One year in a village as a panopticon of miniatures, viewed with kindly perspective and gentle irony. The novel’s village Habrůvka is based on the real South Moravian village of Diváky, where the brothers Alois and Vilém Mrštík lived and collected inspiration for their novel, which is one of the masterpieces of Czech realism. In Miroslav Krobot’s proven dramatization, the seemingly disparate and above all extensive chronicle of human destinies is composed into a coherent mosaic of stories. Joys and sorrows, sins and forgiveness alternate like the seasons and folk festivities. The ambitious project of the Moravian Theatre with the participation of all its ensembles – drama, opera and ballet – was staged by director Janka Ryšánek Schmiedtová, who also invited the dancer and performer Miřenka Čechová, the composer Ivan Acher as well as the actors Jan Vlas and Dušan Urban, a former member of the theatre.

directed by Janka Ryšánek Schmiedtová

dramatization Miroslav Krobot
dramaturgy Michaela Doleželová
music Ivan Acher
set David Janošek
costumes Markéta Sládečková
choreography Miřenka Čechová
assistant choreographer Denisa Musilová
fight coach Petr Sýkora, Daniel Bodlák
choir master Lubomíra Hellová

characters and cast

Vrbčena Vendula Nováková
Bílá Macecha Ivana Plíhalová
Anežka Barbora Dobišarová, j. h. / Dominika Hrazdílková, guest appearance
Maryška Kristína Jurková
Frau Ebr Naděžda Chroboková-Tomicová
Rybářka Elena Prášilová Gazdíková
Barbora Jana Posníková
Sestra Amata Natálie Tichánková
Cihlářka Vlasta Hartlová
Stařenka Rita Schimkeová
Plhalka Ilona Bláhová, guest appearance
Hanča Vendula Pumprlová
Jeptišky Michaela Dvořáková, Vendula Pumprlová, Marie Suková, Eva Wolfová Zatloukalová, Markéta Zahnašová, Petra Zindler
Chasa Michaela Dvořáková, Marie Suková, Eva Wolfová Zatloukalová, Markéta Zahnašová, Petra Zindler
Dívky v krojích Tereza Janečková / Risa Maruyama / Alissa Personè / Clara Polaniok / Beatriz Jimeno Santos
Rybář Dušan Urban, guest appearance / Jan Vlas, guest appearance
Starosta Pavel Hekela, guest appearance
Antoš Jan Ťoupalík
Kryštof Roman Vencl, guest appearance
Martin Lukáš Červenka
Kunz Václav Bahník / Vladimír Hrabal, guest appearance
Chocholáč Lukáš Pořízka, guest appearance
Farář Martin Štolba
Vrbka Tomáš Krejčí
Janek Marek Pešl
Hrabálek Jaroslav Krejčí
Pazderka Petr Vaněk
Psota Jan Vrbacký, guest appearance / František Randýsek, guest appearance
Toman Ivo Melkus
Chasa Lubomír Kalivoda, Radek Leszczynski, Vojtěch Poštulka, Jindřich Suk, Radim Šimeček, Jan Vaculík
Tři chlapci v krojích Alessandro Iannucci, Aurélien Jeandot, Eduardo Miguel Bolsa Neves / Hodaka Maruyama, Elia Zegrati                             
Muzikanti Drahomíra Ticháčková, Barbora Kovářová / Mark Urprezo, Jiří Blahunek               

premiere 6 May 2022

Janka Ryšánek Schmiedtová (1983) has already demonstrated her deep interest in Czech literary classics with her graduating production Eva, Eva! (2008, JAMU), which was a bold update of Gabriela Preissová’s drama Gazdina roba. After a successful engagement as artistic director of Petr Bezruč Theatre, where she put on the stage, for example, Zapomenuté světlo (Forgotten Light) and Maryša (2018 Theatre Critics Award for actress Pavla Gajdošíková), she went freelance in 2019 and as a guest director, dramaturge and writer continues to work at Czech and Slovak theatres. Her productions are socially activated, touching on issues of otherness, gender equality and stereotyping. She regularly collaborates with the playwright and dramaturge Anna Saavedra, for example on the adaptation of The House of Bernarda Alba at Moravian Theatre.

The Moravian Theatre Olomouc (Moravské divadlo Olomouc – MDO) is one of the oldest theatre buildings in the Czech Republic (opened in 1830). It houses three ensembles – opera/operetta, ballet and drama, the latter being headed by Roman Vencl since 2016. Jan Fousek, a teacher and former soloist of National Theatre Brno will take over the ballet section from the upcoming season after the outgoing Michal Štípa. Veronika Loulová, the founder of the opera project RUN OPERUN, was recently appointed artistic director of the opera and operetta, replacing the conductor Miloslav Oswald who held the position for eleven years. In 1996, the then director of MDO, Václav Kožušník, initiated the creation of Flora Theatre Festival – a project that has evolved from a regional showcase of Moravian multi-ensemble theatres into one of the most prestigious Central European festivals.

photo David Kresta