Women Rule

From the preface by Ildikó Sirató: „Szigligeti excels from among 19th century Hungarian play writers for his talent, productivity and theater expertise. He is usually placed in the middle of the timeline that starts from old Hungarian plays and leads through the success of the best author of the Reform Era, Károly Kisfaludy to the internationally renowned authors of the 20th century, Ferenc Molnár, Jenő Heltai, Ferenc Herczeg and beyond. The long career of Szigligeti as dramaturge and play writer is really of great importance for his initiatives, the new paths he opened to popular plays and contemporary family comedy, and also for his traditional patriotic tragedies. (…) In this volume it is his voice that can be heard, he is the one to bring a present for his own birthday to remembering posterity.”

What makes this volume published for the second centenary of the birth of the successful actor and prolific play writer so special is that three out of the four plays published here have never been printed before, and the audience could enjoy them only on the stage. Now, apart from the salon comedy Women Rule published already twice (in 1879 and 1904), readers can also appreciate the historical tragedy Nadányi, the popular tale made known by the epic poem of János Arany The Gypsies of Nagyida, and the comedy Pentecost Queen, all from the manuscripts in the Theatre History Collection of National Széchényi Library.