Residency of Itt es Most Tarsulat, hosted by RUSZT Festival in partnership with Espontâneo & Irish Improv Festival
@Mate Gergely Olah & Dean Ben Arye
IMPROVE IMPROV is a cross-border festival-based artistic project that not only offered opportunities for actors and professional creators to gain experience and collaborate but also benefited communities organised around the troupes, including local civilians, through public performances and workshops.
The idea originated from the Hungarian theatre and applied improvisation troupe Itt és Most Társulat's wish to participate in the international exchange of improv knowledge. Improvisational theatre (in Hungary still considered a young genre) emerged as an independent performing art form in the 1990s and evolved into an international movement in the mid-20th century. Viola Spolin, Keith Johnstone and Del Close, pioneers of modern improvisation, have influenced generations of improvisational actors, trainers and teachers, leading to the establishment of a common set of principles and thinking directions within the international improvisational theatre profession. The EFFEA Partner Festivals, as organisers of their respective (improvisational) theatre festivals, committed to hosting productions and workshops and were also eager to perform as guests at one of the partner festivals.
The EFFEA Leading Festival RUSZT Festival, in Budapest, served as the starting point and meeting place for the festival partners. Representatives from all three nations had the opportunity to perform together. Additionally, the audience could attend workshops and watch performances by the Portuguese Instantâneos and the Irish formation The Conceit. Following this, the EFFEA Artist Itt és Most Társulatfirst travelled to Dublin (November 2023), and then to Sintra (February 2024), where, following the already established good practice, they contributed to the professional programme with both performances and training sessions. The principles of improv: openness, non-judgmental attention, collaborative construction permeated the entire process. Let's see the milestones!
RUSZT
The RUSZT takes place in a unique part of Budapest, on Ráday Street, organised by five local theatres (among these, only Itt és Most Társulat focuses on improvisation). The unique feature of the area is this special neighbourhood, which these artistic groups strive to utilise: cooperation and revitalisation of local cultural life are their common mission. The Irish and Portuguese guests arrived into this inherently diverse community, consisting of local artists and civilians, who, during the three days of the festival, participated not only in the planned improv professional programme but also in random improv jams, concerts and city tours. The Conceit: Snapshot performance was a monoscene, set in a single location, unfolding in real time. The Instantâneos: Amor performance approached the style of commedia dell'arte, seeking to answer the eternal question of what love is, inspired by thoughts written by the audience. The production also included singing and music. Of course, the joint play of the troupes did not go amiss; in fact, the improv jam-style show was such a success that, in addition to the planned programme, Itt és Most organised an extra Sunday evening jam, in which the local audience also participated.
@Mate Gergely Olah & Dean Ben Arye
Improv Fest Ireland
The second stop of the project was at Improv Fest Ireland, where Itt és Most Társulat presented their show "Live/Love Story," conducted a workshop and participated in local improv jams. In Dublin, we had the opportunity to see performances by Irish, American, Belgian, Greek, and Italian improvisational theatre troupes, as well as mixed teams formed for this occasion—a tremendous experience to explore various artistic and aesthetic approaches. Each improvisational theatre troupe has its own unique perspective on improvisation and techniques for teaching and performing, especially evident when considering improv communities in different countries with diverse cultural backgrounds. This journey marked the first international festival for Itt és Most Társulat—a milestone in the troupe's history.
Espontâneo
At the third festival, Espontâneo in Sintra, Itt és Most also presented the "Live/Love Story" format, this time adapted to a larger stage. During the second weekend of the Portuguese festival, alongside the performance and workshop hosting, the Hungarian troupe also participated in the co-production performance "Death Machine." The inspiring performances of international collaborators (Portuguese, Brazilian, Spanish, British, French, Egyptian) filled audiences of 200-300, featuring shows based on musical improvisation and even three-person performances involving the audience. The atmosphere of the venue and the spirit of the city made the experience even more captivating.
Thanks to the support of EFFEA, Itt és Most could take one essential step forward in its development: we could make our international debut and start building a network that grants us the opportunity for further international cooperation.
@Mate Gergely Olah & Dean Ben Arye