The Diary of Anne Frank / The Sculptor

The thirteen-year-old Jewish girl Anne Frank, who was hiding with her family in Amsterdam from the German occupiers, began keeping a diary on June 1, 1942. Her plan was to write a book about the war based on her notes, providing an accurate picture of the years of German occupation in the Netherlands. The book was never completed, Anne Frank died in the hell of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp shortly before her sixteenth birthday. Her diary is a deeply moving and timeless read that resonates with anyone who wants to better understand what families in hiding endured during the Nazi era. The original work has undergone several adaptations, the audience of the Budapest Operetta Theatre can now experience Grigori Frid's one-person opera rendition.

In the second part of the evening, the audience can enjoy The Sculptor, a one-act dance piece, inspired by József Gáli's writing, composed by Dubrovay László, a contemporary composer and recipient of the Artist of the Nation Award, the Artist of Merit Award, Kossuth Prize and Ferenc Erkel Prize. The piece is directed and choreographed by Balázs Vincze, a Gyula Harangozó, Zoltán Imre, and László Seregi Award winning ballet dancer and choreographer. He was also awarded the Hungarian Golden Cross of Merit for his work as the artistic director of Ballet Pécs. Although classical elements are also present, this is a modern ballet, and we can truly consider it a contemporary performance. The main character of the story is the Sculptor, who cannot overcome his creative crisis – he seeks new styles and challenges, but he’s unable to move beyond his old self. However, he suddenly finds a muse who inspires him, and from then on, he is able to create again… Thus, the focus of the piece is on creation, crisis, destruction of the old, inspiration, rebirth, and of course, love: all of which are present in everyone's life without exception.