Anna Kubik: we should break away from the idea that the human is able to rule everything.

- You have joined the “Stay home” campaign, thus enlarging the audio library of the visually impaired people, by reading aloud, telling stories and reciting poems. You do not really leave time for despair or worries that were voiced out by many of your colleagues in connection with the pandemic.

I take this forced break as an extra unexpected relax. Due to the pandemic our theatre company has been sent home, and while travelling from Debrecen to Budapest I was thinking on the ways I could be of help. Some time earlier, I have already been invited by the Bodor Tibor Cultural Association to read aloud for the audio library of the blinds and the visually impaired. Then further invitations have been arrived. I’m constantly working, I’m not panicking on the future. Art and mankind are of the same age. Soul caresses and spiritual nourishments are always needed, so these are our nice challenges to handle. Goes without saying that the restart will be extremely difficult, we will have to overcome our initial distrust, so to have the people seated next to each other in the auditorium, though I’m not worried about the continuation that of.

- Do you miss the vivid theatre life of the capital?

No, not at all, I was a part of it for too long. At the beginning of my career, I would have loved to play in the province, but at the final year of the college I was given the chance to starring in a play at the Várszínház theatre, then further stage roles were followed one after another, all nice and important ones. Then my daughter was born, so I stayed in town. Since then, she has become an independent adult. In the meantime, my then theatre, the Pesti Magyar Színház had been completely changed, my greatest playmates had moved to play on the “world beyond” stage, or had signed on elsewhere…all these did not make me feel good either, thus I left the theatre world of Budapest. I signed on to Debrecen, later on, I was invited as guest artist to many places, thus I could have the chance to play in Szolnok, in Székesfehérvár, then in Győr and in Szeged.

- What is the difference between the theatre life in Budapest and in the provinces?

In the province, the event of going to theatre still has its particular festive atmosphere. The audiences prepare themselves inside and outside for the evening, they dress up nicely. In Budapest, I had the feeling quite often, that –apart from the honourable exceptions- many arrived to the performance only because they had already bought the tickets. Upon my province experiences, both in Debrecen and also in Győr, I have the feeling of being honoured, people are proud of us and consider the theatre as if it were their own. They approach us on the street, in the restaurants and in the shops. Province life has a different rhythm, it is far more relaxed. When I was working in Budapest my life was all about running and stress, whether I could be on time for the rehearsal, for the performance, or for the radio and dubbing recordings. In the capital city, with a bit of overstatement, I was living my life in the car. However, I’m well aware of the downside of acting in the province: one can become closed. We achieved great success at the Csokonai theatre, still it had little attracted the critics’ or the media’s attention. We have recently finished the online rehearsal of Dürrenmatt’s “The Elderly Woman’s Visit” play. Two weeks prior to its premier, we had to suspend the work, just in a delicate period, when we were about to start the costume rehearsals with stage scenery. Nowadays we are rereading it again and again, so that to keep in mind how far we have come with the preparations.

We have got a warning

- The message of Dürrenmatt’s play has not faded at all during the recent half century. Manifesting the omnipotence of money, its toxicity on a society level, all have been well crystallized in our life.

Greediness and jealousy rule over the souls. Wealth that would build the soul and improve the relationship with the others, none of them are high on the human’s ‘must to be stockpiled’ list. We possess and collect redundant things that cannot be taken with us when our life ends. Those, having lot of money want even more, while from few people’s enormous, treasured up wealth all the people living on this Globe could be well fed. I do believe, that now we have got a warning: Human! Stop and think! Where does this over adoration of the Mammon lead to? Why do you want to increase your wealth all the way up to the sky? A wealthy acquaintance of mine said once, that he could use one and a half room at a time, and he had not been on the upper floor of his house for 10 years! Our beautiful world is full of wonder, we just need to be a pure spectator, to be more modest while enjoying the happiness.

- Do you take this virus that paralyzes now the world as a warning sign?

As a believer I think, that we have started to lead a lawless life. We have to return to the divine and the natural laws. Now, we have got a lesson to learn, still this is not yet the worst warning: we have a roof over our heads, we have heating, lighting and devices through which we can keep contact with each other. Should we continue our lives alike, that way I do not know where we are going to end up. It’s high time to finally break away from the idea that human is able to rule everything. The nature cannot be enslaved, looking around the world, we can well note all the consequences of our actions and egoism.

God has a plan

- Are you confident that this world pandemic will shift the focuses of our lives?

I have no illusions that the mentality of people would change in no minute time. Yet, if nothing is going to happen, than we are going to face an even more serious warning, I believe so. The human is basically good, but likely has lost his life’s point of reference and greed destroys his soul.

- Despite the events experienced recently, the majority is going to live the way of promoting themselves into the centre of their life. This is likely an irreversible flow. There is a significant majority of those who has dethroned God by putting themselves in God’s place. Yet, there always remain a handful of man on board, thinking and working to maintain our world a liveable one. God loves us, He has plans with the life of every single person.

It was shocking to witness how people were storming into the shops, later on – despite the restrictions- flushing around the popular tourist spots. At the same time we can see several beautiful lessons of solidarity and help. A bridge has been built between generations, beforehand having been directed them face to face, many times not by accident. Elderly people do not like to be handled as vulnerable persons. Totally understandable! There is a brilliant warning in the book “Don’t be Afraid”, written by Anna Jókai: we have to learn accepting the help. This is all about trust, and yes, we do have absolutely unselfish people around us. I do experience how such gestures are going to be worth many times its cost. I also feel, that whenever I’m able to give assistance of any kind, later on it returns to my life as an increased treasure.

Blessing rain

- Nowadays, the Holy Week and the Easter Holiday have often been characterized as exceptional. Is your spiritual preparation itself exceptional as well?

I have already started to tune my soul. I read about nice topics. I just happened to take off from the bookcase Sándor Csóri’s “I looked back halfway” book, which is about the origin of the folk songs, comparing it with the art songs. I did enjoy a lot the writer’s discovering on the fact that our ancient folk songs, that having been pitied by many, were in the poetry far ahead of the era of symbolism, of surrealism and of many other “ism”. When the pandemic broke out, I reached for my mother’s prayer book, an old, discoloured, yellowed sheet piece with a beautiful book cover. The prayer that has been spread by our Cardinal is also very nice. During the recent years, on Good Friday we used to come together at the amazing Golgota of Budafok (Hungary), where we were going along the Stations of the Cross, and I was honoured to read out a script. This year it was cancelled. Nowadays we turn into the deep of our inside. This Easter is an exceptionally strange one, for which we will remember in our entire life. We are going to spend these days locked down, in silence, while outside the walls it’s all about spring, almost simultaneously the rebirth of nature with the resurrection of Christ.

- There were several touching and symbolic moments along the past few weeks. Just think of Pope Frances’ Urbi et Orbi blessing on the totally deserted St. Peter’s Square.

This was such a dramatic event and scene that might touch even those, who does not have the slightest openness towards God. I had multiple chances to tour around Italy with the Passion of Csíksomlyó performance. Once I was also standing at the St. Peter’s Square at Easter, on Good Friday. The square was crowded, not even a single handkerchief could have been dropped. The crowd celebrated Pope John Paul II. as if he were a pop star. This atmosphere was brought back also in one of the scenes of the “Steven, the King” performance, directed by Imre Kerényi. Given my previous memories, now it was so heart breaking to watch the empty square, as the evening, the darkness were slowly approaching, and there stood, all in white the Holy Father. Lonely, he could barely walk, and offered all his prayers for the world being in huge trouble. Meanwhile it was raining and raining with no stop. The rain has washed everything clean. A blessing rain, as a gesture for the washing of the feet.

Photo: Csokonai theatre