“I would prescribe this performance as a remedy. It held up a mirror, made me think, shocked me, and drew my attention to realities I may have overlooked until now. It made me realise how important communication, understanding others, and forgiveness are. I also realised that from now on, I need to look at young people differently, because I had never truly considered the difficulties they have to face.” Last week, our documentary theatre production As the Water Reflects the Face went on an extensive tour, during which we also celebrated a remarkable milestone: our 650th performance in front of an audience! One of the most rewarding aspects of the tour was meeting the audiences. It was wonderful to experience their attentiveness and curiosity, and to see the many different ways in which they connected with the performance. During the post-performance discussions, personal stories, questions, and reflections emerged around particular symbols, props, themes, and scenes. These encounters gave rise to genuine dialogue: we could think together, ask questions, and sometimes discover entirely new perspectives. We are deeply grateful for every invitation, for the organisers’ dedication, and for the feedback and encouragement we received from audiences. Once again, we experienced how theatre does not end with the final scene. Often, something truly meaningful begins precisely when audiences and artists start searching for answers together. We were part of genuine encounters! The production was first presented to an audience on 21 May 2011. Since then, the company has brought it to 210 towns and cities across 25 countries on three continents. The performance has represented Eastern Europe at 12 international festivals, received numerous awards, and reached approximately 40,000 spectators to date. Oszkár Mucha, the production’s permanent cast member, has performed in every single performance. Over the years, 61 other young people have also taken part in the production, including three artists from Thailand. Each of them has contributed something unique to this shared story, which has continued to evolve for more than a decade and a half, serving as a starting point for meaningful dialogue and encounters. We would like to thank everyone who has been part of this journey, whether for a longer or shorter period, as well as everyone who has helped bring the performance to so many people—as an audience member, organiser, or partner. 650 performances – countless encounters, questions, and reflections. The journey continues.

“The performance felt personal, and I was able to connect with many of its moments. This helped me understand József Attila’s texts much better.” Over the past few days, Oszkár Mucha presented our theatrical experiment “I Am Not, Only Others See Me”, based on the writings of József Attila, to secondary school students in Újbuda as an unconventional literature lesson. Following the classroom performance, the discussion provided an opportunity to share more personal thoughts and explore the contemporary relevance of József Attila’s poetry. During the audience discussion, we talked about the pressure to conform, homelessness and the feeling of having no home, trauma, loneliness, isolation, exclusion, and the difficulties that prevent people from fulfilling their potential. It was meaningful to discover that, through the texts, we were ultimately talking about ourselves. The event was made possible with the support of the Municipality of Budapest, District XI – Újbuda. Thank you!

“It was only after the performance that I realized I had lived 70 years of my life blind in certain ways… Now I feel like you opened my eyes a little. I would prescribe this performance as medicine. And last but not least, we witnessed truly outstanding acting and stage presence.” Last week, our documentary performance “As the Water Reflects the Face” took part in a tour across Hungary. Supported by the Tiszta Formák Foundation, the tour became a true celebration of theatre and human encounter. It was a joy to experience the audience’s attention, curiosity, and emotional resonance with the performance. We received many heartfelt responses highlighting how relevant and necessary the production feels today, emphasizing the importance of showing these stories to people as a genuine social mission. During the post-performance discussions, it was inspiring to see how many audience members wished to reflect on symbols, props, scenes, and themes presented in the play. These conversations became real dialogues and moments of shared reflection. We are grateful for the invitations, the organization, and the personal stories and thoughts shared after the performances. “During the performance, I couldn’t decide whether I was a child or an adult, because I could relate equally to both. Every movement carried meaning. It required intense attention. You showed difficult stories, and emotionally it was hard to live through them. But this performance should be shown again tomorrow. And the day after. And a year from now too.”

“This performance had a strong impact on me. It felt very personal, and the way the actor delivered the texts—the naturalness and emotional depth—restored the respect that Attila József truly deserves.” Last week, on the occasion of the Day of Hungarian Poetry, and as part of our Attila120 project, our actor Oszkár Mucha presented our performance “I Am Not, Only Others See Me”, based on texts by Attila József, to different audiences. In Zalaegerszeg, it was performed as an unconventional literature class for students, while in Cegléd, it was presented as an evening performance for senior audiences. Each performance became a true celebration—a genuine encounter. We celebrated poetry, theatre, and through Attila József’s words, we were invited to reflect on ourselves. The discussions following the performances also highlighted the continuing relevance of the texts. We thank our hosts for the invitation, the attentive presence, the many positive feedbacks, and the personal reflections shared during the post-performance conversations.

“There should be many more projects like this, so that more people can experience the motivating, shaping and sustaining power of community. I have participated in many Erasmus projects, but never one that was this useful, this well-structured and filled with such meaningful programs. I am grateful for all the experiences and insights I received.” We have organized another Erasmus+ Youth Worker project. In recent days, we gathered participants from Hungary, Vojvodina and Transylvania in Szentegyháza (Romania). Our project, titled “Regional Cooperation for the Professional Support of Youth Workers”, aimed to provide diverse, personally enriching and professionally valuable non-formal training opportunities for youth professionals and educators. Beyond sharing innovative educational methods, the program also created space for professional networking and personal renewal. Supported by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme, the project focused on self-awareness, healthy lifestyle, physical presence, concentration, and mental-physical balance. We combined theatre education methodologies with wellbeing-oriented practices. Through the complex program elements, participants gained tools and techniques to strengthen their inner motivation, approach their work and lifestyle more consciously, and face professional and personal challenges with greater confidence. Workshops included personal development trainings, team-building activities, drama pedagogy games, sports and lifestyle sessions, body composition measurement and body awareness workshops. This initiative is part of a long-term regional strategy aimed at addressing the challenges youth workers face by offering opportunities for professional growth, networking and regeneration. We thank our partners – Sepsi Adrenalin Sport Association, Svung Creative Association (Budapest) and Change Center Lifestyle Center (Sfântu Gheorghe) – for enriching the project with their expertise. We are grateful to the participants for forming a truly inspiring and dedicated team.

"This performance made me rethink József Attila's texts. It was very deep and personal. I was completely drawn in." Supported by the Municipality of Budapest's 9th District (Ferencváros), and as part of the József Attila Memorial Year, Mucha Oszkár performed our classroom production "I Am Not, Only Others See Me" five times last week for graduating students. As part of our Attila120 project, the post-performance discussions offered a meaningful opportunity to explore the contemporary relevance of József Attila’s poetry. The freshness of the poet’s texts allowed us to speak openly about our own emotions and worldviews. We talked about homelessness, searching for meaning, trauma, loneliness, exclusion, parental absence, and the urgent emotions woven into the texts. Thank you for the encounter, for the honest reflections, and for allowing us to connect through poetry and theatre.

“It was a thought-provoking performance. I discovered so many things that are still relevant today. The thought that stayed with me the most was that we wear masks, presenting ourselves as someone else so that we can be accepted and loved. And social media only reinforces this.” With the support of the Municipality of Budapest, District VI – Terézváros, and as part of the József Attila Memorial Year, Oszkár Mucha presented our theatrical experiment “I Am Not, Only Others See Me”, based on the texts of József Attila, twice in recent days for secondary school students as an unconventional literature lesson. The discussions following the performances provided an opportunity to share thoughts with one another and explore the contemporary relevance of József Attila’s poetry. During the audience discussions, we talked about the pressure to conform, homelessness and the feeling of having no home, trauma, loneliness, isolation, exclusion, and the difficulties that can make people feel powerless. It was meaningful to discover that, through these texts, we were ultimately talking about ourselves. We are grateful for the attentive presence, openness and personal thoughts shared during the discussions. Thank you!

The past few months have been anything but quiet at Osonó. As an independent, self-sustaining theatre company, we organized 88 cultural, educational, and social events, meeting nearly 2,500 people through performances, discussions, workshops, and training programs. We performed 40 shows, and after each one, we stayed to talk with the audience. For us, these conversations are just as important as the performances themselves. This is where thoughts, questions, and personal stories emerge—the very reasons why it is worth setting out on the road again and again. Our production “I Am Not, Only Others See Me”, based on the writings of József Attila, was presented in classrooms, as unconventional literature lessons, and in studio theatre settings. Meanwhile, our documentary performance “As the Water Reflects the Face” toured across Hungary. Alongside these performances, we organized six workshops and two Erasmus+ projects for adults. These programs are especially important to us because they are not only about learning, but also about connection, shared experiences, and discovering how much we can learn from one another. The future is already taking shape. Thanks to the success of our Erasmus+ projects, our youth work and adult education programs will continue in the coming period. We would like to thank everyone who joined us as audience members, participants, partners, or supporters. For us, this journey is not merely about numbers—it is about faces, stories, shared moments, and the belief that theatre often begins to make its deepest impact after the applause has faded.

“This performance felt very personal. I gained a deeper understanding of Attila József’s life and the background of his texts.” Supported by the Municipality of Budapest’s 6th District (Terézváros), and as part of the József Attila Memorial Year, our actor Oszkár Mucha recently presented our theatrical experiment “I Am Not, Only Others See Me”, based on texts by Attila József, twice as an unconventional literature class for high school students. As part of our Attila120 project, the discussions following the performances created space for sharing thoughts and exploring the contemporary relevance of József Attila’s poetry. The audience conversations touched on themes such as conformity, homelessness, trauma, loneliness, isolation, exclusion, and marginalization. It was powerful to realize that through these texts, we were actually speaking about ourselves. We are grateful for the attentive presence and the personal reflections shared. Thank you!

“This performance made us rethink the texts of Attila József. It was deeply moving and personal. It completely drew me in.” Last week, as part of our Attila120 project, our actor Oszkár Mucha presented our classroom performance “I Am Not, Only Others See Me”, based on texts by Attila József, four times in Sopron for 11th and 12th grade students. It was inspiring to see how our theatrical experiment resonated with young audiences. Through this unconventional literature class, students gained deeper insight into the background of the poet’s works and discovered their striking relevance today. Topics such as fear of the future, loneliness, the pressure to conform, marginalization, the complexity of parent–child relationships, processing grief, and various personal traumas emerged—issues that continue to shape our lives. We are grateful for the invitation, the attentive presence, the meaningful discussions following the performance, and the personal reflections shared by the students.

1993. február 3-án indult az Osonó – és azóta elképesztő utat jártunk be együtt. A társulat története során 187-en voltunk tagjai, és 23 előadás született meg, köztük 6 nemzetközi koprodukció thaiföldi, marokkói, budapesti, olaszországi és sepsiszentgyörgyi színházakkal. Az önfenntartó színházműhelyünk számunkra sosem csak az előadásokról szólt: az elmúlt évtizedekben több mint ezer oktatási és szociális projektet valósítottunk meg fiatalokkal és felnőttekkel. 33 év alatt 1 712 előadást játszottunk el, független színházként 3 kontinens 28 országának 340 településén. A munkánkat eddig 55 hazai és nemzetközi díjjal ismerték el – amiért végtelenül hálásak vagyunk. Idén az Osonó egyik legfontosabb célja az Attila120. projekt kapcsán az, hogy továbbgondoljuk azokat az eszközöket, amelyekkel a színházunk még több emberhez juthat el. A közel három éve bemutatott Nem vagyok, csak mások látnak című előadásunkat számos iskolában rendhagyó irodalomóraként, valamint alternatív terekben visszük tovább, hogy minél több fiatalhoz és közösséghez elérjen. Az Osonó számunkra mindig is egy független, alternatív színházi közösség volt, amely nemcsak előadásokat hoz létre, hanem párbeszédre hív. Hiszünk abban, hogy a színház inspirálni tud – abban, hogy felelős, kreatív emberként keressük és találjuk meg a helyünket a világban. Köszönjük mindenkinek, aki az elmúlt 33 évben velünk volt, velünk gondolkodott, velünk játszott. Folytatjuk. ❤️

In 2025, our independent and self-sustaining theatre company created 124 cultural, educational, and social events across 9 countries, reaching nearly 3,500 participants. We held 55 performances and 55 interactive audience discussions, along with 11 workshops and 3 Erasmus+ projects aimed at adult education. Two-thirds of our activities took place in Hungary, the rest in Romania and various international locations. Our production "I Am Not, Only Others See Me", based on texts by József Attila, premiered in 2022 and has now reached its 200th performance. In 2025, it was featured on a European tour, and performed in schools, classrooms, and black box theatres in 11 countries and 57 cities – and will continue its journey in 2026. Our documentary performance "As the Water Reflects the Face", presented for the first time 14 years ago, is approaching its 650th performance. This year, it was performed in Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia, with continued demand from schools and communities. We also organized multiple Erasmus+ projects, including "Health for a Better Future", focusing on personality development, wellbeing, and non-formal education for teachers and youth workers, through theatre, sport, and self-awareness. In 2026, we’ll start the year with a series of performances in Budapest, as part of our Attila120 project. With multiple grants and invitations already secured, we look forward to a new year of projects in Hungary and across Europe, continuing to build on our three pillars: theatre, education, and social involvement.