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Across Two Eras: Slovak Theatre from Communism to Independence
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 January 2009
Abstract
At the cusp of the ‘eighties and ’nineties, theatre in what was soon to become the Slovak Republic had to come to terms not only with the disintegration of the communist system, but with the break-up of the former Czechoslovakia into its constituent nations. During the previous decade, the theatre had in many ways helped to undermine the decaying authoritarian regime, but now many of its practitioners found themselves disaffected by the disappointment of early ideals, and their livelihoods threatened by the loss of state funding, which had at least acknowledged the importance of theatre to the nation's cultural prestige. In this article, the authors trace the distinguishing strands of the work of major directors and writers of both the older and the younger generations, and attempt to define the changing role of theatre – not forgetting the influence of the puppet theatre tradition – as the Slovak nation seeks a renewed vitality through reclaiming its cultural past while re-defining its present. Daniela Bacova teaches English literature and drama at the Department of English and American Studies in the University of Constantine the Philosopher, Nitra, Slovakia, and is one of the editors of the journal Dedicated Space. Dagmar Institorisová works in the Institute of Literary Communication in the University of Constantine the Philosopher, and has just published her doctoral thesis on Variety of Expression in a Theatrical Work.
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References
Notes and References
1. The Viszegrad countries are Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. The 'nineties have also brought a new theatrical event, ‘Divadelná Nitra’ – an international festival usually held in September in Nitra.
2. In the 'seventies no play by any ‘absurdist’ writer could be performed on the Slovak stage, and a similar prohibition applied to many other modern dramatists. Dürrenmatt's Der Besuch der alten Dame, directed by Polák, Roman, was thus performed for the first time in 11 1989Google Scholar.
3. Juraj Jánošík is an historical figure whose legend could be compared to that of Robin Hood.
4. Čavojský, Ladislav, ‘Shakespeare-Mania and Shakespeare Magic’, in Mat'ašík, Andrej, ed., Slovak Theatre, trans. Ol'ga Ruppeldtová (Bratislava: National Theatre Centre, 1997), p. 38Google Scholar.
5. The production received the Critics' Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1991.
6. Through the choice of this profession for Baal, the audience immediately understood the coded political message, since Czech and Slovak intellectuals and political dissidents often worked in similar professions. The set designer Jozef Ciller was a laureate of the Prague Quadrennial (Gold Medal, 1975, 1983) and Triennial in Novy Sad (Gold Medal, 1981). He and Jan Zavarsky are the most significant representatives of the aftervychodil generation of the 'eighties. Ladislav Vychodil received the Gold Medal in Sao Paulo in 1965.
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12. Grusková, Anna, ‘Mladí divadelnici o bídě slovenskeho intelektuala’ (‘Young Slovak Theatremakers on the Poverty of a Slovak Intellectual’), Svět a divadlo, No. 6 (1997), p. 57–61Google Scholar.
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18. The term pro-federal means not only disagreement with the split but also refusal to take part in the hate-inducing political campaign against Czechs.