Divadelní revue (Czech Theatre Review) vol. 33 · 2022 · no 2


Summary

The second issue of 2022 Theatre Review presents two essays prepared by authors from the Department for the Czech Theatre Reseatch of the Arts and Theatre Institute Both studies discuss from different perspectives the position of women in the Czech theatre of the second half of the 19th century. Klára Škrobánková focuses on a little-known one-act play Ze života Richarda Sheridana (From the Life of Richard Sheridan) written by a Czech actress, translator and playwright Eliška Pešková. It offers an analysis of the short comedy, traces the texts that inspired Pešková to write the play and ponders upon the thin line between translation and adaptation per se. The study further documents the events following the staging of Ze života Richarda Sheridana in the Prague Provisional Theatre on March 5, 1866 and the scandalous exposure of Pešková's male pseudonym which led to a wide criticism of the state of the Czech drama theatre. Berenika Zemanová's essay focuses on the incident that occurred in November 1860 during the rehearsals at the Prague Estates Theatre in the context of the so-called insults of purity. Based on the daily press and the police protocol, the author attempts to analyze the social aspects of the theatrical conflict, especially the position of actors and actresses in the relationship to theatre directors, and is inspired by the procedures of historical anthropology. The Remosani versus Thomé case reveals that the position of leading actresses and actors of the second half of the 19th century began to slowly change: if they felt sufficiently supported by their fans, they dared to come into direct conflict with the employer to whom they were completely subordinated until then.
The issue contains Jitka Goriaux's translation of Georges Banu's essay in which the Romanian-French theatre scholar commemorates the recently deceased legend Peter Brook and his relationship with the Eastern Europe countries.
The special section brings forward a selection of various papers presented at the third Summer Theatre Symposium organized at the Mikulov Castle. Petra Ježková looks at Mrštík's last drama; Otto Drexler talks about Josef Träger's radio lectures; Milena Lenderová reports on the Notes of an unknown author from the 19th century; Helena Pinkerová informs about theatre documents collected at the Nostitz Library; Ivona Solčániová discusses the beginnings of lighting theatre effects; Karolina Stehlíková examines the Norwegian premiere of R. U. R.; and Rostislav Švácha explores the topic of the new architecture of wineries in South Moravia. Barbara Topolová and Kamila Černá prepared an interview with the critic, historian and editor Jana Patočková, and Marek Lollok reviews Jiří Knapík's publication about the Opava variation on the Vest Pocket Revue.

analyses

Klára Škrobánková
From the Life of Richard Sheridan. Notes on Eliška Pešková's Forgotten One-act Play [peer-reviewed article]

Berenika Zemanová
“Perverts, trash everywhere!”, or else How the Director of the Estate Theatre Franz Thomé Insulted the Purity of Actress Thusnelda Remosani. Theatrical/historical/anthropological Case Study [peer-reviewed article]

essay

Georges Banu
Peter Brook and East of Europe [essay]

Summer Symposium of Theatre Studies in Mikulov

Petra Ježková
Third Summer Symposium of Theatre Studies [essay]

Otto Drexler
Radio Waves of Josef Träger, 1934–1942 [essay]

Petra Ježková
Mrštík's Last Drama [essay]

Milena Lenderová
European Theatre Halls in the Notes of an Unkown Author, 1824–1832 [essay]

Helena Pinkerová
Theatre Documents at the Nostitz Library [essay]

Ivona Solčániová
Hugo Bähr's Rainbow Journey to Valhalla [essay]

Karolína Stehlíková
Lost in Context. The Case R. U. R. – Norwegian Premier of Čapek's Play in 1924 [essay]

Rostislav Švácha
New Wineries on South Moravia [essay]

interview

One should not lend oneself to lowliness. Interview with the theatre reviewer, historian and editor Jana Patočková (Kamila Černá a Barbara Topolová)

reports

Marek Lollok
Forgotten Opavian Vest Pocket Revue and Its Context (Jiří Knapík: Heller & Kristian aneb Opavská Vest pocket revue (1933). Hra „Kaolin a Majolika“ a inspirace Osvobozeným divadlem: edice pramenů)

new book relases

(July—October 2022)

Klára Škrobánková
Ze života Richarda Sheridana. Notes on Eliška Pešková's Forgotten One-act Play. The presented study focuses on a little-known one-act play Ze života Richarda Sheridana (From the Life of Richard Sheridan) written by a Czech actress, translator and playwright Eliška Pešková. It offers an analysis of the short comedy, traces the texts that inspired Pešková to write the play and ponders upon the thin line between translation and adaptation per se. The study further documents the events following the staging of Ze života Richarda Sheridana in the Prague Provisional Theatre on March 5, 1866 and the scandalous exposure of Pešková's male pseudonym which led to a wide criticism of the state of the Czech drama theatre.
Contact:Klára Škrobánková | ORCID 0000-0002-0134-0563 | Kabinet pro studium českého divadla, Arts and Theatre Institute, Prague | klara.skrobankova[at]idu.cz

Berenika Zemanová
“Perverts, trash everywhere!”, or else How the Director of the Estate Theatre Franz Thomé Insulted the Purity of Actress Thusnelda Remosani. Theatrical/historical/anthropological Case Study. The essay focuses on the incident that occurred in November 1860 during the rehearsals at the Prague Estates Theatre in the context of the so-called insults of purity. Based on the daily press and the police protocol, the author attempts to analyze the social aspects of the theatrical conflict, especially the position of actors and actresses in the relationship to theatre directors, and is inspired by the procedures of historical anthropology. The Remosani versus Thomé case reveals that the position of leading actresses and actors of the second half of the 19th century began to slowly change: if they felt sufficiently supported by their fans, they dared to come into direct conflict with the employer to whom they were completely subordinated until then.
Contact:Berenika Zemanová | ORCID 0000-0001-6403-9113 | Kabinet pro studium českého divadla, Arts and Theatre Institute, Prague | berenika.zemanova[at]idu.cz