Caretaker Anikó Tóth received the Zoltán Várkonyi Memorial Prize this year2022. 05. 13.
Zoltán Várkonyi, the legendary director of the Vígszínház, would have turned 110 on 13 May. His professional legacy is an invaluable asset to the Vígszínház and the entire history of Hungarian theatre. Zoltán Várkonyi loved and respected his colleagues working behind the scenes. The Zoltán Várkonyi Memorial Award, founded by his widow Vera Szemere in 1984, is a fitting tribute to his memory. The award is given each year to the technical or administrative colleague elected by secret ballot by the staff of the Vígszínház. This year's recipient is Anikó Tóth, the theatre's caretaker, who has been a loyal member of the Vígtheatre company for 27 years.
Every year the Várkonyi Prize is awarded to the Vígtheatre company for the work of those who, although invisible to the audience, are indispensable and inevitable in the life of the theatre. Anikó Tóth started working at the Vígszínház on 1 April 1995 as an inventory clerk, and became a janitor in 2009. She has been a member of the theatre for more than a quarter of a century, and she carries out her work with unbroken diligence and enthusiasm. She is meticulous, fast and careful. She is attentive to everything and everyone, she knows every nook and cranny of both the Vígtheatre and the Pesti Theatre. She knows what is needed for smooth operation. It's hard to ask the impossible of her, and she tries to get everything done and solved quickly. "The Várkonyi Award is a huge thing, because my colleagues chose me. Of course, I also feel in my everyday life if they are satisfied with my work and if they appreciate me. But this recognition is a huge feedback. Because here at the Vígtheatre I am part of a real team. Incidentally, the Vígtheatre has been a decisive factor in my whole life. As a student I used to sit in the gallery, and for many years I took the bus home to Újpest. I was proud when I got here. And every day since then it's been a special feeling to come here. I try to see all the performances. And every time I walk through the auditorium, I am always amazed at how wonderful, how beautiful this theatre is. How good it is to be here every day!" - said the award winner.
The Zoltán Várkonyi Memorial Award was presented on 12 May at a ceremony after the performance of The Visit of the Old Lady by the Várkonyi family - Éva Farkas Várkonyi, Gáspár Várkonyi and his wife and daughter - and Péter Rudolf.
The company of the Vígszínház would like to congratulate Anikó Tóth on this recognition!
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