Vanek 2026 (Belarus, Czechia, Lithuania, Slovakia, USA)

A series of newly commissioned short plays using Václav Havel’s character, Ferdinand Vaněk (or his relatives and descendants) and placing them in modern scenarios, imaging them in the world of today. Vanek was based on Havel himself but because a symbol of the dissident movement in Czechoslovakia. He has been used by multiple playwrights, including Tom Stoppard. This year, we have reached out to past collaborators to continue Havel's legacy, in the year of his 90th birthday.  Featuring plays by Maryia Bialkovich (Belarus), Edward Einhorn (USA), Vladislava Fekete (Slovakia), Gabriele Labanauskaite (Lithuania), and Natalia Kocab (Czechia).

 Directed by Edward Einhorn (USA) and Štěpán Šimek (Czechia), with a talkback following.

Performed in English.

Part of Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival honoring Václav Havel, produced by the Vaclav Havel Center and the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association.

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ABOUT THE 2026 REHEARSAL FOR TRUTH INTERNATIONAL THEATER FESTIVAL

Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival, honoring Václav Havel, is a showcase of contemporary European theater organized each year in New York City. Conceived in 2017 as a shared endeavor of the Václav Havel Center (VHC) and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA), the festival honors the legacy of Czech playwright, dissident and political thinker Vaclav Havel.

Each edition of Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival addresses current sociopolitical trends in Central and Eastern Europe, offering New York audiences a unique opportunity to witness the region’s theatrical zeitgeist.

The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The festival is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.