Jan Mikulášek (1978), one of the most distinctive Czech directors of today, became the artistic director of the Polárka Theatre in Brno and subsequently of the Petr Bezruč Theatre in Ostrava after leaving his studies in theatre directing at the JAMU Academy unfinished. His productions – Elementary Particles, V+W Correspondence, Europeana, The Golden Sixties – which he staged as a guest director with dramaturg Dora Viceníková at Brno’s Reduta, garnered significant attention. In 2013, when its artistic director Petr Štědroň took over the leadership of the Divadlo Na zábradlí, Mikulášek became a resident director there. He continues to shape the distinctive aesthetic of the scene to this day, having created there, among other works, The Gray Seventies, The Stranger, The Hedonists, Doctor Zhivago, Hamlets, Obsession, Woodcutters, and others. All of the aforementioned productions were also presented at the Flora Theatre Festival, which has consistently followed and reflected on Mikulášek’s work and, in 2012, included a thematic block of five of his productions in its program. In subsequent editions of Flora, audiences had the opportunity to see Mikulášek’s dramatization of the novella Preparations for Everything (as part of the fall edition of 27Flora Epilogue) or his adaptation of Bergman’s work Personas. The current production My Struggle: A Man in Love clearly references both of these productions.

Mikulášek’s productions are highly regarded by both critics and audiences, thanks in particular to their stylized acting, grotesque exaggeration, and exceptional work with visual and musical elements. His directorial style, characterized by a playful engagement with context and associations related to the chosen theme, clearly draws inspiration from cinematic language. In addition to directing, he composes stage music and teaches at the DAMU Academy.