Bognár

 Alexandra  
 
Project  and  Event  Management  

2011.04.11.  
Bognár Alexandra Project and Event Management

HOW  THE  GRADUATE  WAS  PUT  ON  STAGE  

Does   the   world-­‐famous   "Mrs.   Robinson,   you're   trying   to   seduce   me!"   sentence   rings  
the   bell?   It   is   a   quote   from   the   same   titled   movie   made   in   1967   starring   Dustin  
Hoffman   (as   his   debut)   and   Anne   Bancroft.   The   play   is   an   adaption   of   the   old-­‐time  
favorite  movie  with  minor  changes.  This  paper  is  going  to  show  the  whole  procedure  
of  how  a  "The  Graduate"  was  put  on  stage,  also  analyzes  the  funding  of  the  theater  and  
the  performance.  
 
Madách  Theater  has  two  sources  of  income.  
The   majority   of   it   comes   from   the  
government   -­‐   directly   from   the   local  
government.   (Just   a   short   note:   since   the  
2010   change   in   the   political   system,   the  
government   is   planning   to   stop   supporting  
some   theaters   including   Operettszínház  
and   Madách   Színház,   but   these   are   just  
ideas  of  the  brainstorming)  In  exchange  for  
the   money,   the   theater   has   to   produce   3-­‐4  
stage   musicals   and   plays   each   year.  
Secondly,   the   ticket   sales   cover   the   other  
part   of   the   income.   Madách   Theater   is   a  
non-­‐profit   organization   (Madách   Színház   Nonprofit   Kft.),   therefore   all   the   money   is  
reinvested  in  the  future  "products".  
 
The   whole   procedure   of   putting   a   play   onto   stage   can   be   split   up   into   five   parts,  
starting   with   the   legal   steps,   then   writing   the   script,   followed   by   the   casting   (only   if  
needed),  rehearsal  and  finally,  the  premier  and  future  would-­‐be  performances.  In  the  
following  paragraphs,  these  steps  are  going  to  be  detailed.  
 
   

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LEGAL  STEPS  

Since   "The   Graduate"   is   originally   an   American   novel   by   Charles   Webb   which   was  
later   turned   into   a   script   (written   by   Calder   Willingham   and   Buck   Henry)   for   the  
movie,   the   play   required   special   permission   from   StudioCanal.   The   original   Broadway  
production  was  managed  by  John  Reid  and  Sacha  Brooks.  Way  before  the  planning  of  
creating  a  stage  play,  legal  actions  take  place  -­‐  all  the  permissions  need  to  be  received,  
contracts  need  to  be  signed  and  agreement  on  the  royalty  fee,  too.  
 
WRITING  THE  SCRIPT  

The  first  step  was  to  choose  a  director  who  later  writes  the  script.  Szirtes  Tamás,  the  
main   director   of   the   theater   chose   Herendi   Gábor   who   is   famous   for   his   films   like  
"Magyar  Vándor"  or  "Valami  Amerika"  but  completely  new  in  the  theater  business.  He  
welcomed  this  new  challenge  and  wrote  the  script  based  on  the  original  version  but  
he  also  added  two  scenes  which  of  course  needed  permission.    
 
The  story  remained  the  same:  "Recent  college  graduate  Benjamin  Braddock  is  trapped  
into  an  affair  with  Mrs.  Robinson,  who  happens  to  be  the  wife  of  his  father's  business  
partner  and  then  finds  himself  falling  in  love  with  her  teenage  daughter,  Elaine."    
(www.imdb.com)  
 
The   original   genre   of   the   film   was   rather   a   drama,   although   the   story   calls   for   a  
comedy.   Now,   more   than   40   years   later   the   desires   are   fulfilled   because   Herendi  
Gábor,  the  director  of  the  play  turned  "The  Graduate"  into  a  fascinating  farce.  
 
CASTING  

Casting   is   again,   not   an   easy   thing.   It   is   fine   if   the   director   has   a   certain   concept   of   the  
would-­‐be   characters,   but   since   most   of   the   actors   do   not   belong   to   Madách   Theater,  
"having"  the  actors  is  a  beneficial  consequence  of  negotiations  with  other  theater.    
 
   

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The  play  has  a  double  cast,  which  is  an  ordinary  method  of  a  bigger  play:  
Benjamin:  KOVÁCS  LEHEL/SZENTE  VAJK    
Mrs.  Robinson:  NAGY-­‐KÁLÓZY  ESZTER/UDVAROS  DOROTTYA    
Mr.  Robinson:  PUSZTASZERI  KORNÉL    
Elaine:  FODOR  ANNAMÁRIA/HOLECSKÓ  ORSOLYA    
Mr.  Frank  Braddock:  SZEREDNYEY  BÉLA    
Mrs.  Olive  Braddock  :  HŰVÖSVÖLGYI  ILDIKÓ    
Receptionist:  BARÁT  ATTILA      
 

         

As  it  was  mentioned  earlier,  some  of  these  actors  play  regularly  at  Madách  Theater,  but  most  
of   them   do   not.   Udvaros   Dorottya   for   example   belongs   to   the   National   Theater,   therefore  
bargaining  with  Alföldi  Róbert  (director  of  National  Theater)  was  fundamental.  Kovács  Lehel  
works   for   Katona   József   Theater,   Fodor   Annamária   belongs   to   Új   Theater   and   Nagy-­‐Kálózy  
Eszter  is  independent.  After  these  negotiations,  contracts  are  need  to  be  signed  either  directly  
with  the  actor  or  with  his/her  agent  or  with  the  theater.  
 
REHEARSAL  

Having   been   selected   the   actors,   the   7-­‐week-­‐long   rehearsal   period   takes   place.   The  
first   week   is   the   reading   rehearsal   which   is   only   about   the   text.   The   second   week   is  
about  the  "motion"  rehearsal,  which  unlike  the  previous  one,  focuses  on  only  the  body  
language  part  like  gestures  of  the  actors.  From  the  third  week  on,  three  weeks  of  scene  
rehearsal.          

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During  these  weeks:  fitting  on  the  costumes  and  the  scenery  should  also  be  created.  
Then,   there   is   one   week   rehearsal   with   costumes.   It   is   important   that   all   these   actions  
take   place   on   the   rehearsal   stage   which   is   of   course   completely   different   from   the  
"real"  one.    
 
After   this   6-­‐week-­‐long   period,   the   theater   closes   for   one   week   and   this   is   the   time  
when   the   theater   offers   the   stage   for   the   full-­‐dress   rehearsal   week.   The   first   half   of  
this  week  is  for  getting  used  to  the  stage  and  the  new  atmosphere,  while  the  second  
half   is   opened   to   special   guests.   The   aim   is   to   play   in   front   of   audience   before   the  
premiere.   The   audience   usually   consists   of   retired   people   (since   these   rehearsals  
starts   at   11   in   the   morning   and   also,   the   tickets   are   free   but   you   have   to   know   who   to  
ask),   therefore   the   attending   community   is   not   very   diverse   but   they   fulfill   their  
"function".  Then  comes  the  premiere...  

   

The  paragraphs  above  showed  the  practical  part  of  how  to  make  a  show  out  of  an  idea  
(or   out   of   a   foreign   but   existing   play).   The   following   paragraphs   are   going   to   highlight  
the  funding  of  such.  
 

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Bognár Alexandra Project and Event Management

ABOUT  MONEY...  

Making   "The   Graduate"   cost   altogether   30   million  

Hungarian  Forints.  Unlike  the  theater,  the  play  has  
three   sources   of   income.   The   additional   one  
includes   the   sponsors   (they   support   the  
advertisements).  The  whole  budget  can  be  split  up  
into  several  areas  -­‐  40%  of  the  money  goes  for  the  
actors   and   the   staff,   17%   for   the   scenery.   In   this  
case  this  amount  was  relatively  low  because  there  
is  only  one  scenery  with  minor  changes  at  different  
scenes.   This   was   due   to   the   low   budget   "szentel"   to  
the  play.  24%  was  spent  on  marketing.  There  were  
approximately   45-­‐50   costumes   which   made   up  
12%   of   the   30-­‐million-­‐budget.   The   remaining   was  
spent   on   others.   And,   there   is   an   additional  
unrealized   loss   for   the   theater   during   the   full-­‐dress  
rehearsal   week   when   there   are   no   performances   in  
the   evening,   therefore   the   estimated   money   for  
ticket  sales  can  not  be  collected.  
 
There   are   different   methods   when   paying   for   the  
staff.   The   whole   system   is   quite   complicated  
because   the   theater   has   only   a   few   employees.  
Their   own   employees   are   the   tire-­‐women   or   the  
prop   guy   but   all   the   others   are   freelancers.   But,   if  
you  legally  do  not  belong  to  a  certain  theater  it  also  
implies   that   a   "bunch"   of   contracts   are   needed   to  
be   done   between   the   theater   and   the   staff   as   it   was  
highlighted  earlier.  
 
The   director   gets   50%   of   his   salary   at   the   very  
beginning  and  the  remaining  50%  at  the  premiere.  

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As   for   the   actors,   there   are   two   "common   practice",   the   actors   are   free   to   choose  
which   one   they   prefer:   (as   in   the   director's   case),   they   can   receive   the   half   of   the  
payment  at  the  beginning  and  the  other  50%  at  the  premiere  or  be  paid  occasionly.    
 
So,  lets  calculate...  Altogether  there  are  800  chairs  in  the  theater.  

The   ticket   prices   differ   at   weekdays   and   weekends   and   also,   there  are   6   distinguished  
categories  according  to  the  seat  where  it  is  situated.  Therefore  the  1st  category  costs  
4700Ft/5200Ft,   the   2nd   4200Ft/4800Ft,   the   3rd   3400Ft/3800Ft,   the   4th  
3000Ft/3400Ft,  the  5th  1900Ft/2100Ft  and  finally,  the  6th  1000Ft.  By  adding  them,  
the  result  we  get  is  2,8  million  on  weekends  and  2,5  million  on  weekdays.    
 
The   difference   is   not   that   significant   considering   the   additional   costs.   From   this  
money,   tax   and   royalty   fee   have   to   be   paid   instantly,   1,8   million   Ft   remains.  
Subtracting  the  cost  of  electricity  and  the  salaries,  1  million  Ft  remains  as  "profit",  or  
rather  say  income  after  each  play.  It  is  not  a  hard  mathematical  task  to  calculate  that  

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30  million  Ft  (the  whole  budget),  devided  by  1  million  Ft  is  30.  Therefore,  there  has  to  
be  at  least  30  performances  to  get  back  the  invested  money  and  still,  we  can  not  speak  
about  profit.    
 
Let's   follow   the   logic:   the   premier   was   24th   and   25th   of   May   in   2010,   the   following  
months'  program  looked  like:  

Generally   speaking,   9   performances   within   2   months.   Continuning   the   calculation,  

what   we   face   is   that   the   invested   money   returns   in   approximately   7-­‐8   months.   Do   not  
forget  we  still  can  not  even  imagine  profit...  

 
Despite  that  the  Madách  Theater  is  a  non-­‐profit  organization  a  huge  amount  of  money  
circulates  in  order  to  maintain  the  theater  and  its  image.  Tickets  are  not  at  all  cheap,  
this   study   clearly   showed   that   a   performance   is   a   long-­‐term   investment   and   not  
particularly  a  good  one...  but  profit  is  not  an  aim.  After  a  production  gets  its  payback  
the  director  of  the  theater  decides  whether  to  continue  the  play  or  remove  from  the  
repertoire.  

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REFERENCES:  
 
The  Graduate,  The  Internet  Movie  Database,  accessed  2011.03.27.:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/

Diploma Előtt, Madách Színház Official Website, accessed 2011.03.27.:

http://madachszinhaz.hu/Ea_Madach/Diploma_elott/Diploma_elott_h.php

All the information that are not referred was told during discussions with:

• Herendi Gábor, the director of the play

• Hőnig  Zsuzsa,  the  financial  director  of  Madách Theater
• Szente Vajk, actor

Pictures were downloaded from the Official Website of Madách Színház

Program of May/June 2010 was downloaded from Official Website of Madách Színház

 
 

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