In 1914, at the start of the First World War, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany famously promised that by the time the leaves fall from the trees, the War will be over. But when the signs of a bogged down conflict and a bloody stalemate became evident in December 1914, these words rang very hollow, indeed. Soldiers of Austria-Hungary faced the prospect of spending their first Christmas on the front. The play Female Doctors (Doktornők), performed at the Ida Turai Theatre in Budapest and written by Laura Topolcsányi, explores a turning point in history, when women’s role in the world of medicine was increasingly accepted and recognized. The piece depicts the story of Vilma Hugonnai (1847-1922), Hungary’s first female doctor, and her team of younger women doctors and nurses, who during Christmas 1914 cared for a rag-tag group of wounded soldiers. Dr. Hugonnai was trained in Zurich, but at first her credentials were not recognized by authorities in Hungary, who could not fathom the concept of a female doctor. By 1897, however, she was able to open her practice. But in 1914, with the holidays looming over both the men and women in this community, the sense of loneliness and separation from family and loved ones, as well as suffering, is most prominent.
The play is next performed on December 3rd, 12th and 16th, 2014 at the Turay Ida Színház, located at Kálvária tér 6, in Budapest’s 8th District.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
The production of Doktornők (Female Doctors) at the Ida Turai Theatre in November/December 2014. Photo: Beatrix Gergely.
