A Life-Saving Surgery and a Late Confession: Lujza Blaha's Hidden Drama at the Karinthy Theater
Translated from Hungarian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- A contemporary monodrama titled "Blaha Lujza and the Red Wallet" is being performed at the Karinthy Theater in Budapest.
- The play, directed by Zoltán Rátóti and starring Szilvia Pataki, delves into the dramatic life of the beloved Hungarian actress Lujza Blaha.
- It focuses on her recovery from a life-saving surgery and the emotional turmoil that surfaces, particularly her relationship with Tamássy József.
Budapest offers a spiritual escape, a symbol of the "happy peace" before the war, embodied by the beloved actress Lujza Blaha. The city even named a space after her, momentarily distracting residents from the horrors of conflict.
This historical context highlights Blaha's significance to the nation. For those seeking a deeper understanding of her personal life, her loves, husbands, and son, the Karinthy Theater presents Ferenc Lengyel's contemporary monodrama, "Blaha Lujza and the Red Wallet." Directed by Zoltán Rátóti, this one-act studio performance is brought to life with captivating authenticity by Szilvia Pataki.
She speaks of József Tamássy, the man she considered her one true love, a popular singer-actor of the era.
The play plunges into a dramatic period of Blaha's life, following a life-saving surgery that garnered significant attention in the press. In a state influenced by medication during her recovery, the most painful moments of her life surface. She speaks of József Tamássy, the man she considered her one true love, a popular singer-actor of the era. Tamássy was Blaha's partner in numerous plays, including "The Red Wallet" from 1878, a piece that propelled her to national fame as the "nightingale of the nation."
Their on-stage collaborations, featuring songs like "Rózsabokorba jöttem a világra" and "Piros, piros, piros," became iconic. Some of these melodies are revived in the Karinthy Theater's production, performed by Pataki with live cimbalom accompaniment, offering a poignant echo of Blaha's enduring legacy.
This piece brought her success, and she instantly became the nightingale of the nation.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Magyar Nemzet in Hungarian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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