Applied theatre performance
In English
Trigger warning: nudity, depictions of violence, explicit sexual content, 18+

MEN is a community theatre performance by an ad hoc collective of emerging artists with diverse theatrical training (actors, directors, theatre-makers and performers), promising audiences a “secondary male experience” within a house party setting. The performance was created deliberately abandoning usual production mechanisms, with a working method that eliminates the hierarchy between director and actor. The scenes developed in the course of the six-month research, material gathering and training process do not coalesce into a conceptually or narratively coherent, self-contained story – on the contrary: even their order is random. The result is a coming-of-age story that changes from show to show, taking us from childish slap fights through awkward dating stories and representations of male roles to an exploration of complex father-son relationships. Two pleasant hours amidst a liberated community of young men – in other words, boys among themselves, experimenting with the codes of masculinity.
MEN was an end-of-term theatrical production by Zsófia Döbrönte and István Gyáfrás at the Theatre-Making programme of the Freeszfe Society, established following the forced restructuring of the University of Theatre and Film Arts. (Beatrix Kricsfalusi, curator)

Hi everyone! Want anything? Are you sure? Alright. Do you know why we invited you here?
So, here's the thing. We've spent about six months exploring masculinity, what makes a man a man, or what makes each of us feel masculine. We've gathered all of that together and we'd like to share it with you tonight. We call it a male experience, or, more precisely, we'd like to offer you a second-hand male experience. Please feel free to eat and drink throughout the evening. And most importantly: you can go to the bathroom whenever you like!
MEN takes the form of a house party: there's plenty of dancing, fun, tears in all their possible forms, celebration, chatting, good vibes, sweaty T-shirts, boys' activities, smells, and adventure. And of course, there's a feast – but to make sure the table isn't empty, we'd love you to bring along something your heart (and your stomach) desires to share.
At the heart of the performance is the theme of masculinity, explored through the personal stories and experiences of its five performers. Rather than offering clear-cut answers, MEN embraces the contradictions and complexities of the subject while actively involving the audience in the experience. It creates a space where vulnerability and playfulness coexist, addressing sensitive questions with openness, humour, and directness – without judgement or self-pity.
Each performance of MEN unfolds differently. While its overall structure remains fixed, there is no written script. The rhythm and dynamics of the evening are shaped by the performers' energy in the moment and the situations that emerge between them throughout the performance.

Credits

Creators-Performers: István BARI, István GYÁFRÁS, Péter MENDEL, Kristóf NÉMETH B., Gergő ÓDOR
Concept and Artistic Lead: Zsófi DÖBRÖNTE, István GYÁFRÁS, Maja JUHÁSZ
Production Team: Adél DECHERT, Csilla HORVÁTH

Special Thanks: Dorottya CZANIK, Ádám CZIRÁK, Csenge DEÁK, Péter KÁRPÁTI, Luca KOVÁCS, Vilmos LEHEL, Róbert RADVÁNYI, Blanka SZEKERES, Tímea UDVARI-KARDOS

Reviews

"It's exciting to dance on that boundary. There is a reason we spent six months together before the premiere. We had to get to know each other's limits – limits that we push just a little further in every performance. In my experience, truly good theatre isn't always comfortable for the actors. Of course, you have to be careful, and having an outside eye is essential. You need to create the conditions in which everyone understands that this is part of the performance, not a personal attack... This production has changed me enormously. I used to have very strange ideas about what it meant to be masculine, and in many ways those ideas were dead ends. For example, I believed that men have it harder than women."
– Németh B. Kristóf, quoted in Karácsony Nikolett, "We're Actually Just Little Boys" (interview), 2025.

"They say they're talking about masculinity, but what they actually present is the sex-centred reality of adolescent boys. And that's precisely the point – the twist that, without ever becoming didactic, quietly exposes the childish primitiveness underlying masculinity with a capital M.
Before falling asleep, in the dark, they play their own version of kiss-marry-kill, and by then they no longer have any desire to appear tough, cool, or smelling of deodorant. It's as if growing up means admitting that supposedly 'grown-up' ideas – such as masculinity itself – are, in fact, illusions."
– Szabó Réka Dorottya, What Is a Second-Hand Male Experience?, Thealter Blog, 2026.

Bio

The seven-member creative team began working together on the applied theatre performance MEN in 2024. The premiere took place in May 2025 at Jurányi, following a six-month period of research and rehearsals.

István BARI graduated from the Physical Choreographer programme at the University of Theatre and Film Arts in 2025. He was then a company member of Vörösmarty Theatre in Székesfehérvár and, from 2026, joined the company of Gárdonyi Géza Theatre in Eger. As an actor, he has worked with several theatres and companies, including Örkény Theatre and Forte Company. He has also worked as a choreographer.

Zsófi DÖBRÖNTE is currently a fourth-year Theatre Directing student at the University of Theatre and Film Arts. She graduated from the Freeszfe theatre-making programme in 2025 and previously studied theatre directing at the University of Arts in Târgu Mureș. She has directed classical and contemporary plays, as well as improvisation-based theatre and opera productions.

István GYÁFRÁS graduated from the Freeszfe theatre-making programme in 2025 and is currently studying filmmaking at Eötvös Loránd University. His notable productions include Salem (2025, Jurányi) and Csapda (2026, MU Theatre).

Maja JUHÁSZ graduated from the Freeszfe theatre-making programme in 2023 and is currently studying film directing at Eötvös Loránd University. Her notable productions include Celestial Bodies (2022, Jurányi), Ventillátor (2023, Auróra), EGY KULCS… (2024, Trafó), and the mostakkor. series (2024–25, Trafó).

Contact

Csilla HORVÁTH
horvath.csilla.323@gmail.com