Švandovo Theatre Heads to New York in June for Festival, Unveils Residency Project for Czech and American Playwrights

Highlights include a guest appearance in New York as part of the international theatre festival Rehearsal for Truth, followed by performances in New Jersey at the end of June; a residency program for American playwrights in Prague, Brno and České Budějovice this November; and collaboration on the autumn premiere of a new adaptation of Karel Čapek’s R.U.R. at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles.

A Girl on a Trampoline Brings Themes of Exile and Censorship

The next major event in Švanda Theatre’s international activities will be a guest performance of A Girl on a Trampoline, directed by the theatre’s Artistic Director, Martin Františák, at the international theatre festival Rehearsal for Truth. The festival is an annual showcase inspired by the legacy of playwright Václav Havel, in whose honor it was established.

The production, dedicated to the lives and work of Zdena Salivarová and Josef Škvorecký, founders of the exile publishing house '68 Publishers, will be presented to American audiences on June 23. Andrea Buršová will appear in the role of Salivarová, while Marek Frňka will portray Škvorecký.

“Rehearsal for Truth is a New York festival focused on theatre from Central and Eastern Europe. Thanks to our previous successes, we have now been invited for the third time,” says Daniel Hrbek. “This year, the Czech Republic will also be represented by Divadlo Na zábradlí.”

“The festival attracts strong audiences and is attended both by Europeans living in New York and by local theatre communities. We plan to invite new producers to our performance as well; this is one of the ways we continue to expand our network and identify future venues for our work,” Hrbek explains.

According to Hrbek, the Prague-based theatre company deliberately selected the production from its repertoire. “The play explores the experiences of two Czech immigrants and the phenomenon of censorship—issues that are particularly relevant in the United States at this moment,” he says.

Following its New York appearance, A Girl on a Trampoline will also be performed at the Jersey City Theater Center. The production will be staged on June 26 at the historic White Eagle Hall.

 

American-Czech Residencies in Prague and Brno

This November, Švanda Theatre will also launch a joint program with PlayCo, a respected New York organization focused on international playwright residencies, the development of new dramatic works, and supporting playwrights in bringing their work to the stage.

“After the Spanish theatre Sala Beckett, Švanda Theatre in Prague is only the second European theatre with which PlayCo has decided to establish a long-term partnership,” says Daniel Hrbek.

The program will enable the Smíchov-based theatre to host up to three American playwrights each year for a residency in Prague, with Švanda Theatre participating in the selection process.

“Our American guests will spend a week in Prague working with Czech actors and directors on staged readings of Czech translations of their plays. The week-long workshop will culminate in a public presentation for audiences,” Hrbek explains.

The residents will then travel to Brno, where they will meet representatives of the local theatre community. Their third stop will be Jihočeské divadlo in České Budějovice, where they will establish connections with local artists and theatre-makers.

“The visit by the American artists will be followed by a reciprocal program in New York. In 2027, we plan to bring up to three artists from the Czech Republic to the United States,” says Hrbek.

 

Premiere of a New Version of R.U.R. in Los Angeles

Švanda Theatre has also become involved in promoting the works of Karel Čapek in the United States, particularly R.U.R., the landmark play depicting humanity’s confrontation with artificial humans, or robots.

A new adaptation of R.U.R. is scheduled to premiere this autumn as the reopening production of the newly renovated Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Švanda Theatre collaborated on the development of the adaptation and serves as the project’s dramaturgical partner.

Last year, the theatre hosted American actress and playwright Talene Monahon for a residency in Prague, giving her the opportunity to gather inspiration and research material for the adaptation.

 

The Czech Theatre Model? An Attractive Curiosity for the United States

“For American artists working in an intensely competitive market environment, the European—and especially the Czech—model of operating a publicly funded theatre network is both highly unusual and extremely attractive,” says Daniel Hrbek.

“In the best possible sense, universities and theatres alike envy us. The ambition of our theatre—and my personal ambition as well—is to introduce American artists to our system and encourage them to create work within it. Support for live theatre within publicly funded institutions has traditionally been at a very high level in the Czech Republic. Although I am fully aware that, by our standards, we are currently going through a rather difficult period, this remains something we can genuinely be proud of.

The situation is less favourable when it comes to support for independent, non-subsidized organizations. Yet their role within the Czech theatre ecosystem is just as essential as that of the officially funded metropolitan stages,” Hrbek concludes.

June 4, 2026