Ergo Sum Sign Theatre

Imagine you represent a voluntary theatre group in Budapest and you’re looking for an image to use on a poster, that encapsulates the long winter evenings in the Hungarian countryside of years gone by.

Where would you go to find the perfect image…?

Well, strange though it may seem, apparently you would come to me!

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how surprised I was when I received an email from Michelle of the Ergo Sum Deaf Theatre in Budapest asking if she could use one of my Hungarian embroidery images.  Although it’s true that I did this Hungarian folk embroidery piece; that I’m a big fan of Hungarian goulash and paprika; that I somehow know the Hungarian word for ‘Hungarian’ is ‘magyar’; and yes – that Budapest is definitely on my wishlist of places to visit, I have never actually been to Hungary and have no connection whatsoever with the country.

So not only was I taken aback that I’d managed to produce an image that somehow summed up Hungarian folk culture, but also that the image in question was this grubby photo of my unwashed and creased embroidery in progress.  I mean – people!  Photographs of the completed work – washed, ironed and carefully smoothed out on the bed – are available!!!

That was when Michelle explained about the long Hungarian winter evenings.   Too cold for anything else, this was a time for families to sit together around the fire and tell each other stories or poems while making beautiful yet useful objects to use around the home.  She told me that her theatre group’s forthcoming production starts with just such a scene.

And I realised of course that this could indeed be the perfect image.

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A little more information from Michelle about the event and about her organisation, the Ergo Sum Sign Theatre:

‘April is National Poetry Month or something to that effect here in Hungary.  So to celebrate Hungarian poets, all sorts of activities happen around poetry.  This is our second Signed Poetry Night and we’ll be in Hungarian costume.  Last year everyone did a different verse and we had guest performers as well.  I also did a poem, together with my colleague.  We did each verse ping-pong style American Sign Language and Hungarian Sign… it was well received.’

Below, you can see what she did with the photograph.  Michelle was able to see not only the ideal subject matter of the image and how she could crop it, but also that the unworked corner between the two flower borders would provide the perfect space for additional text.  I think the poster is fantastic, and I’m so pleased to have been able to help out.

In the unlikely yet apparently not impossible event that you are Hungarian, you will require no further information. (And by the way – Üdvözöljük!)  If you’re in or near Budapest, perhaps you’ll be inspired to attend the event.

For everyone else (including me) Michelle provided a translation, which you’ll find below.

The ERGO SUM Sign Theatre
cordially invites everyone to our
Day of Poetry
April 02, 2012 at 18:30
SINOSZ Theater Hall
on Benczúr Street 21
Humorous Poetry in SIGN LANGUAGE
literary evening.

Guest Artists:
Dr. Gregory Tapolczai,
Tamas Vincze
Peter Zalán Romanek
and ERGO SUM Cast

Handwork and photo by Janice Heppenstall

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All that remains is for me to wish Sok szerencsét! to everyone in the Ergo Sum Sign Theatre Group.

(I should add that ‘my’ Hungarian phrases here come courtesy of Google Translate which, although jolly useful at times, also introduces an element of peril to any publication relying on it, since you never really know what you’ve just said and sometimes the translations are hilarious!  I hope my good wishes have not been lost in translation!)