THE MAIDEN TAKEN TO HEAVEN
play/performance based on the Szekler folk ballad 'A Comely Maiden is Judika' and Tibor Palkó's picture 'Pledge' 
Tibor Várszegi, Jászberény (Hungary)

Written and performed by Tibor Várszegi
Music composed by Szilárd Mezei
Music performed by the Szilárd Mezei Trio

The duration of the play is 53 minutes.

The title of the performance The Maiden Taken to Heaven is taken from a Székler folk cycle of ballads. The Székely live in Transylvania today part of Romania: in the very middle of Romania almost everybody speaks Hungarian because Székely and Hungarian is the same. The story of the folk ballad was collected in 15 different text versions. In story a maiden, who according to certain versions is called Judika, according to others Márton Szép Ilona, dies before she would get married. Before her death, in her deep pain, sorrow and sadness she asks her mother to mourn for her. And so does her mother and in her mourning song she calls her dead child a bride because even if she cannot get married because of her death, she will be Jesus’ bride.
But what does it mean to die? The whole performance investigates this question. The scenes following each other do not relate the story of the ballad but dwell long on the question arising from the interpretation of the ballad. Because death is not merely physical. If it is necessary, we could need it more times a day. To learn to give up everything that we have been used to, in which we felt comfortable, which we thought we needed, in which we have not realized our mistake or sin: if we really give up everything in the interest of rebirth, it takes along great pain, sorrow and sadness. Those who learn to die have the ability for the knowledge of being.
Thus the performance is searching for the way that comes after sadness. Turning to the ancient Hungarian motives but not considering tradition to be a museum piece value,
- together with prophet Ezekiel - it is in search of salvation: “…and make you a new heart and a new spirit!”  (Ezekiel 18:31)