{"id":638,"date":"2020-12-02T20:41:07","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T20:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/?p=638"},"modified":"2022-02-05T09:54:58","modified_gmt":"2022-02-05T09:54:58","slug":"czech-republic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/czech-republic\/","title":{"rendered":"Czech Republic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Contemporary playwriting and theatre translation in the Czech Republic are characterised by established structures of support for writers, yet our interviewees reported contrasting opinions on levels of interest in new plays from commissioning theatres and audiences. The theatre scene in the Czech Republic includes state-run venues, which operate on a repertory system and employ an ensemble of actors, and the independent scene, which is subsidised but not state-run, and instead employs freelancers. Money is scarce in both, but state-run theatres operate a more sustainable business model because they enjoy relatively stable funding and can plan ahead. Contemporary plays are produced by both state-run and independent theatres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respondents were split between those who see the interest in new plays growing and those who note that Czech audiences are still not very open to contemporary playwriting. Our survey showed that 40% of respondents believe Czech theatres \u201cregularly\u201d programme contemporary plays, while over 50% think they are \u201csometimes\u201d programmed. 55% of respondents are confident that \u201csome\u201d or \u201cmost\u201d Czech audiences and makers are interested in contemporary Czech plays, while 45% think that audiences and makers are not generally interested in new plays by Czech authors. Many respondents commented that while theatre-makers would like to stage more contemporary plays, audiences are more interested in classic plays. By contrast, our respondents think Czech audiences are more likely to be interested in contemporary plays in translation (80% of our respondents think \u201csome\u201d or \u201cmost\u201d audiences are interested in contemporary plays in translation, versus 55% for contemporary Czech plays). Confidence in the popularity of contemporary local plays in the Czech Republic was among the lowest we recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Nata\u0161a Mikulov\u00e1, Michal Bedn\u00e1\u0159 and Vojt\u011bch Vodochodsk\u00fd in Europe Connexion<\/em> by Alexandra Badea. Trans. from French by Mark\u00e9ta Damkov\u00e1. Dir. by Adam Svozil. Dramaturgy by Marie \u0160palov\u00e1. Produced by Divadlo Let\u00ed. VILA \u0160tvanice, Prague, January 2019. Photo: Alexandr Hude\u010dek \u00a9 Fabulamundi<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
1. Key Players<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

The main centre of contemporary playwriting is located in the capital city of Prague<\/strong>, but activity in smaller cities is also lively. In Prague, the most important venues supporting living playwrights are the National Theatre (Narodni Divadlo Praha); \u0160vanda Theatre; X10 Theatre; A Studio Rub\u00edn; Studio Hrdin\u016f; Venu\u0161e ve \u0160vehlovce; Palmovka Theatre; Kampa Theatre; Studio Dva; Disk Theatre; Na Z\u00e1bradl\u00ed (Theatre on the Balustrade); Vinohrady Theatre; and Dejvick\u00e9 Theatre. Prague is also home to many companies who work in this area: Divadlo Let\u00ed (which has a stable home in VILA \u0160tvanice), Vosto5, Masopust and others. In the second largest city, Brno, venues include the Brno National Theatre, HaDivadlo, Husa na Prov\u00e1zku and the theatre company Divadlo Feste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smaller cities<\/strong> featuring work in this area are \u010cesk\u00e9 Bud\u011bjovice (South Bohemian Theatre); Ostrava (venues such as the Arena Chamber Theatre and the Petr Bezru\u010d Theatre); Liberec (with its puppet venue Naivn\u00ed Theatre focusing on children\u2019s theatre and the Theatre F. X. \u0160aldy, which programmes the WTF Festival); \u00dast\u00ed nad Labem (with the \u010cinohern\u00ed Studio theatre); Hradec Kr\u00e1lov\u00e9 (Drak Theatre focusing on children\u2019s theatre and Klicperovo Theatre); and Pilsen (Alfa Theatre, focusing on children\u2019s theatre).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Systems and Practical Conventions<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
2.1 Funding and Income Opportunities<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Initiating a production.<\/strong> The most likely way for new play productions to be initiated is for resident dramaturgs or artistic directors of venues or companies to commission a playwright to write a new script, or for playwrights to pitch to venue dramaturgs. Less frequently, playwrights pitch new work to directors, or playwrights\u2019 agencies promote their plays with venues and companies. If a play is commissioned by a venue, the playwright is supported by the dramaturg and director along the creative writing process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playwright fees.<\/strong> Playwrights based in the Czech Republic find it very hard to sustain themselves through playwriting alone, including the most established. Playwrights under commission tend to be paid through a combination of flat fee\u2014currently \u201caround \u20ac750\u20132,000\u201d for a commissioned play, according to several experts\u2014topped up by 6\u201312% of gross box office intake. If a play has not been commissioned but has been selected by a venue, the writer is paid through box office percentage only, again 6\u201312%, without a guaranteed minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Translator fees. <\/strong>If a translation of a play is commissioned, it is usually paid \u20ac500\u2013\u20ac1,100, plus a variable percentage of box office intake, around 5%. If translators have not been commissioned, there is no fee, and they are offered 5\u20136% of gross box office intake only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Play development funding. <\/strong>Thedevelopment of new plays tends to be funded by authors\u2019 private money or, less commonly, by state or E.U. funds. The Czech Literary Fund and the Ministry of Culture provide bursaries for authors to write new texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Length of run and touring.<\/strong> New play productions in the Czech Republic tend to have repertory-style runs, so that they are performed once to three times a month for two to five years. Sometimes, new plays tour to a few other national venues after the premiere but do not tend to tour internationally. National tours most commonly happen in theatres that do not have a permanent ensemble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exchange with other media.<\/strong> Many Czech playwrights also write for TV, film or radio, and the exchange between media is the norm. One expert commented: \u201cIt is impossible to live off plays, so you have to write for other media, or have other jobs.\u201d The Czech national radio, especially the stations called Vltava and Dvojka are key players in contemporary playwriting because they commission new plays \u201cmore often than theatres\u201d and \u201cpay better rates,\u201d according to several experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prizes.<\/strong> Prizes for scripts that have yet to be produced include the Evald Schorm Award for emerging playwrights and translators, run by the Dilia agency, which comprises several categories, including Best New Play, Best New Adaptation and Best New Translation; and the prize for Best New Play awarded by the Aura-Pont agency, which has a category for Best Radio Play too and is open to any script regardless of the author\u2019s agency affiliation. Theatre Let\u00ed run the Mark Ravenhill Prize for Best Production of a New Play, which contributed to promoting the culture of contemporary playwriting in the Czech Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Theatre Let\u00ed, Vila \u0160tvanice, Prague \u00a9 www.hatefree.cz<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
2.2 Gatekeeping and Support Structures<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Gatekeepers.<\/strong> Most theatres and companies in the Czech Republic employ resident dramaturgs (who are also sometimes playwrights themselves), whose role it is to source and suggest new plays to artistic directors. In state theatres, the dramaturg\u2019s tasks include picking the best plays that would develop the ensemble, matching plays with directors and supervising rehearsals on all matters of text. However, artistic directors of venues have the last word in the selection of new plays for production.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agencies.<\/strong> Local theatre and literary agencies, Aura-Pont and Dilia, also have a key role in promoting authors working in Czech and Slovak, as well as in foreign languages. These agencies, which offer a copyright fee collection service and look after playwrights\u2019 professional needs, also operate on a commercial basis\u2014charging 10% of royalties\u2014to sell works by represented authors to state-run venues and independent companies. Both Aura-Pont and Dilia fund speculative translations of foreign plays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The promotion of writers happens mostly through the agencies\u2019 own trade magazines, DILIA News<\/em> and Aura-Pont Papers <\/em>(both published quarterly), which are a pivotal way to communicate with professional dramaturgs around the country. Most authors in the Czech Republic are affiliated with one of these agencies and many dramaturgs, though not all, heavily rely on the agencies\u2019 magazines to find new plays. One expert commented: \u201cCzech agencies cannot be compared to what we know from other countries like the U.K. or Germany. It is important to realise that there are only two agencies for thousands of foreign and hundreds of Czech playwrights. The promotion that agencies do is effective, but it\u2019s not targeted\u2014it\u2019s very generic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.3 Education, Publishing and Press<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Higher education.<\/strong> Czech higher education institutions offer acting, directing or dramaturgy courses, which can include some creative writing sessions and practical playwriting modules, but otherwise specialist playwriting courses are not available at drama schools such as the DAMU in Prague and the JAMU in Brno. University theatre studies departments, such as the one at Prague\u2019s Charles University and the Masaryk University in Brno, concentrate on history and theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publishing.<\/strong> Plays appear to be rarely published as books in the Czech Republic, and those that are published are mostly by established writers. The publishers V\u011btrn\u00e9 Ml\u00fdny and Akropolis have published many contemporary plays, including those by the most established writers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Press.<\/strong> Articles about contemporary plays appear to be very infrequent in the general press, such as in national newspapers. Contemporary plays appear to attract more attention in specialist theatre magazines, such as Sv\u011bt a divadlo <\/em>(World and Theatre) and Divadeln\u00ed noviny<\/em> (Theatre News), and in culture magazines, such as Revolver revue<\/em>. The theatre magazine Sv\u011bt a divadlo<\/em>, published bimonthly, includes a new contemporary play in each new issue. The webzine i-divadlo.cz<\/em> publishes professional and amateur reviews of plays. Audience development and public engagement activities do not appear to be high on the agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Poster for the production of Alexandra Badea, Europe Connexion<\/em>, Theatre Let\u00ed, Prague. Photo: Fabulamundi<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
3. Advice for Foreign Playwrights<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe role of theatre agencies in Czech Republic is significant so I think it is important to have an agent (or agency) here as well. Do contact Dilia or Aura-Pont. Also, it is good to know which theatre or company specializes on contemporary drama and try to be in touch with them (and this is also something the agency can help with).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think the best approach is to send your work directly to dramaturgs of the theatres, rather than wait for your work to be discovered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnfortunately, my advice would probably be: write for less than seven actors and write comedies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Copyright \u00a9<\/strong> 2020 Margherita Laera
Critical Stages\/Sc\u00e8nes critiques<\/em> e-ISSN: 2409-7411<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Creative<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution International License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":606,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fabulamundi-workbook"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image8.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":579,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/fabulamundi-workbook\/","url_meta":{"origin":638,"position":0},"title":"Contemporary Playwriting and Theatre Translation Cultures in Europe: A Report on Current Systems, Conventions and Perceptions","author":"Margherita Laera","date":"December 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Margherita Laera* Abstract Commissioned by the E.U.-funded project,\u00a0Fabulamundi: Playwriting Europe Beyond Borders, this report assesses current practices, perceptions and norms in the field of contemporary playwriting and the translation of contemporary plays in nine different European countries: Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain and the U.K. Mapping\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Essays"","block_context":{"text":"Essays","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/category\/essays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image11.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image11.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image11.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image11.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":649,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/romania\/","url_meta":{"origin":638,"position":1},"title":"Romania","author":"Margherita Laera","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Romanian experts appeared to have the lowest confidence levels in the popularity of contemporary playwriting among all the countries we surveyed. Our data suggests that opportunities for local playwrights to earn their living are very limited and support systems are lacking for writers and translators. The state offers no incentives\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fabulamundi Workbook"","block_context":{"text":"Fabulamundi Workbook","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/category\/fabulamundi-workbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image29.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image29.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image29.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image29.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/austria-and-germany\/","url_meta":{"origin":638,"position":2},"title":"Austria and Germany","author":"Margherita Laera","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Austria and Germany are discussed here in a single report because theatre cultures in these two countries share important networks and systems, display similarities in attitudes and tastes, work with comparable conventions, and the German and Austrian languages are entirely intelligible to one another. This makes the circulation of texts\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fabulamundi Workbook"","block_context":{"text":"Fabulamundi Workbook","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/category\/fabulamundi-workbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/featured-austria2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/featured-austria2.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/featured-austria2.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/featured-austria2.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":656,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/united-kingdom\/","url_meta":{"origin":638,"position":3},"title":"United Kingdom","author":"Margherita Laera","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The U.K. has one of the most established and supportive playwriting cultures among the countries we surveyed. Despite English-language authors being among the most translated in every other country, British theatre does quite badly at making space for foreign-language authors. One of the key strengths of the U.K. system on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fabulamundi Workbook"","block_context":{"text":"Fabulamundi Workbook","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/category\/fabulamundi-workbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image35.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image35.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image35.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/image35.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":646,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/poland\/","url_meta":{"origin":638,"position":4},"title":"Poland","author":"Margherita Laera","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2018, one of Poland\u2019s most influential theatre critics, Jacek Sieradzki, famously declared the \u201cend of the contemporary Polish plays problem\u201d as part of his final judging report for the 24th National Competition for Staging Contemporary Polish Plays. He wrote: \u201cThis competition was created [in 1994] to encourage Polish authors\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fabulamundi Workbook"","block_context":{"text":"Fabulamundi Workbook","link":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/category\/fabulamundi-workbook\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/featured-poland.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/featured-poland.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/featured-poland.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2020\/12\/featured-poland.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":643,"url":"https:\/\/www.critical-stages.org\/22\/italy\/","url_meta":{"origin":638,"position":5},"title":"Italy","author":"Margherita Laera","date":"December 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A contradictory picture of Italy\u2019s contemporary playwriting and theatre translation culture emerged from our survey and interviews. Many experts confirmed that interest in new plays has increased manifold in the past ten years, and our survey shows that activity levels are high. 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