(1763-1842)
János Kótsi Patkó was an actor, dramatist, translator and theatre manager who also authored several works on the theatre. After studying in Sárospatak in 1780 and at the Calvinist College of Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca) in 1781, we went on to become a founding member of the Transylvanian Hungarian Theatrical Society in 1792. He worked as an actor from 1792 until 1808, and then withdrew to return home and manage his estates while also working on a universal history of drama and the theatre; although the work was only partially completed, the finished sections have survived. Between 1820 and 1824, he was back at the head of the Kolozsvár company. He also translated, wrote dramas and composed the occasional musical work, including incidental music. His two original pieces and the bulk of his translations, however, have been lost.
