Squat Theatre

Squat Theatre (1977–1991) was a Hungarian experimental theatre company from Budapest, which left Hungary for Paris, France, and then New York City, where they built a reputation for experimental theatre.[1][2]

Squat Theatre
Company in Paris, 1976
Formation1977, Budapest-Paris-Rotterdam
Dissolved1991, New York City
TypeTheatre group
Purposeexperimental, provocative
Location
Membership
Peter (Breznyik) Berg, Marianne Kollar, Péter Halász, Anna Koós, Stephan Balint, Eva Buchmuller, Eric Daille, Agnes Santha, Klara Palotai, Eszter Balint, Boris Major, Rebecca Major, Judith Galus Halasz, Simon Daillie, and Cora Fisher
Artistic director(s)
Eva Buchmuller
Notable members
Stephan Balint, Peter (Breznyik) Berg, Péter Halász
Websitesquattheatre.com
Andy Warhol's Last Love
Conceived, staged and performed by Squat Theatre, 1978

Originally, the Company was known as Kassák Haz Studió and was located at Uzsoki-utca 57, Budapest). For political and aesthetic reasons the Company emigrated to Paris then to the United States where they arrived in New York City first living at the Hotel Chelsea and then at 256 West 23rd Street where they lived, worked and performed from 1977 to 1985. Several members left Squat Theatre in 1985 when they lost the lease to their space on 23rd Street including Anna Koós, Péter Halász, Eric Daille, and Agnes Santha.[3] The rest of the Company continued until 1991. Squat Theatre's last play was Full Moon Killer, 1991 and performed at The Kitchen in New York City.

The space on 23rd Street had a large window with a street entrance, and spectators sat in the back of the store facing the storefront window and the street beyond.[1][2] Events took place with the street as backdrop, with the intention of unsettling the events, the relationship among the members of the group, and the audience. This set-up was first used in Rotterdam at 129a Van Oldenbarneveltstraat in the show Pig, Child, Fire! which was commissioned by the Toneelraad Rotterdam.[4][5]

The six founding members of Squat Theatre (shown left to right in the 1976 Paris photograph) are Peter (Breznyik) Berg, Marianne Kollar (3rd), Péter Halász, Anna Koós, Stephan Balint and Eva Buchmuller.[6] Members of Squat Theatre were: Eric Daillie, Agnes Santha, Klara Palotai, Eszter Balint, Boris Major, Rebecca Major, Judith Galus Halasz, Simon Daillie, and Cora Fisher. Important contributing actors were Sheryl Sutton, Sandi Fiddler, Kathleen Kendall, Nico, Yossi Gutmann (viola), Shirley Clarke, Richard Leacock, August Darnell, Mark Boone Junior, Sue Williams, Jane Smith, Larry Solomon, Ivan Jakovits and Jan Gontarczyk. Boris and Rebecca Major are the daughters of János Major.

History

In 1969 Anna Koós, Péter Halász[7][8] and Stephan Balint[3][9] from the University Theatre of Budapest created an independent theatre group called Kassák Haz Studió.[1]

In 1972 they were censored by the Hungarian authorities for "political and esthetic radicalism",[10] and banned from performing in public.[1] In the next four years they wrote 36 performance events: plays, sketches and improvisations. These were shown in apartments, staircases, streets, beaches, and in the countryside.[11] "Manifesto" by István Bálint (Stephan Balint) on behalf of Studio Kassak was published in Schmuck, Hungary, March–April, 1973 issue.[12][13][3]

Various plays were performed in 1973 including Alice and Her Sisters with and by Eva Buchmüller, Marianne Kollár, Anna Koós and István Bálint.[14] Tribute to Miron Bialoszewski with Péter Halász, Péter Breznyik (Peter Berg) and Anna Koós, performed at the Polish Cultural Center in Budapest. Birds and Red Epaulets. featured live statues situated along the chapel perimeter: Éva Buchmüller sings a Jewish song sitting like the Virgin Mary holding a young man (Can Togay) on her lap, in the position of Michelangelo's Pieta.[15] A mother (Anna Koós) sings a partisan song to her baby (Galus Halász).

The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov was performed for the first time at Dohány utca 20, Budapest. They used as text the abridged version of the original play limited to the lines of the three sisters. The company left Hungary for the West.

While living in Paris in 1977, Tamas Szentjoby suggested the company change its name to Squat Theatre. The company created their first play for a Western audience: Pig, Child, Fire! It was set in a storefront in Rotterdam, a setting that became their trademark. After touring Nancy, France, Shiraz,[16] Baltimore, Paris, the company arrived with their goat at the Hotel Chelsea in New York City.[17][18]

Andy Warhol's Last Love opened on 23rd Street in 1978. The Company went on tour to Hamburg, Rome. Milan, Florence, Belgrade, Rotterdam and Brussels. It won a Grand Prix at the Belgrade International Theatre Festival (BITEF), and the Italian Critics’ Award for the Best Foreign Performance.[19][20][3]

Squat Theatre opened a Nightclub Club With Live Music in 1979 managed by Janos Gat and staffed by members of Squat Theatre featuring jazz, blues, rock and new wave.

In 1981 Mr Dead & Mrs Free premiered in Cologne, Germany. Commissioned by Ivan Nagel director of Theater der Welt and shown at Cologne’s “Theatres of the World” festival, Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free was filmed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder as part of his first and only documentary Theater in Trance.[21][22] It was also shown in New York City and Amsterdam. The show had a year-and-a-half performance run on 23rd Street. It was awarded an Obie Award (1982) for the Best New American Play. It received a The Villager (Manhattan) Award. An open-air version of the show, The Battle of Sirolo was performed in August in Polverigi, Italy.[23][24][25]

In 1981 Vincent Gallo ran a film night at Squat Theatre. In the monthly schedule he wrote funny insightful critiques of the films he curated. And before and between films he DJ'd rare records. Those who remember Gallo's film night say it was the best curated film series ever put on. A photo of Vincent Gallo and his iconoclast industrial noise band Bohack is featured on the back cover of the Bohack LP titled "It Took Several Wives"

In the summer of 1985 the theatre lost their eight-year lease of their home and performance space on 23rd Street.

Plays
Andy Warhol's Last Love by Squat Theatre, NYC, 1978
  • 1975–79 – Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov[26][27][28]
  • 1977 – Pig, Child, Fire!, a play in five parts.
  • 1978 – Andy Warhol's Last Love.[29][30][2]
  • 1981 – Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free, film and live show in a storefront, 1981.[2]
  • 1981 – The Battle of Sirolo. Open air version of Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free. Premiere at Polverigi Festival (Inteatro Festival, Polverigi.)
  • 1982 – The Golden Age of Squat Theatre. A retrospective of three Squat Theatre plays: Pig, Child, Fire!, Andy Warhol's Last Love, and Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free.
  • 1985–86 – Dreamland Burns. Written and directed by Stephan Balint. Sets and set design by Eva Buchmuller. Commissioned by Massachusetts Council for the Arts - New Works Grant. Performed at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.; Montreal, Munich, Zurich, Polverigi International Festival; Boston; Theatre der Welt, Frankfurt; The Kitchen, NYC; Los Angeles; Chicago; Milan Ottre Festival; Monserrato, Cagliari.[31]
  • 1985–86 – L-Train to Eldorado. Written and directed by Stephan Balint. Music by Peter Scherer and Arto Lindsay. Art and set design by Eva Buchmuller. Commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Art Bureau Munich, Next Wave Festival, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Cal Performances, Berkeley, California; Hunter Playhouse, NYC; Boston, Amherst, Massachusetts; Vienna Festival; Holland Festival, the Netherlands; Theatre der Welt, Hamburg; Zurich Theatre Spektakel.[32]
  • 1990–91 – Full Moon Killer. Written and directed by Stephan Balint. Art and set design by Eva Buchmuller. Performed at The Kitchen, NYC.

Films
  • 1975 – Minotaur in a Sand Mine 20 minutes, B&W, 16mm. Budapest, Biennale de Paris.
  • 1975 – Don Juan von Leporello. 60 minutes, B&W, 16mm Budapest, Düsseldorf.
  • 1977 – Pig, Child, Fire! 1981, 60 min, color, sound, 16mm[33]
  • 1978 – Andy Warhol's Last Love, An Imperial Message, 2nd part of play. 1978–81, 60 min, b&w and color, sound, 16mm. Directed by Stephan Balint and Péter Halász, Performance Camera: Larry Solomon. 'An Imperial Message' camera: Michel Auder. Michael Mooser, cinematography. Editor: Roughcut Studio. Music: Blondie (band), Kraftwerk. Appearance by Kathleen Kendel as the White Witch.[34]
  • 1981 – Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free. 43 minutes, color, 16mm. Part of the play Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free exhibited separately, Hamburg, Abaton Cinema, Berlin. Künstlerhaus; Yale University. Directed by Stephan Balint and Péter Halász. Péter Halász, cinematography.[35]
  • 1982 – A Matter of Facts by Eric Mitchell w/ Squat Theatre (Archival). 17 minutes, 45 seconds, color, 16mm. Starring Stephan Balint, Klara Palotai, Boris Major, Péter Halász, Peter Berg, Eric Daillie, Anna Koós, Eszter Balint, Vince Pomilio, Phillipe Pagasky and Arto Lindsay. Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free. courtesy of Squat Theatre.[36]
  • 1983 – Tscherwonez. Directed by Gabor Altorjay. With Stephan Balint,Peter (Breznyik) Berg, Péter Halász and Eva Buchmuller of Squat Theatre.[37][38]
  • 1985 – Let Me Love You, 36 minutes, B&W, 16mm. Part of the play Dreamland Burns exhibited at Montreal, International Festival of New Cinema & Video. (Festival du nouveau cinéma). With Shirley Clarke, Richard Leacock and August Darnell. Directed by Stephan Balint.

Videos
  • 1982 – Mr Dead & Mrs Free 10 minutes, color 3/4". Presented in Canada, Beaubourg, Paris. The Kitchen, NYC.
  • 1982 – Andy Warhol's Last Love 53 minutes, color 3/4". Promotional music video. Lary Solomon, videographer.
  • 1982 – Mr Dead & Mrs Free 60 minutes, color 3/4". Presented in Berlin, Yale University.
  • 1986 – L-Train to Eldorado 60 minutes, color 3/4".
  • 1989 – L-Train To Eldorado 90 minutes, color 3/4".
  • 1989 – Major Productions 60 minutes, color 3/4".
  • 1991 – Full Moon Killer 45 minutes, color 3/4".

Exhibits
  • 1982 – Mr Dead & Mrs Free's Cafe, MoMA PS1, Long Island City. Exhibition by Eva Buchmuller and Stephan Balint.
  • 1982 – The Moments Before The Tragedy, The Kitchen, New York City. Exhibition by Eva Buchmuller and Stephan Balint.
  • 1984 – Suspense, Hallwalls, Buffalo, New York. Exhibition by Eva Buchmuller and Stephan Balint.[39]
  • 1984 – A Painted Show, Postmasters Gallery, New York City. Exhibition by Eva Buchmuller and Stephan Balint.
  • 1996 – Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free: A History of Squat Theatre (1969 – 1991), Artists Space, New York City. Exhibition by Eva Buchmuller.[40]
  • 2004 – An Exhibition of Photography by Endre Kovacs, Kassák House Studio – Squat Theatre: Photos of the History of the Hungarian Underground Theatre. September 9 to October 10, 2004. Ludwig Museum Budapest. Curated by Dr. Vera Baksa-Soos.[41]
  • 2013–14 – Rituals of Rented Island, Whitney Museum, New York City. Exhibition by Eva Buchmuller with Osvaldo Valdes, Architect.[42][43]

Awards
  • 1978 – OBIE Award,' for outstanding achievement for Pig, Child, Fire[44]
  • 1979 – Grand Prix, Belgrade International Theatre Festival, Belgrade
  • 1979 – Best Foreign Theatre Performance of the Year', Italian Critics Award for Andy Warhol's Last Love
  • 1982 – Best American Play OBIE Award for Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free
  • 1983 – Special OBIE Award, Grand Prize
  • 1985 – Star of the Week by Hamburger Abendblatt for Dreamland Burns
  • 1986 – New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie Awards) for visuals of Dreamland Burns to Eva Buchmuller
  • 1988 – American Theatre Wing Award for Noteworthy/unusual effects for scenic design of Dreamland Burns to Eva Buchmuller[45]
  • 1986 – American Theatre Wing Award for art and stage design of L Train To El Dorado to Eva Buchmuller[45]
  • 1988 – OBIE Award for sustained excellence in set design to Squat Theatre's designer Eva Buchmuller.[46]
  • 1989 – New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship to writer director Stephan Balint and set designer Eva Buchmuller

References
  1. Koós, Anna (October 8, 2013). "Squat Theatre: Staging Life/Living on Stage". PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art. 35 (3). pp. 24–40. doi:10.1162/PAJJ_a_00158.
  2. BROMBERG, CRAIG (May 4, 1986). "Squat Theatre--hungarians Take A Stance On America". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  3. "Stephan Balint, Influential Hungarian Playwright, Actor, Director and Poet, Is Dead at 64". The New York Theatre Wire. Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  4. "SQUAT THEATRE's first storefront building Rotterdam". Archived from the original on 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2018-07-15.
  5. Drawing by Anne-Marie Duguet, Buchmuller, Koós. Squat Theatre. Artist Space, 1996, p.102.
  6. PLACE DES ABBESSES, PARIS, photo_Eva Buchmuller_Buchmuller, Koós. Squat Theatre. Artist Space, 1996, p.48-49.
  7. "Theatre boss to stage own funeral". BBC. Archived from the original on 2006-02-09. Retrieved March 17, 2006.
  8. Saxon, Wolfgang. "Where The Walls Still Talk". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved March 17, 2006.
  9. Cohen, Patricia. "Stephan Balint, 64, a Founder of the Squat Theater, Dies". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  10. Letter from Executive Committee to Peter Halasz, 14th District Municipal Council Record Office, Budapest, 24 January 1972, File No. 2203X, Squat Theatre Book, p.3.
  11. "LIST OF PLAYS made in Budapest, Hungary between 1969 - 1972". Archived from the original on 2018-07-21. Retrieved 2018-07-14.
  12. "Schmuck". Archived from the original on 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  13. István Bálint, "Manifesto", Written in the name of "studio-kassak", Budapest, April, 1972_Buchmuller, Koós. Squat Theatre. Artist Space, 1996, p.12.
  14. Buchmuller, Koós. Squat Theatre. Artist Space, 1996, p.16-17.
  15. Buchmuller, Koós. Squat Theatre. Artist Space, 1996, p.26.
  16. Mahljouli, Vali. "THE UTOPIAN STAGE:FESTIVAL OF ARTS, SHIRAZ-PERSEPOLIS (1967-77)" (PDF). Archaeology of the Final Decade. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  17. Cregan, David. "Introduces a New Troupe". Plays and Players. Archived from the original on 2018-07-21. Retrieved July 21, 2018.
  18. "Pig, Child, Fire!". Poster 11th Shiraz Art Festival. August 18, 1977. Archived from the original on 2018-07-29. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  19. Weisbrod, Carl. "TRACKING DOWN PORN IN THE BIG APPLE". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2018-08-09. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  20. Office of the Mayor, Downtown Enforcement Unit. Re. Squat Theatre, West 23rd. St. October 13, 1978_Buchmuller, Koós. Squat Theatre. Artist Space, 1996, p.148-149.
  21. "Theater in Trance". Film Society of Lincoln Center. 1981. Archived from the original on 2018-07-18. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  22. "Theater in Trance". Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  23. Theatre, Squat. "The Battle of Sirolo". Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  24. "SQUAT THEATRE". PERFORMA 13. November 24, 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-07-25. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  25. "The Quirky Invincibility of Mr. Dead and Mrs. Free". HYPERALLERGIC. November 13, 2013. Archived from the original on 2018-07-05. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  26. Stirritt, David (December 3, 1980). "Three sisters Play by Anton Chekhov. Produced and performed by Squat Theater". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 2018-07-17. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  27. Rich, Frank. "SQUAT'S 'THREE SISTERS'". Squat Theatre. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-07-17. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  28. Eva Buchmuller_Buchmuller, Koós. Squat Theatre. Artist Space, 1996, p.40-41.
  29. "Squat Theatre and Crisis". Conditions of Poetic Production and Reception. 2010. Archived from the original on 2017-01-06. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  30. Shank, Theodore (1978). "Squat Theatre". Performing Arts Journal. 3 (2). pp. 61–69. JSTOR 3245202.
  31. Gussow, Mel (1956). "STAGE: SQUAT THEATER'S 'DREAMLAND BURNS'". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
  32. Gussow, Mel (December 4, 1987). "The Stage: 'Eldorado,' At Festival". New York Times. p. 5. Archived from the original on 2018-08-05. Retrieved 2019-01-13.
  33. "Pig, Child, Fire!". Archived from the original on 2018-07-09. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  34. "Andy Warhol's Last Love". Archived from the original on 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  35. "Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free". Archived from the original on 2018-07-27. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  36. "A Matter of Facts 1982 w/ Squat Theatre". Retrieved 2018-07-13.
  37. "Tscherwonez". Archived from the original on 2018-08-08. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  38. "Tscherwonez". Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  39. deAK, Edit (October 8, 2013). "Installation / Exhibit" (PDF). Motives. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-07-17. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
  40. Buchmuller, Eva (March 30, 1996). "Mr. Dead & Mrs. Free: A History of Squat Theatre". Artists Space. Artists Space. Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  41. "PHOTOGRAPHS BY ENDRE KOVÁCS". Ludwig Museum. Ludwig Museum. September 9, 2004. Archived from the original on 2018-07-18. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  42. "Rituals of Rented Island:Object Theater, Loft Performance, and the New Psychodrama—Manhattan, 1970–1980". whitney.org/. whitney museum. April 30, 2005. Archived from the original on 2018-07-05. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  43. Buchmuller, Eva (April 30, 2005). "Rituals of Rented Island:Object Theater, Loft Performance, and the New Psychodrama—Manhattan, 1970–1980". evabuchmuller.net/. evabuchmuller.net. Archived from the original on 2018-07-14. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  44. "Squat Theatre Archives". www.library.ucdavis.edu. Archived from the original on 2018-08-13. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
  45. "Hewes Design Awards". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  46. "Squat Theatre Archives88 Obie Awards". Archived from the original on 2018-08-25. Retrieved August 24, 2018.

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