The National Theater will stage a production of Čapkov’s Hordubal without Hordubal
The dramatization of Karel Čapek’s famous novels will premiere on December 1 at the National Theater directed by Michal Vajdička.
He wrote based on a true story Karel Capek in 1933 his novel Hordubal. The story is about men who, after eight years, return home to Subcarpathian Russia from America, thinking that they will find everything there as before. However, it turns out that his wife has a lover, and events take a tragic turn. The clash of expectations and ideas with reality is characteristic of the entire work. Dramatization took over Ilona Smejkalová and took hold of the material in a commanding way Michal Vajdičkatribal director National Theater playswho is appreciated for his work with actors and the creation of elaborate stage situations.
Dramaturgy Ilona Smejkalová says that the idea to dramatize Hordubala she conceived already ten years ago. She was also attracted to the subject because she herself comes from a rural environment, from a Moravian village in Vysočina. From various possible concepts of how to tell the story, it is said that after discussions with the director, the possibility of telling Hordubal’s history without the physical presence of Juraj Hordubal finally crystallized. “Most of the characters in our dramatization are really based directly on Čapko’s novel, but we develop many motifs, imagine them, elaborate them. We leave the ending open, maybe even more open than in the book,” adds Smejkalová.
Zuzana Stivínová in the role of Polana Hordubalová (photo by Martin Špelda)
Director Michal Vajdička sees the relevance of Hordubal in “emphasis on the needs of analytical and critical thinking. The need to decode all information.” This is stated, for example, during the investigation of Hordubal’s murder. He is counting on the fact that the viewer may not be clear after the performance as to who actually killed Hordubal. However, it is necessary to concentrate in the theater. “I hope that at the end each audience will have their own version. It’s good that the audience disagrees, at least we will encourage their creative dialogue after the show. Of course, it depends on the attention of the audience. I think that working with her in such a way that at the end everyone has viewer as much information as possible,” says Vajdička.
The preview of the drama with detective elements will take place November 30premieres then December 1st and 2nd. As Polana Hordubalová and her lover Štěpán Manya, they will appear in the main roles Zuzana Stivínová AND Radúz Máchathey also play e.g Jiří Štěpnička, David Prachar, Vladislav Benes, Alois Švehlík, Igor Orozovich or Philip Rajmont.
Photo: Martin Špelda
Source: press release