Through five international performances and four special events, the 2019 Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival examined different nuances of truth. The program was based on the concept of “The Travesty of Truth,” and encouraged participants to enter a dialogue on pressing matters that pervade our post-truth era. While some scheduled shows considered the matters of historical memory, cultural traditions or manipulation of facts (Truth (Poland), Audience (Czech Republic), Hungarian Acacia (Hungary)), others delved into the more intimate realm by raising questions of privacy and personal boundaries in relationships (Watch Now (Slovakia), Woman Alone (Romania)).

“The time when boundary is blurred between truth and lie, theater holds the power to re-establish relationships between participants through a common engagement and common experience of truth,” stated Pavla Niklova, Director of the Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival.

The 2019 Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival took place at Manhattan’s historic Bohemian National Hall. All shows were featured in their original languages with English supertitles. Each was followed by a talkback with the performers along with an afterparty hosted by the countries’ cultural institutions and consulates general in New York. Special events included a month-long exhibition showcasing Vaclav Havel’s playwright trajectory, a live virtuoso performance by orchestra Gypsy Devils and a vibrant panel discussion.

For the first time, two plays from the Rehearsal for Truth program debuted at the Jersey City Theater Center. The Slovak dance performance Watch Now was featured on September 26, followed by the Polish play Truth on September 27. In addition, Vaclav Havel’s play Audience was featured at Davis Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C., on October 2, and at Chopin Theatre in Chicago on October 6, and Romanian play Woman Alone was presented on September 27 at the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York as part of their Romanian-American Studio Theater series.

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