ZSÓFI
Kerényi-nagy ZSÓFIA
actor and drama teacher
I had been interested in theatre since I was a little child, but it was relatively late, during my high school years, that I realised I wanted to try my hand at it. So I joined the drama club in my last year at school and was completely absorbed by the world of the stage, the atmosphere of rehearsals and the energy released during the preparations. It may seem like a very short year, but it meant so much more to me: not only did we become a team, but we learned from and about each other.
I studied to be a teacher, and in the course of my teaching I realised the benefits and importance of drama education for young people. Not only does it allow them to relax and get away from their everyday lives, but it also makes it easier for them to relate to each other, it gives them a new way of seeing things. So I had no choice but to do a two-year drama training course to broaden my interests and experience. After that, I started officially running a drama department.
What do I like most about it? The fact that children who may have seemed more withdrawn or had difficulty engaging before can easily immerse themselves and enjoy the sessions. It's great to see the excited faces, the relaxed atmosphere and the collaborative work. Because I feel that 'we have to learn to see with the child's eyes and hear with the child's ears, we have to learn to speak at the level of the child's experience. Above all, we must learn to tune into the child's emotional wavelength, to live its emotional events, to accept its wishes, to respect its imagination, and in this way to encourage free communication and the development of an open personality. This requires nothing less than trust in the child and a sense of responsibility towards him or her, from which, in an open and serene atmosphere, within reasonable rules, the child's responsibility can also grow". (Ferenc Mérei)
