Hungarian stage director and artistic director of puppet theatre. János Meczner graduated in 1967 in Hungarian language and literature, history and art history from the Department of Philosophy at the Lóránd Eötvös University in Budapest. Meczner subsequently studied stage direction at the College of Theatre Arts in 1973.

He began his career in theatre as a stage director and later became principal stage director of the Kisfaludy Theatre in Győr. He then worked at the Népszínház (Popular Theatre) and, from 1989 to 1994, occupied the position of artistic director at the Arany János Színház children’s theatre, and afterwards at the Budapest Bábszínház (Budapest Puppet Theatre ). Since 2000, he has been in charge of teaching puppetry at the University of Theatre and Film Arts. In 1998, Meczner received the Mari Jászai Prize and, in 2005, the Honoured Artist title.

Under his artistic direction, the Budapest Bábszínház endeavoured to preserve the artistic profile of the Állami Bábszínház (State Puppet Theatre) and to continue its innovations. János Meczner’s foremost productions are A varázsfuvola (The Magic Flute, 1995) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Diótörő (The Nutcracker, 1997) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

(See Hungary.)