Gryllus Samu & Brina Stinehelfer: Hostage Opera
An interactive,
improvised
hostage
as an opera
on love
freedom and dictatorship
in Hungary
An online documentary chamber opera meetig in English and German, with continuous German
subtitles.
A futuristic event about the past for the present.
In 1973 in Hungary rules the state socialism, where human life is the biggest value at all! If this ideais
true, how does a police chef, the Main Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party
and the suppressed citizens of a small community react to the hostage? To a hostage that is realized
by the two sons of the powerful party secretary, who perform the hostage with the guns stolen from
their father. And why does a 17- and a 19-year-old boy do something like that? Simply to leave the
country? Why? Why do they believe that this action will be successful in the isolated state socialism?
Would You be ready to sing the answers? Or would You maybe take over a role in the playback of the
hostage? Or are you willing only to listen and understand, and help in the processing of a traumatic
loss?

Performance: Tara Khozein, Josefa Beil, Rupert Bergmann, Dominik Förtsch
Black Page Orchestra:
Art director, electronics - Matthias Kranebitter
Saxophone - Yukiko Krenn
E-Guitar - Felix Pöchhacker
Violin - Rafael Zalech
Cello - Irene Frank
Contributors: Dr. Magdolna Moretti, Judit Kéri
Directed by: Brina Stinehelfer
Concept, musical director: Samu Gryllus
Video: Vince Varga
Dramaturgy: Beáta Gerendás
Consultant: Csenge Hatala
English Translation: Vera Budai
Programming: Djindji Ergimen
Image: Sára Pallag
Project Manager: Claire Granier Blaschke, Sára Pallag
The textbook of the Chamber Opera was made using the documentary novel of Csenge Hatala:
Hírzárlat, A balassagyarmati túszdráma (News Blackout, The hostage drama of Balassagyarmat)
(Athenaeum Publisher, 2015).

The performance is a co-production of MuPATh, Pro Progressione, WUK Performing Arts and Black
Page Orchestra.
The project is supported by National Cultural Fund of Hungary, Human Capacities Grant Management
Office, and Österreichisches Kulturforum Budapest.
Tickets are available in limited numbers!
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TECHNICAL INFORMATION FOR THE SPECIAL PERFORMANCE:
Our production "Hostage-opera" will be held live on the interactive platform SpatialChat. In order
that everything works smoothly you need a laptop or computer with updated Firefox or Chrome –
desirably in a quiet place. We would be delighted if you took part with your camera and microphone
and in order to get the full auditory enjoyment we recommend that you use headphones. This
production is an interactive chamber opera, i.e. there will be moments when the conductor and
composer Samu Gryllus invites the audience to help shape the evening. How exactly that happens
you will learn in the performance but the most important thing is: There is no right or wrong, and
you're not forced to sing or speak, if you don't want to.
The performance starts at 19:30, please do not enter the SpatialChat before 19:20.
One thing regarding SpatialChat: You will be able to move your avatar freely throughout the whole
performance. However, please make sure not to cover the transferred image for the other
participants.

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Thank you for supporting the project partner, MASZK Association in Szeged, by purchasing a
Sponsorship Ticket!