The Maladype Theater's Hungarian-Macedonian-Polish co-production of The Penelopiad, which was presented with great success in Budapest and Gyula, will go on a foreign tour in October. Margaret Atwood's unique myth adaptation of Homer's epic The Odyssey can be seen on October 1 in North Macedonia at the STOBI International Theater Festival in Veles, and on October 4 in Poland at the BEZ GRANIC International Theater Festival in Cieszyn. The Transylvanian audience can meet the special production dreamed up for the stage starring Edina Bajkó, Nelli Orbán and Gabriella Varga on October 17th in Miercurea Ciuc, on the 18th in Targu Mures, and on the 19th in Cluj.

The latest direction by Zoltán Balázs retells the well-known ancient story from the personal perspective of the long-suffering, brave and resourceful wife of Odysseus, amplifying the female aspects of the myth. The all-arts performance, completed in various theater genres, sensitively integrates into its multifaceted fabric the story full of secrets and contradictions of the twelve handmaidens hanged by Odysseus and his son Telemachus, as well as the moral implications of their killing. The director's concept, based on an unusual dramaturgy, creates a unique performance system based on the virtuoso presence of the actresses through the specific content-form units and verbal, acoustic and visual stimuli formulated in an exceptional combination.

The special stage adaptation of the 2005 novel bestseller of the same name (translated by István Géher), which will be premiered in Hungary in the summer of 2024 in cooperation with the Maladype Theater, Third Olace and the Gyula Castle Theatre All-Arts Festival. The multi-threaded work is a modern echo and reflection of Penelope's story, transposed into a dramatic structure; a projection of the pain and guilt felt by the brutal murder that claimed the Maids' lives. Gabriella Varga was recognized this year with the Lajos Őze Award for her authentic portrayal of the tragic fate of the wife grinding in the captivity of Hades.

STOBI International Antique Drama Festival, Veles, North Macedonia

The main attraction of this ancient city in North Macedonia is its exceptional cultural and historical heritage. Due to the region's picturesque landscapes, historical aspects and friendly inhabitants, Veles is an ideal location for performances inspired by ancient dramas. The STOBI Festival, founded in 1992 in order to preserve the traditions of the antique theater, quickly grew into a highly prestigious event, so in 2001 it received a new name: the STOBI International Antique Drama Festival. Since 2021, the multinational theater troupe, which has now become unavoidable, is one of the oldest theater institutions in North Macedonia, the J.H.K. in Veles. Džino is organized by the National Theatre. It was named after its patron, the first Macedonian playwright, Jordan Hadži Konstantinov Džinot. This year's STOBI International Antique Drama Festival, which welcomes theater enthusiasts to Veles from September 30 to October 7, pays tribute to "Living Ancient Stories". In addition to the troupes from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, South Korea, and North Macedonia - the first Hungarian troupe in the history of the theater meeting - the Maladype Theater was also invited.

BEZ GRANIC International Theater Festival, Cieszyn, Poland

The International Theater Festival WITHOUT BORDERS - which until 2004 was called A HATÁRON - was founded on the threshold of the regime change. The series of theater festivals was initiated in 1990 by the civil forums and civil activists of Polish-Czechoslovakian Solidarity in order to promote the wide-ranging and multifaceted further consideration of Václav Havel's works on the Czech, Slovak and Polish stages. The festival, which quickly rose to international status, inspired not only the theaters of the Visegrad Four, but also famous companies from other countries to cross the boundaries of the theater culture rich in genres, and to organize thematic events, concerts, exhibitions, theater conferences and workshops. In the program of the 33rd BEZ GRANIC International Theater Festival, which will be held this year between September 27 and October 5, as part of the Franz Kafka commemoration year, mainly Polish, Czech, Slovak and Hungarian companies will perform. The Maladype ensemble is already well known on both sides of the Olza River, as Yvonne's performance was the guest of honor at the jubilee 30th International Theater Festival WITHOUT BORDERS in October 2021 at the Adam Mickiewicz Grand Theater in Cieszyn, after the overwhelmingly successful reception in Poland in 2020.

Actors:
Penelope: Gabriella Varga
Helen's: Nelli Orbán
Maids: Edina Bajkó

Creators:
Director: Zoltán Balázs
Dramaturg: Zsuzsanna Juraszek
Set designer: Zoltán Balázs
Stage designer: János Katona-Koós
Sculptor: György Katus
Costume designer: Anikó Németh
Composer/Music director: Adrián Kovács
Creative producer: Sylvia Huszár
Production manager: Katalin Balázs

Opening Night:
May 31, 2024, The Third Place
July 22, 2024, Gyula Castle Theater, Chamber Hall

Duration of the performance: 90 minutes

Co-production partners: The Third Place, Gyula Castle Theater All Arts Festival, "STOBI" Antik Drama International Festival (Veles, North Macedonia), "BEZ GRANIC" Medzinarodowy Festiwal Teatralny (Czieszyn, Poland)

Sponsors: KIM, MMA, KKM, Embassy of Hungary in Skopje, Liszt Institute Warsaw, Waclaw Felczak Foundation