1 February 2026, Budapest

Kriszta Székely will take over the leadership of the Katona József Theatre on 1 February 2026, succeeding Gábor Máté, who led the institution for 15 years. Máté joined the Katona ensemble as an actor in 1987 and served as the theatre’s managing director from 2011. Under his leadership, the theatre welcomed approximately 1.5 million audience members across nearly 9,000 performances, its productions received numerous awards, and thousands of young people experienced the communal power of theatre through its drama education programmes. Building on its decades-long artistic tradition, the Katona has remained a defining and innovative force in Hungarian theatre.

Kriszta Székely graduated in theatre directing from the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest, Hungary, in the class of Gábor Székely and Viktor Bodó, and has been a member of the Katona ensemble since 2015. In recent years, she has directed several successful productions at the theatre, including A Doll’s House, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Platonov, and most recently Chicago, which premiered in December. She has worked as a director in numerous theatres in Hungary, as well as in Austria, Germany, and Italy, and since November 2025 has served as President of the international theatre organisation mitos21.



“It is a great honour for me to take over the leadership of the Katona József Theatre. For me, this place is not merely an institution, but a form of collective thinking: a company where artistic creation is driven not by market logic or external pressure, but by shared questions and concerns. As director, my primary responsibility is to ensure stable and predictable operations while safeguarding the conditions of artistic autonomy.

A central focus of my work will be creating meaningful opportunities for young, emerging artists—providing platforms for debut, mentorship, and long-term professional perspectives. Equally important is to understand the Katona as a living space in continuous dialogue with the city: open to new voices and forms, to change and renewal. At the same time, alongside intellectual ambition, aesthetic quality must never be compromised,” said Kriszta Székely, referring to the vision outlined in her directoral application.

Kriszta Székely leads the Katona as Managing Director and is also a member of the Theatre’s Artistic Council, alongside director Jakab Tarnóczi and dramaturg Ármin Szabó-Székely.