Vaclav—dissident, activist, essayist, philosopher, politician, founder and president of the Czech Republic—is known throughout the world as a hero of the human rights movement and a martyr for the ‘right to write.’ . . . But few in the West know that he is also his country’s most famous playwright. . . . His plays constitute a significant body of work spanning the period from 1959 to 2007, a crucial dramatization of human existence in a crucial era.
Carol Rocamora, Acts of Courage: Vaclav Havel’s Life in the Theater
To honor Vaclav Havel’s theatrical legacy, VHLF collects information about productions of his plays in America, awards scholarships to Czech and U.S. students of drama and performance studies, and presents an annual festival of contemporary European theater, Rehearsal for Truth.
TheaterCulture Watch – HAVEL’S “LARGO DESOLATO” AT CITY GARAGE February 25, 2020 Source: Santa Monica Daily Press / www.smdp.com / By Sarah A. Spitz / You’re a popular dissident, your political writings spur action against a totalitarian government, your admirers depend on you, begging you not to weaken, as you sit in your house paralyzed by fear of the knock at the …
TheaterREHEARSAL FOR TRUTH 2019: TRUTH (POLAND) August 9, 2019 Saturday, September 28, 7:30 pm Conceived and directed by: Piotr Borowski Cast: Gianna Benvenuto, Magda Czarny, Michal Lorent Presented by: Studium Teatralne, Polish Cultural Institute New York Truth exposes a lack thereof: an existence fraught with the absence of the sacred, devoid of any mystery, purpose or metaphysical worth. While …
TheaterREHEARSAL FOR TRUTH 2019: GYPSY DEVILS (SLOVAKIA) August 9, 2019 Friday, September 27, 7:30 pm Duration: 90 min Live virtuoso performance by legendary orchestra Gypsy Devils. This talented ensemble of Romani musicians from Slovakia plays original arrangements by combining classical pieces with musical genres such as jazz, ethno, flamenco and Gypsy. Together with interweaving styles, they add rhythmical and harmonic …
TheaterREHEARSAL FOR TRUTH 2019: WOMAN ALONE (ROMANIA) August 8, 2019 Tuesday, September 24, 7:30 pm Playwrights: Dario Fo, Franca Rame Directed by: Daniel Grigore-Simion Cast: Andreea Bibiri Presented by: Romanian Cultural Institute, The Art Theater in Bucharest Duration: 60 min Woman Alone unveils the story of Maria and the elements of her domestic life that entrap her. She grapples to cope …
TheaterREHEARSAL FOR TRUTH 2019: AUDIENCE (CZECH REPUBLIC) August 7, 2019 Friday, October 4, 7:30 pm Playwright: Vaclav Havel Directed by: Jakub Spalek Cast: Jan Potmesil, Tomas Karger Presented by: Kaspar Theatre in Celetna, Czech Center New York Duration: 45 minutes Audience centers on a meeting between brewery manager Sladek and employee Vanek. While the manager is clearly opening too many beers and …
TheaterREHEARSAL FOR TRUTH 2019: HUNGARIAN ACACIA (HUNGARY) August 7, 2019 Saturday, September 28, 6:00 pm presentation of performance projects, discussion Conceived and directed by: Kristof Kelemen, Bence Gyorgy Palinkas Duration: 45 min Engaging, behind-the-scenes glimpse at Hungarian Acacia and other performance projects conceived to address the public discourse in Hungary in a satirical way. Artists-directors Kelemen and Palinkas will discuss …
TheaterREHEARSAL FOR TRUTH 2019: WATCH NOW (SLOVAKIA) August 6, 2019 Wednesday, September 25, 2019, 7:30 PM Conceived and directed by: Lucia Holinova Choreographers: Daniel Racek, Lucia Holinova Performers: Barbora Janakova, Daniel Racek Music: Vlado Holina, Vocals: Sandra Tordova Presented by: RESERVA, Bratislava Duration: 50 minutes Captivating dance performance that delves into the present-day issues of identity and loss of privacy. Accompanied …
TheaterThe Travesty of Truth, In the 2019 Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival August 4, 2019 Experience engaging contemporary performances from Central Europe at Manhattan’s Bohemian National Hall. Free tickets are available online. The 2019 Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival explores the disappearance of borders between truth and lies. The festival consists of five international performances—three full plays, one dance performance and a behind-the-scene presentation—along with …
TheaterReview: A Vaclav Havel Trilogy Drives Evening of Political Theater July 22, 2019 Source: The New York Time / www.nytimes.com / By Elisabeth Vincentelli / The suspense is a nail-biter: Will she sign the petition or not? This is not like clicking a button to offhandedly add your name to a Change.org list: We are in 1970s communist Czechoslovakia and publicly supporting a …
TheaterReview: A Václav havel trilogy drives evening of political theater July 22, 2019 Source: Pulse / www.pulse.ng / By Elisabeth Vincentelli Source: New York Times / NEW YORK — The suspense is a nail-biter: Will she sign the petition or not? This is not like clicking a button to offhandedly add your name to a Change.org list: We are in 1970s communist Czechoslovakia …
TheaterWhat Do You Get When You Cross Mark Morris With Samuel Beckett? July 6, 2019 Source: The New York Times / www.nytimes.com / By Roslyn Sulcas / The choreographer, whose playfulness is serious, will stage three pieces by Beckett, who wears his seriousness lightly, at a festival in Northern Ireland. DUBLIN — A large portrait of Samuel Beckett — peaked hair, deeply furrowed brow, piercing …