Gabor Egressy

Egressy, Gábor 

Born Nov. 1,1808, in Sajólászlófalva; died July 30,1866, in Pest. Hungarian actor; prominent representative of the romantic revolutionary trend in the Hungarian theater. Friend and comrade of S. Petófi; participant in the Hungarian Revolution and national liberation struggle of 1848–49.

Egressy began his stage career in 1828. Beginning in 1837, he worked primarily in the first permanent theater in Pest, named the National Theater in 1840. His powerful temperament suited him to heroic and tragic roles, notably the title roles in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Othello, and Richard III. Egressy gave the first truly profound interpretations of roles of the Hungarian repertoire. In 1834 he appeared in Katona’s Bank ban, as Otto; he later played Petur in the same play and in the 1840’s undertook the title role.

Egressy was the author of The Actor’s Art (1866), which reflects his progressive views on the stage arts.

WORK

A szinészet könyve. Budapest, 1866.

REFERENCE

Petefi, Sh. “National’nyi teatr.” Sobr. soch., vol. 4. Moscow, 1953. Pages 131–35. (Translated from Hungarian.)