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
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
SCALE 1:5 (Hungary) | WALKING TOUR PERFORMANCE
Directed by: Tamas Herczeg. Performers: Tamas Herczeg, Magdolna Kiss Diana, Kata Szilagyi, Zoltan Friendenthal, Tama Kereszteny.
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.
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.
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.
POWER OF THE POWERLESS IN CHINA | panel discussion
Moderated by: Carl Gershman. Guests: Liao Yiwu, Liu Xia, Andrew Nathan. Interpreted by: Wen Huang.
EVE OF RETIREMENT (Slovakia) | PLAY
Playwright: Thomas Bernhard. Directed by: Juraj Nvota.
Cast: Peter Simun, Zuzana Kronerova, Marta Sladeckova.
Photographer: Elizabeth Andrews.