Kornél Mundruczó, Proton Theatre

Parallax

Theatre
Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe – Ateliers Berthier
octoberoct 10 – 18
1/3

French premiere

2h

Minimum age 18 years

In Hungarian, with French surtitles

This performance contains certain scenes that may offend the sensibilities of the audience

Prices € 15 to € 38
Subscribers € 13 to € 32

Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe – Ateliers Berthier

Thursday october 10

20h

Friday october 11

20h

Saturday october 12

20h

Sunday october 13

15h

Tuesday october 15

20h

Wednesday october 16

20h

Thursday october 17

20h

Friday october 18

20h

With Lili Monori, Emőke Kiss-Végh, Erik Major, Roland Rába, Sándor Zsótér, Csaba Molnár, Soma Boronkay. Set design Monika Pormale. Costumes Melinda Domán. Lighting design András Éltető. Written by Kata Wéber with the ensemble's improvisations. Dramaturgy Soma Boronkay, Stefanie Carp. Music Asher Goldschmidt. Choreography Csaba Molnár. Assistant director Soma Boronkay. Director Kornél Mundruczó. Production Dóra Büki. Production assistant Henrietta Horváth. Artistic manager Miklós Kékesi. Technical director András Éltető. Lighting technician Zoltán Rigó. Sound technician Zoltán Belényesi. Master prop maker Gergely Nagy. Cameraman Máté Takács, Mihály Teleki, Áron Farkas. Stage master Tamás Hódosy. Stage hand András Viczkó. Dresser Melinda Domán.

Production Proton Theatre
Coproduction Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe ; Wiener Festwochen – Freie Republik Wien ; Comédie de Genève ; Piccolo Teatro di Milano – Teatro d’Europa ; HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin) ; Athens Epidaurus Festival ; Maillon Théâtre de Strasbourg – Scène européenne ; International Sommerfestival-Kampnagel (Hambourg) ; Centre dramatique national Orléans – Centre-Val de Loire ; La Bâtie –Festival de Genève ; Festival d’Automne à Paris 
Soutien Számlázz.hu, Minorities Talents & Casting, Danubius Hotels  

The Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe and the Festival d'Automne à Paris are co-producers of this show and are presenting it as a co-realisation.

The Hungarian film and theatre director Kornél Mundruczó has always been a shrewd observer of the way contemporary society has transformed family structures, as shown in his films White God (2015), a prize-winner at Cannes, Pieces of A Woman (2019) and Evolution (2021). In Parallax, he investigates the notion of identity, at the crossroads between social affirmation and area of freedom.

How can we reconcile the unspeakable nature of post-Shoah trauma with the desire, on behalf of those upon whom this overwhelming heritage has been entrusted, to affirm it? Kornel Mundruczó offers possible answers to this question in Parallax, a piece based on Kata Wéber's text and improvisations by performers from the independent theatre company Proton, which he founded with Dóra Büki. Shifting between Budapest and Berlin, we encounter a grandmother who survived the Shoah, a mother who seeks to “capitalize” on this painful past to ensure a better future for her son Jonas, and the latter's wish to assert his gay identity. The ensuing intergenerational confrontation becomes a tender and lucid attempt at reconciliation between individual and collective stories and their different modes of transmission. Combining theatrical, choreographic and musical elements with a stage design that makes use of spectacular visual effects, Parallax mirrors the past and present. It brings with it the prospect of healing.