Poor Man Johnny and Princess Arnica

One of the premiers during the Spring of Female Directors is Poor Man Johnny and Princess Arnica, an adaptation from Lázár Ervin's tale directed by Szenteczki Zita, as her graduation work. As a puppetry student of the Academy of Theatre and Film arts, she demonstrates various puppetry techniques from the classic hand-puppets gigantic masks in this brand new premier. She's working with Kautzky Dallos Máté who studies dramaturgy at the same institution, and Widder Kristóf, a choreographer alumnus. This unusual, heartfelt performance is aimed at children, but it can move adults as well, inviting them both to daydream and to think. There's no shortage of quality elements. The music of Szirtes Edina Mókus with the lyrics by Závada Péter fit well into the fairy-tale language of Lázár Ervin, and the elaborately clever rhymes are not jarring, only humorous and poignant' comments the reviewer Turbuly Lilla. "As an adult viewer, I was shaken back into the childish state where it's still possible to believe that we could live in peaceful, understanding love like Johnny and Arnica do. And that's a miracle these days."