The Beginnings of the Szeged Open Air Festival – Minus the Mythology

The roles of Gyula Juhász, Antal Németh and General Kálmán Shvoy in the establishment of the Open Air theatre

The foundation of the Szeged Open Air theatre festival was for a long time considered the work of Ferenc Hont. However, the concept of putting on performances in the open courtyard adjoining Szeged Cathedral, Dom Square, had already been taken up and even pushed along by Gyula Juhász. And while Hont is regarded historically as the one who dreamed up the theatre under the stars, the reality is a bit more complex than this. Other individuals, now rarely remembered or even completely forgotten, played much more significant roles in the Festival's beginnings than did Hont. It is these individuals and the parts they played that this lecture will discuss.