Multiple dates & times:
June 12, 2025, 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM & 9:00 PM - 10:15 PM, in English
June 13, 2025, 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM, in Hungarian
Time: 1 hour
Psyche, a Romani countess and poet, wanders across Europe during the Napoleonic era in a chauvinistic society that challenges her independence. The first English translation of a one-woman show performed by Stella Abel and adapted from the Hungarian book Psyche: Writings of an Erstwhile Poetess by Sándor Weöres.
From the poems by Sándor Weöres
Translated by David Cseh
Directed by Mark Tarnoki
Performed by Stella Abel
Produced by Steve Green and Andrew Nance
From The Broadcast Studios
Photos by Cam Harle
ABOUT:
Performer - Stella Abel
Stella Abel created Psyche in Hungarian during her studies as an actor in Budapest at the University of Theatre and Film Arts (SZFE), in the class of Laszlo Marton and Geza D.Hegedus, graduating in 2020. After moving to the UK, she studied briefly at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and later created the English version of Psyche. After performing Psyche in London, it had a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024. In addition to performing Psyche with The Broadcast Studios, she is also directing their production of On The Road by Jack Kerouac.
Director - Mark Tarnoki
Mark Tarnoki graduated as a theatre director at the University of Theatre and Film Arts (SZFE), in Budapest. Currently he is working as a theatre director at the National Theatre in Szeged, Hungary. “I am interested in the social aspects of theatre and in the intensive, experimental work with actors. I look at theatre as a community genre. I believe theatre is an opportunity to learn about the world, to explore human nature, to create community.”
Producer - Steve Green
Steve Green is a digital arts and theatre producer, practitioner of improvised theatre, musician, and a graduate of LIPA (1998). He is a director of a community interest company dedicated to supporting language and communication education for communities fleeing crises and other vulnerable groups. Steve is developing The Broadcast Studios, a platform for international collaborations in the arts, theatre, and digital media. Since 2020, he has served as the producer for Psyche, supporting Stella Abel in bringing this powerful piece to English-speaking audiences in London (2023) and Edinburgh (2024).
Producer - Andrew Nance
Andrew Nance is an actor with an interest in every aspect of the creative production process. Having met Steve Green through improvisation, he subsequently collaborated with Steve on various projects, before the opportunity to produce Psyche materialised. With Psyche, he found his first producing role. In addition to producing Psyche with The Broadcast Studios, he is also performing in their production of On The Road by Jack Kerouac.
Translator - David Cseh
Dávid Cseh (1987) is a freelance dramaturg, translator and theatre researcher based in Budapest, Hungary. He regularly works with independent theatre companies, and has helped stage plays by British playwrights like Joe Orton, Tom Stoppard and Caryl Churchill. He also specializes in Hungarian to English translation. This is his first time working with a text by Sándor Weöres, and this is the first English translation of PSYCHE.
ABOUT THE 2025 REHEARSAL FOR TRUTH INTERNATIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL
Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival, honoring Václav Havel, is a showcase of contemporary European theater organized each year in New York City. Conceived in 2017 as a shared endeavor of the Václav Havel Center (VHC) and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA), the festival honors the legacy of Czech playwright, dissident and political thinker Vaclav Havel.
Each edition of Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival addresses current sociopolitical trends in Central and Eastern Europe, offering New York audiences a unique opportunity to witness the region’s theatrical zeitgeist.
The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.