Energy Costs Close Hungary’s Theaters for Winter

A theater in Hungary's capital is likely to go unused through a cold and quiet winter.

Theater operators have decided¹ to close buildings rather than pay high prices for heating and electricity. High energy costs are making it hard for many businesses and cultural institutions across Europe to stay open.

The 111-year-old Erkel Theatre in Budapest is one of three performance spaces of the Hungarian State Opera that will close in November. The operators can no longer pay to heat the 1,800-seat building.

"We had to decide how we can save," said Szilveszter Okovacs, the director of the Hungarian State Opera. "Even though it hurts...to close Erkel for a few months," he said, it makes sense. He added that people's pay is "the most important."

The group's energy bills have become eight times and sometimes 10 times more costly² than ---usual.

The temporary closure of the Erkel Theatre is one of many cases involving cultural institutions in Hungary. Many are struggling to stay open. High inflation³, a weakening currency, and energy costs are hurting many businesses and groups.

This situation is taking place across Europe as energy prices skyrocket, or greatly increase, because of Russia's war in Ukraine.

High energy costs are forcing some factories to shut down, making products more costly and fueling fears of a recession⁴.

In July, Hungary's government declared an "energy emergency." It was a reaction to rising prices and supply problems linked to Russia's war in Ukraine. The government also reduced a popular utility payment aid program. Since 2014, that program has kept Hungarians' costs for energy and water among the lowest in the 27-member European Union.

As a result, many businesses and households saw natural gas and electric bills increase by as much as 1,000 percent from one month to the next.

In an effort to save energy, Hungary's government ordered a 25 percent reduction in the use of electricity and natural gas in public buildings. This includes cultural institutions, such as museums and theaters. Now they are required to keep temperatures inside buildings at or below 18 degrees Celsius⁵.

Beata Barda is director of the Trafo House of Contemporary Arts in Budapest. She said her theater's electricity bills have risen 200 percent since June. Barda added that there is an "uncertainty⁶ factor." That means she does not know how big her gas and electric bills are going to be this winter.

To cut costs, the theater will show about two-thirds of its normal winter program. Also, parts of the building that do not need to be heated will be shut off from the rest. And the number of rehearsals⁸ that need full-stage lighting⁹ will be cut down.

Barda said, "We'd like to avoid shutting down or having to cancel performances, so obviously we've got to cut down in all sorts of ways."

In Hungary, inflation is at nearly 16 percent. The national currency is reaching historic¹⁰ lows against the dollar and euro. People are also struggling with rising prices. Barda said few people could go to the theater. This could lead to financial troubles for the entire cultural industry.

"Our audiences have wallets, too. And their expenses have also risen," Barda said. "How able or willing will they be to come to the theater? This is a really important question."

The Comedy Theatre of Budapest is one of the oldest in the city. The lights in the building's entrance area and long hallways have been shut off -- even on working days -- to save energy.

The gas bill for the large theater has gone from $92,000 a year to $577,000.

Local governments around the country have announced that theaters, museums, and other cultural centers must close for the winter.

As the energy crisis¹¹ deepens¹², more of Hungary's cultural centers could be threatened with closure. Krisztina Szekely is a stage director in Budapest. She said closures would be very bad for the cultural life of Hungarians.

She said she believes that if these institutions fail or are unavailable, it could affect the mental state of the entire society.

Words in This Story

institution –n. an established organization

currency –n. the money that a country uses

skyrocket –v. to increase quickly to a high level

utility –n. a service that provides needed things like water, electricity, gas, and other things

rehearsal⁷ –n. an event in which a person or group practices a performance to prepare for the public performance

obviously –adv. in a way that is clearly understood

wallet –n. a small container used to hold money, credit cards and identification

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 inflation   

n.胀大，夸张，通货膨胀

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• The inflation of the airbed took several minutes.给空气床垫充气花了几分钟时间。

4 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

5 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

6 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

7 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

8 rehearsals   

n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复

参考例句：

• The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。
• She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

10 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

11 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

12 deepens   

v.变深，加深( deepen的第三人称单数 )；加浓

参考例句：

• Wine deepens on aging. 酒久藏而变醇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• \"The sand-sea deepens with fathomless ice, And darkness masses its endless clouds;\" 瀚海阑干百丈冰，愁云黪淡万里凝。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学