“Zoltán Balázs, the director of the company, is to be merited for this project: he sought out the book, he had it translated by Péter Konok, and his company, Maladype Theatre was the one to publish Kravchenko’s internationally successful piece. This endeavor of his has most likely opened the gates to new secrets for many. Over and above, he has done even more when he condensed the large volume into a one-evening monolog. With all my experience in the theater, I can assuredly say that to act with such passion and empathy, especially without a partner, is only possible if the actor truly becomes Kravchenko for the duration of the performance. When putting himself in his hero’s shoes, he manages to interpret his own historical and political experiences as well as his private adventures. The audience could sense this when they enter into an almost intimate, personal relationship with the dramatic hero who, by bursting the bars of dictatorship, managed to choose freedom. I hope that there will be a continuous flow of young people who will be ready and open to the intellectual challenge the world of theater can impose on them and who are willing to consistently learn from and about the past. We, for sure, need it...”

Anna Földes: Learning the Past (excerpt), Népszava, 2015.