HowlRound Theatre Commons: From a four-mile-long human chain to a torchlight ceremony in the rain to the appearance of Blind Justice at the Halls of Justice—the playful, passionate demonstrations and symbols that arose from Hungary's Freeszfe movement inspired artists around the world. Todd London, a leading figure in nonprofit theatre in the United States, comes together with László Upor, former vice rector/acting rector of the University of Theatre and Film Arts (SZFE) in Budapest and a founding member of Freeszfe Society.
2 comments:
The first thing this article reminded me of was the campus protests that happen in the US in the 1960’s. The article does mention these protests but sort of demonizes them by calling them violent where this other protest is peaceful. I am not denying that violence occurred but it was often instigated by police and general tension in the community. I find it extremely frustrating that all people seem to be able to talk about right now and in terms of historical protests is that it should be nonviolent. To quote Kwame Ture “In order for nonviolence to work, your opponent must have a conscience”. It is all well and good to promote nonviolence but to me this article felt very preachy about how people should and shouldn’t protest, which simply doesn't work in every situation. This is especially relevant when they talk about government response and how the students were so innocent that a violent police response would look bad for the government. Unfortunately the majority Black students who were protesting in the 1960’s were not given that same innocence they were instead branded as superpredators so that is also an important difference that is glazed over in this article.
Reading “The Government Took Over Their University Here’s How These Students Fought Back” from HowlRound moved me deeply as a theatre student at CMU and someone who cares about both creative expression and justice. The story of students (and staff) at SZFE standing up not with anger, but with performative acts, solidarity, democracy, and symbolic resistance, shows how theatre isn’t just on the stage—it can *be* the stage for real social change. turns protest into art in a way that amplifies the message: autonomy, free thought, and integrity are not just ideas, they’re lived practices. What really resonates is their choice *not* to act as victims. Instead they built community, they made legal moves, they kept teaching, and they kept fighting—all in ways that affirmed dignity. I think that’s a reminder to us in theatre design & production: our tools—our set, our costumes, our public presence—aren’t neutral; they afford possibilities. Even in restrictive contexts, there are ways to reclaim voice, visibility, and agency. It makes me hopeful and also challenges me to consider: what is my role, and how can I use what I learn at CMU not just for artistry, but for resistance and justice.
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