement of the programme schedule, gave way to more plays by Hungarian playwrights, and for the first time since the 40s, plays by the so called western "capitalist" playwrights were allowed. Such significant plays were allowed to be staged as "Bánk Bán" by József Katona (director: András Völgyesi), "We Bombed in New Haven" by Joseph Heller (director: Attila Seprődi Kiss), "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose, etc. This is also the period when Tamási's plays are allowed to return to the stages of his homeland. The directions of Miklós Tompa of Tamási's plays - Énekes madár, Hullámzó võlegény, Boldog nyárfalevél, Hegyi patak etc. - although not representing an up-to-date approach in the 70s-80s anymore, they opened a door towards the modern and valid Tamási-performances. In the 70s the theatre broke free of the stigmatized 'regionality' and 'inferiority', and slowly but steadily stole itself both in the common knowledge of the Transylvanian-Hungarian theatres and in the Romanian theatres as a true artistic institution.
Beginning with the 70s, beside the numerous, memorable productions, mutual guest performances take place in and from Yugoslavia and Hungary. A relationship with the twin institution of Petőfi Theatre of Veszprém begins, together with guest performances every second year. All this resulted in the indispensable wider outlook, exchange of experience, development of relations and on the whole "measuring the strength" of the theatre.
The Ethnical Theatres Festival was a remarkable event in the history of the theatre, with the participation of Romanian-Hungarian, German and Yiddish companies that brought their own national playwrights' plays. Sometimes even Romanian companies participated. The first two festivals, besides their ethnical and identity-keeping nature, gave way to numerous professional debates, as in the late 70s, early 80s already ripened the process which closed up the Transylvanian-Hungarian theatricalism to the renewal of the universal theatres.
These national and international organizations were popular among the audiance as well, proving its role in the preservation of the ethnical-cultural identity, and also in the assessment of the interdependence of the different languages, cultures, religions existing in the region. This digression from the "official", from the general, gave reason to the directorate of the county party to suppress the festival in 1982 because of its, presumable, isolanist effects.
The promising and flourishing 70s were followed by a struggle for survival in the 80s. By this time it was out of the question whether the theatre was a special institution with its own rules and artistic form. Beside the always present but by this time overran ideological and political criteria, the theatre had to face serious material problems for sheer survival. Beginning with 1984 the theatre became "self-supporting", stinting it of the funds, thus forcing it to consider material gain over artistic execution. The material and spiritual burn-down resulted in the company's, actors' moral burn-down as well, and slowly the theatre approached its own liquidation. With the new Romanian department, formed in 1986, under collective budget (but with the lack of Romanian audiance, from the income of the Hungarian department) the political leadership didn't even hide his new intention of wasting away the Hungarian theatre. It was not up to them that it did not happen.
The political changes of the 90s brought new possibilities for the theatre, now free from ideologies and other non-theatrical aspects. Yet, new and "inherited" problems had to be dealt with, technical and organizational questions waited to be answered. What is the theatre? How can it remain faithful to the present it lives in? Style and form, content and meaning, approach and vision, quality and responsability - these are some of the questions that need to be answered firstly with the performances, but also with the role it won in the community; the fate of the theatre depends upon the answers of these questions.
The turning point in the recent history of the theatre is 1995, when eight actor and their director-manager from Gheorgheni became part of the theatre. This fusion and the work of young theatre directors László Bocsárdi and Olga Barabás were essential for the theatre’s present state. The most important aim of the company is now to create and keep alive a permanent inner workshop. Plazs such as Ödön von Horváth: Kasimir and Karoline; Euripides: Alcestis; Witkiewicz: Water Hen; Tadeusz Slobodzianek: Prophet Ilya; William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet; Áron Tamási: Vitéz lélek and Énekes madár under the direction of László Bocsárdi, or Olga Barabás' Moliére-plays, Don Juan, and The Impostures of Scapin, later Peer Gynt adaptation, and Partok, szirtek, hullámok (Shores, Cliffs, Waves) raised the Tamási Áron Theatre to the Romanian-Hungarian theatres' forefront.
2. The Building
The town of Sfântu Gheorghe has a permanent company since 1948, but has a permanent hall only for one hundred years. It is true that the 1899 inaugurated building had been renovated and enlarged in 1957, but the historical fact remains the same: it was due to Ferenc Gödri, mayor, virtuoso, patron. It was him who initiated in 1894 the town's ceremonial hall to be transformed into a theatre, but only in 1896 were the necessary funds created. The architects István Bay and Sándor Kovács receive the assignments of making the neccessary changes, yet the inauguration had to be postponed for another three years, thus in January 14, 1899 the building was opened. After the inauguration of the electricity works (1908), it was again due to Mr. Gödri's efforts that the electricity had been installed in the building.
The documentation existing so far reveals that the theatrical culture in our county had been rooted in the age of reform, and mainly the progresses of Cluj-Napoca, their performances "fed" Sfântu Gheorghe, Târgu-Secuiesc and the surrounding region. The first information is from 1838, according to which director Keszy and Miklós Feleki held their performance of "László Hunyadi's beheading" in Daczó landowner's "barn-hall." Evidence shows that during the 1840-41 Háromszék guest performances, Târgu-Secuiesc and Vâlcele were among the appreciated ones, and in 1844 a letter appeared in the Erdélyi Híradó (Transylvanian News) that reports Dávid Kilyéni's guest performance. This report reveals the location of these performances, the so called "ballroom." This building was raised by the Daczó family between the years 1812-16, and leased to an inkeeper. In the ages of reform, up to 1851, this building offered a location to the guest performers. The first amateur performance of Saint George is recorded to have been on 12 February, 1826, the title of which is unknown, the only information revealed in the Viennese Hungarian Courier is that "a comedy had been performed." After the defeat of the 1848-49 self-defence combat in Haromszék, the occupying Austrian power had carefully kept under its observation the most rebellious county. They increase the number of the soldiers stationed in town, and transform the ballroom into an army post. It is yet unclear where have the guest performances been held between the years 1851 and 1856 (the inauguration of the town's ceremonial hall), but it is possible that some inn or tavern gave room, perhaps the "Red Lodge" that stood in the place of the today's Mikó Kollegium (Mikó College). During this half of decade Zsigmond Dézsi and Alajos Posonyi's companies have been performing in the town, their plays are unknown.
In 1856, the new town hall is finished, with a large ballroom inside, broadly in the place of the today's auditorium, where performances could have been held on a knockdown stage up until 1899, when it was transformed into a permanent stage and auditorium. Around the 60s, the newly formed Amateur Association - merchants, lessees of the market-hall's shops - buy the hall to the town and lease it to professional and amateur theatrical companies. Beginning with the 70s the audiance could witness a diverse programme, different companies visit the town, with varied performances held in the already renovated hall. The meanwhile dissolved, then re-formed Amaterur Association's director, Domokos Harmath, requests for a permanent theatre hall. Though in 1884, an article entitled "What Háromszék is missing" deals with the issue, it takes another two years for the proposal of Ferenc Gödri Jr.
Two years after the inauguration, the town is incorporated in the so called Vth Scene District that included the town Dej, Târgu Mureş, Sibiu, Braşov, Alba Iulia, Odorheiu Secuiesc and Târgu Secuiesc. This meant that the companies could perform through invitation or competition. Thus, between the years 1901 and 1913 the companies of György F. Micsey , Béla Polgár, Lajos Szalkay, Károly Fehér, Kálmán Tompa, László Szabados hold performances in the town's theatre that between 1912 and 1949 serves as a cinema and as a theatre alternately.
In 1948 the first permanent theatre in Sfântu Gheorghe opens under the name of "Állami Magyar Színház" (Hungarian State Theatre), yet in the conference room of the Kossuth street, and a year later, after changing place with the cinema. From this point on its name is: "Állami Magyar Színház" (Hungarian State Theatre).
(from the article entitled "A Székelyföld elsõ állandó színházterme" by Sándor Sombori. Appeared in the daily newspaper Háromszék on March 27, 1997.)