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great expectations - Heart Voices Company, Parfórum, Sajátszínház, Hungarian Roma Association of Szomolya, Emma Associationgreat expectations
megeshetne másképp
The focal point of the theatrical performance is the story of a young woman named Ramóna, who has just given birth to her first daughter. The performance is based on the personal stories of healthcare workers, maternity activists, Roma and non-Roma women. In the play, the storytellers themselves take on the roles.
Ramóna's story is about...
... where is good place to be born, where is a good place for a baby.
... how many human relationships are formed around the birth of a child.
... how it is to be alone, even among many people.
... how women can support and sometimes hinder each other.
... how institutions often make life more difficult for people in difficult situations.
... that sometimes it all depends on a signature.
... how easily we can lose control over our own lives.
‘I'll never forget my last gynaecological examination, it still makes me sick to my stomach when I think about it. I was over thirty when I went for a routine check-up, cancer screening, that sort of thing. I was called in, the doctor told me to lie on the examination table. I undressed, lay down. The doctor asked me why I was here. I told him that I had come for a routine check-up and that I wanted to have a cervical cancer screening, because I was of age. The doctor then asked me how many children I had. I told him I didn't have any. His reaction: why not? Are you a whore?’
Creators
teaser
Background
The performance of the Heart Voices Company was created by Parfórum, Sajátszínház, the Hungarian Roma Association of Szomolya and the Emma Association, with the help of sociodrama directors Eszter Pados and Kata Horváth. The process of creation was preceded by a comprehensive research focusing on Roma women, mothers, health workers, and abuses of sexism and racism in the institutional systems around women and motherhood. What we see on stage is nothing other than the stories and experiences of different generations in the real world, while having the opportunity to create a scenario that is said to be ideal.
Focus scene
Reviews
‘The performers are not professional actors; they are all civilians. They are women from Szomolya and healthcare workers, maternity activists from Budapest, including a non-Roma woman experienced in home births, as well as the director's assistant and a theater critic. These participants, who likely would not have met in real life, exist here as a troupe, as a community, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.’
24.hu‘One of the most prominent themes of this performance is when the mother is underage and has no appointed guardian, the hospital does not allow the mother or anyone else to take the newborn home. Throughout the performance, we understand this scene by scene, without it being explicitly stated, which not only intensifies the tension but also presents the reality of the characters without any delicacy. Ultimately, it becomes clear how impactful this performance can be: does it remain sincere, does it fully depict the experiences of the participants.’
revizoronline.com‘This community enriches, unifies, sets an example, and pulls many out of hopeless fate! They are lanterns in the pitch darkness. The play is incredibly stirring; it takes us to the point where we laugh in shame at how much all of this is a part of our everyday lives.’
WMNMaterials to read
excerpts from the playphoto credits
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