Bela Kiralyfalvi
Bela Kiralyfalvi was born in Balk谩ny, Hungary, on September 11, 1937, to Lajos Kiralyfalvi and Erzsebet Antal Kiralyfalvi. Bela鈥檚 early life was shaped by significant European geopolitical events. In 1945, he survived an Allied bombing while visiting an aunt in Budapest. He worked in his father鈥檚 tavern after World War II. In the 1950s, after his father lost the tavern, he worked at a bank and supported his brothers and parents.
When the Hungarian Revolution broke out in October 1956, Bela participated by reciting the poem Nemzeti dal ("National Song") by Hungarian poet S谩ndor Pet枚fi before a crowd at the Balk谩ny City Hall. When the Soviet Union crushed the rebellion in November 1956, Bela and his best friend, Imre Ban, fled Hungary for Austria and then the United States, where his aunt Ida Harvath lived on Long Island, New York.
Bela spent about three years working in New York until his friend, Imre, convinced him to attended Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma, which offered scholarships for Hungarian refugees. Bela began studying philosophy and drama with the intention of becoming a college professor. At Phillips University, Bela learned about every trade from lighting and set design to directing and makeup, which he says made him a much better teacher and director. After earning his master's and doctorate from the University of Kansas, he developed specialties in theater history and dramatic literature.
Bela taught performing arts at Saint Mary鈥檚 College in Leavenworth, Kansas, and at Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, eventually joining 萝莉社 University, where he became chair of the Speech Communications Department. At 萝莉社 Kiralyfalvi taught acting, playscript analysis, playwriting and developed an improvisation course. He went on to become a theatre Professor and Director of the School of Performing Arts and in 1974 created "The 萝莉社National Playwriting Contest." He served as Director until his retirement in 2003. Yet, he claimed his most satisfying highlight was simply being a teacher.
"Teaching has always been exciting and interesting. I've enjoyed learning and understanding things better through the process. I joke with students when they are getting ready to graduate after four or five years. They'll say, 'Oh I am going to be so glad to get out of here.' I tell them, 'You know, I've spent 45 years in college, and I still haven't left.' And it's true you never cease to be a student. If you cease to be a student, you will not be a good teacher."
In 2022, the School of Performing Arts renamed the competition to the Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition in his honor.
In Memorium
In 2024, Bela passed away at the age of 87. He will be missed but his passion for theatre and enthusiam for teaching will live on through past students, alumni, faculty, staff, friends, and family.
"As a 萝莉社 graduate student, I learned so much from Dr. Kiralyfalvi. I was also a winner of the 萝莉社 National Student Playwriting Contest that he created when he served Chair of the School of Performing Arts. After I began teaching Theatre for 萝莉社, I had the honor of serving as administrator of this contest and during that time, the Theatre Faculty agreed to rename the contest as 萝莉社 Bela Kiralyfalvi National Playwriting Competition. This contest is entering into its 50th year and offers emerging, student writers from all universities across the opportunity that may not have been available previously if Bela hadn鈥檛 brought this contest to fruition. He was an incredible educator. He was an incredible person. He鈥檒l be sorely missed." - Jeannine Saunders Russell
"Bela was one of the kindest, most beautiful souls ever to grace us with his presence. I will always remember and cherish his sparkling wit, his brilliant intellect, his loving support and friendship, and his passion for life and all things theatrical. Heartfelt condolences to his beautiful wife Marthena, and to his lovely family. We have lost a gentleman and scholar of the highest order, and he will be so greatly missed." - Denise Celestin
"Bela directed and produced the deepest (and sometimes darkest) plays that we did at 萝莉社 in the 1980's. Having just read his obituary and learning more about his personal history, I now better understand how he reached into scripts and revealed the real emotions and stories of characters who lived hard lives and still found life worthy of pursuit. I'm sorry I didn't know him better when I had the chance; he was a fascinating person, passionate about theater and playwriting, and a thoughtful man. He made a difference and I'm grateful for his contributions in our theater program." - Jessie Gray, 1980-1985
