Gianni DiCrosta / Roundup
It isn’t often that you see talent and motivation at the age of three.
Unless you’re professor RoZsa Horvath anyway.
Horvath, a theatre director and professor in Pierce College’s Theatre Arts Department, started her career tackling school plays and poetry recitals.
The lifestyle wasn’t unusual for her family, as Horvath’s father was a stage singer, violinist and accordion player.
Due to a political unrest and revolution in her native country of Hungary, Horvath’s family moved to the United States in 1957.
This is where her future in entertainment really took off.
The family moved to New Jersey for 6 months before Horvath’s father made a decision to relocate.
“We had never seen the ocean, and there was more jobs to be had in San Diego,” said Horvath.
In San Diego, Horvath became an extremely active member of the theatre community as an actor and educator.
As a high school student, she taught creative drama to youths through the City of San Diego Park and Recreation theatre program, on top of performing in local productions.
“I’ve performed in nearly every theatre in the city of San Diego,” said Horvath, whose credits also include work in television and film.
While attending school at San Diego State University, Horvath majored in speech arts with an emphasis on theatre.
In 1981, she received an instructor position at Pierce College. Throughout her 29 year career at the school, Horvath has directed nearly 40 plays, along with teaching classes.
Her other specialty is makeup and costume design.
However, Horvath has always held play production dearest throughout her whole career.
“When you direct, you create a whole world, but when you act you really only worry about your own part,” she said. “[As a director] you get to help the actors bring out the creativity in themselves.”
While this semester may be her last as a full-time instructor, Horvath promises to continue directing and taking on new challenges.
“I plan to always be involved in theatre, [I may] possibly get back into acting,” she said.
She also wants to give future entertainers her most important tip before delving into the realm of theatre.
“Know as much as you can about all the aspects of theatres, from directing to acting to design. It will help you in the end.”
—
gdicrosta.roundupnews@gmail.com
Theatre professor RoZsa Horvath moved from Hungry with her family in 1957 and first became involved in San Diego’s theater community. (David Schub / Special to the Roundup)
