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MILITARIZING OPERETTA, OR THEATRE CRITICISM AS WAR PROPAGANDA “flatteringly soft, warm voice”,”'? but her acting remained puppet-like, lifeless and mannered. Marika Németh was able to “immerse herself in her role”,?'? and she was “more natural and sincere” than Birkas.”!° However, according to the chief director of the Operetta Theatre, her performance was not free from “all the frills of the past”, and she remained the same “sweet, naive type of woman” in different dramatic situations.*”” As far as members of the second couple were concerned, Zsuzsa Petress received a more positive assessment, but her acting was described with only a few adjectives (“authentic, fresh and temperamental in her role as a waitress awakened to class consciousness””"?), and sometimes criticized as “being not yet free from the old, exhibitionist soubrette style”.”'” On the other hand, Róbert Rátonyi received the most severe criticism of his career so far for the use of “buffo stereotypes”””° and “familiar garbage”*”’, for “hunting for cheap success”,’” but the reason for the problems of his acting was said to be the insurmountable “internal contradictions” of Miki’s character.”*? Only Géza Partos appreciated Ratonyi’s acting as a “decisive turn in his artistic career”, noting that the partly successful attempt for stripping his mannerism had to be recognized." In addition, Lajos Manyay’s portrayal of George Stan and Jézsef Antalffy’s One-Eyed were praised, since the actors did not underestimate the enemy and did not show them too stupid and harmless.” Vera Sennyey was also highlighted for providing a lot in the “short role of 213 Tóth: Szabad szél, 7. 24 Cf. L. J.: Szabad szél, 6. — Cf. also "Concerning realist acting, the Operetta Iheatre had improved far more than the Opera House. These two singers [i.e. Lilian Birkas and Andor Lendvai] were extremely operatic in the Operetta Theatre. [...] I wouldn’t have worked with opera singers since Marika Németh proved to solve the task better than Lilian Birkas with her immense musical knowledge and ability. And in spite of Lendvai’s amazing singing skills, that young actor [Tibor Nadas] played the role [of Caesar Gall] better on Wednesday. Lendvai’s singing could not be understood, I didn’t grasp the lyrics. He forced his voice, he tried to get results with excessive accents, but remained ineffective.” Székely, Szévetségi vita, 5. Szenthegyi: A Szabad szél zenéje, 5. Jemnitz: Szabad szél, 4. 217 Apathy, Szövetségi vita, 15—16. 218 Jemnitz: Szabad szél, 4. 29 L.J.: Szabad szél, 6. 220 Apáthy, Szövetségi vita, 15—16. Jemnitz: Szabad szél, 4. L. J.: Szabad szél, 6. Cf. Gáspár: Szabad szél, 364. — Cf. also "Rátonyi has to play three types of figures, which is extremely difficult. The first is a clumsy, gawky fop, the second is a man on the right track, and the third is a fighting character, who confronts the enemy, if necessary. These three figures must be united by the actor even if the role is just thrown at the audience in the first act by the author.” Alfonso, Szövetségi vita, 10. Pärtos, Szövetsegi vita, 18-19. 225 Cf. Gäspär: Szabad szel, 364. 21: a 216 19 > 22 19 223
