Dramatist, translator, theatre academy teacher, academician.
Born in Pankota, Arad County, he losses his father early, a county chief physicist, and was raised by his mother. He attends primary school in Arad and excels here with his interest on literautre and poetry, his first poems are published during his school time. From 1859 on, he is student of the Temesvár (today Timisoara) and later of the Budapest catholic priest seminary. In Timisoara, he is among the asiduos students with exceptional talent. It is here he starts dealing with drama writing. His first work, the biography of Bishop Csajághy Sándor, is published in the Munkálatai (Works – Transl. note) of the priest students. From the Budapest priest school, he is called to Timisoara by bishop order, and from end 1864 on he is registrator within the bishop office. Subsequently to his officiation as priest (1865), he continues his theology studies at the Vienna Augustineum and makes his doctorate in 1868. He learns eight foreign languages and acquires vast juridical and world literature knowledge.
He returns to his church county after being a caplan in Tornya for almost one year, and is nominated as teacher for the 186970 school year on the roman catholic primary school in Timisoara, and until 1878, he teaches church law and history at the Csanád church county priest school. Meanwhile, he edites the paper Egyházi Közlöny (Church Information – Transl. note), writes his work called Egyházi jogtan (Church Law – Transl. note) and prepares for publishing the three volumes of the writings of bishop Csajághy Sándor. He works as prosecutor for the Holy Chair, getting to know the life and problems of divorces families.
He published drama critics and other writings within the paper Temesi Lapok. His first short stories volume, Az életből (From life – Tranls. note) is published in 1872 under pen name. He surprises the literary world with his play, Jóslat (Oracle – Transl. note) and wins with it 1875 the Teleki Price of the Hungarian Science Academy (MTA). The comedy is played at the Budapest National Theatre in 1875, and is played by the Timisoara theatre, too. Two years later, in 1877, he finishes his play called Janus. With this play, he wins again the Teleki Price of the MTA. It is followed by another price for his comedy Ellenállhatatlan (Irresistible) – the Karácsonyi Price in 1878 and it is played by the National Theatre in the same year.
In 1878, he moves to Budapest and turns his entire time and energy to literature. He gets into serious conflict with his church superiors when he travels in 1879 to Paris for a half year, where he studies theatre life literally day and night. After returning home, he quits 1880 the church order, converts to lutherane church and gets married the following year. His official roles are multiplying: dramaturgist of the Budapest National Theatre, teacher on the Theatre Academy, vice-secretary of the Kisfaludy Society. The MTA elects him as correspondent member in 1879.
With his first plays, he follows the new-romanic style, his first realistic society drama of great effect, called Proletárok (Proletarians) is played on January 23rd, 1880 (played after 1945 under the title Ingyenélők – Parasites). The excellent written play opens a new era in the history of Hungarian theatre literature. From this great success on, Csiky Gergely is the most played author on the Budapest National Theatre. He write tragedies (Spartacus, 1886), social plays (Cifra nyomorúság, 1881 – Fancy Misery; Stomfay család, 1882 -Stomfay Family); comedies (Mukányi, 1881; A nagyratermett, 1890 -The High Raised; A nagymama, 1891 -The Grandmother); burlesques (A kaviár, 1882 – The Caviar; Buborékok, 1884 – Bubbles). On the peak of his success, he is a popular, hip “play fabricant”. His novels, mainly the Az Atlas család (1889 – The Atlas Family) and the Sisyphus munkája (1892 – The Labour of Sisyphos) are works of the critical realism. He translated into Hungarian the works fo Sophocles and Plautus.
The classic of hte Hungarian comedy writing dies on November 19th, 1891 in Budapest. The first monography about his life and activity is written in 1900 by the Cluj theatre Intendant, Janovics Jenő, and is published in 1902.
The Hungarian theatre in Timisoara and the Hungarian secondary school in Arad are wearing his name.
