US Premiere Of THE BAT Comes to New Stage Theatre Co.

“The Bat” by Krisztina Tóth is a darkly humorous contemporary Hungarian drama in which the disappearance of a child's rubber bat from a kindergarten changing room triggers escalating suspicion, resentment, and outright hatred among adults in the classroom's orbit. What begins as a seemingly trivial conflict spirals into tragicomic nightmare as Tóth reveals underlying fractures in contemporary Hungarian society. New Stage Theatre Company (NSTC), will present the play's US premiere March 20 to April 4 in its New Stage Performance Space, 36 West 106th Street (basement).  The piece is translated by Szilvi Naray-Davey, directed by Ildiko Nemeth and performed by Adam Boncz and Sarah Lemp.

The story feels uncannily attuned to today's culture of division. As mutual distrust and resentment are laid bare, what unfolds is a tale of family and community life that is humorous, heartbreaking and familiar. By turns hilarious and unsettling, the play transforms an everyday setting into a microcosm of social discord revealing how quickly civility can erode when fear and suspicion take hold.

With this US premiere, NSTC comtinues its mission of introducing the works by important female writers who have received little exposure here.  Krisztina Tóth has met with international success and her works have been translated into twenty languages and she is regarded as one of Hungary's foremost literary voices. With absurdist humor, an astute eye for sociopolitical dynamics, and a commitment to asking uncomfortable questions, Tóth is an important figure in contemporary culture and a natural fit for NSTC. Artistic Director Ildiko Nemeth has built a company inspired by Eastern European experimental theater traditions and is known for its broad and deep engagement with world literature and drama. But this project is the first time that she and NSTC will present a full-length show from a Hungarian author.

Nemeth directed a reading of the play in 2024 at Hungarian House as part of the Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival honoring Vaclav Havel, produced by the Václav Havel Center and the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association in association with Hungarian House (AFHLE) and The New Stage Theatre Company. The cast of that reading returns in this production.