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THE 2018 REHEARSAL FOR TRUTH THEATER FESTIVAL | September 25-30, 2018

THEATER WITH STANDARDS OF URGENCY

 
 
 

“What matters is not whether a play is light-hearted or serious, but—be it comedic or otherwise—whether it speaks to people about their problems, how it speaks to them, what impact it has on them. . . We wish only to put on plays that meet certain standards of urgency, that are intellectually penetrating, complex, challenging, and powerful,” wrote Vaclav Havel in a letter to Alfred Radok, entitled “The Kind of Theater We Want to Do,” on August 4, 1963.

In the second year of Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival, a unique festival presenting the best in contemporary Central European theater, the program featured three performances in the original languages with English supertitles, two stage readings performed in English by New York-based actors, followed by talk-backs with the artists and after parties hosted by the countries cultural institutes and consulates general in New York City.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia worked together consistently in the performing arts for almost thirty years. The result of their collaboration has been an outpouring of outstanding dramatic works that pose important questions about immigration, European identity, reconciliation with fascist and communist pasts, and a host of other essential issues. The region’s unusual creative energy deserves to be promoted and acknowledge internationally, especially as it has resulted in—to borrow Havel’s words—theatrical productions that are at once urgent, intellectually penetrating, complex, challenging, and powerful.

>> About Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival

 

Organizers

The Vaclav Havel Library Foundation (VHLF)

Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA)

co-presenters

Czech Center New York

Polish Cultural Institute New York

PARTNERS

Untitled Theater Company #61

Svanda Theatre, Prague

The New School of Drama

The Astorka Korzo’90 Theatre, Bratislava

HOPPart, Budapest

Komuna//Warsawa, Warsaw

MAIN SUPPORTERS

New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

New York City Council Member Ben Kallos

SUPORTERS

Theatre Institute in Warsaw

Culture.pl

Placcc Festival and in-situ

Slovak Arts Council

Bratislava Self-Governing Region

City of Prague

Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic

Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York

Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the UN

Consulate General of Slovakia in New York

VENUE

Bohemian National Hall, New York City

2018 PROGRAM

 
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NIGHT BEFORE THE FUNERAL | STAGE READING

Playwrights: Natalie Kocab. Directed by: Edward Einhorn. Cast: Michael Bertolini, Tad, D'Agostino, Timur Kocak, Ann Moller, Alyson Leigh.

Rosenfeld, Sandy York

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SCALE 1:5 (Hungary) | WALKING TOUR PERFORMANCE

Directed by: Tamas Herczeg. Performers: Tamas Herczeg, Magdolna Kiss Diana, Kata Szilagyi, Zoltan Friendenthal, Tama Kereszteny.

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PROTEST/DEBT (CZECH REPUBLIC) | PLAY

Playwrights: Vaclav Havel and Marek Hejduk. Directed by: Daniel Hrbek. Translated from Czech to English by: Jan Novak and Alex Zucker. Cast: Robert Jaskow, Tomas Pavelka, Jacob Erftemeijer, Tomas Korenek.

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CEZARO GOES TO WAR (Poland) | PLAY

Playwright: Justyna Wąsik. Conceived and directed by: Cezary Tomaszewski. Cast: Michael Dembinski, Weronkina Krowka, Oskar Malinowski, Szymon Dobosik, Lukasz Stawarczyk.

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PANKRAC 45 | STAGE READING

Playwright: Martina Kinska. Translated from Czech to English by: Barbara Day. Directed by: Stephen Brown-Fried. Associate Director: Pauls Macs. Cast: Hannah Adrian, Jazmyn Boone, Riley Jo Payne, Carla Maureen Smith, Jackie Theoharis.

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POWER OF THE POWERLESS IN CHINA | panel discussion

Moderated by: Carl Gershman. Guests: Liao Yiwu, Liu Xia, Andrew Nathan. Interpreted by: Wen Huang.

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EVE OF RETIREMENT (Slovakia) | PLAY

Playwright: Thomas Bernhard. Directed by: Juraj Nvota.
Cast: Peter Simun, Zuzana Kronerova, Marta Sladeckova.

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Photographer: Elizabeth Andrews.