For a year, we have been rehearsing, editing, rewriting, and figuring out how to bring the stories of eyewitnesses to the stage. Now it’s finally time for the curtain to rise. In May and June, the Memory of Nations Theatre Studios z from Prague, Brno, Hradec Králové, Karlovy Vary, and Liberec will take the stage. From May 7 to June 16, their work will be presented gradually across these cities. You can enjoy original productions by young people who have spent the entire year working with eyewitnesses’ stories and exploring how memory can speak on stage. And hen comes the grand finale. At the Memory of Nations Theatre Festival on June 16 at Prague’s Žižkostel, seven Studio productions will be presented, including the premiere of The Window (Vokno), a new play by Studio from Petřiny.

May 7, 6:00 p.m., Divadlo Exil – Studio from Pardubice: Jaroměř – Venice and Back (Jaroměř – Benátky a zpět)

A playful play based on the life story of Iva Rudolecká, presented as part of the first Machoňka Fest.

May 20, 5:00 p.m., Small Stage of the ABC Theater – Studio from Prague City Theaters: GOOD LUCK!
May 20, 6:00 p.m., Small Stage of the ABC Theater – Studio from Prague City Theaters: GOOD LUCK!

An original play inspired by the story of Iveta Clarke. The '80s, freedom beyond the wall, the courage to leave. How do students from the Memory of Nations Theatre Studios view emigration?

At seven in the morning, we found ourselves in Vienna in front of the main train station. We watched the people. Everyone was heading somewhere. Some with groceries, newspapers, some with colleagues or children. And we had no idea where we would sleep that night.

During a trip to Croatia in 1987, 22-year-old Iveta discreetly asked for her passport and emigrated through Austria to the United States. Was it just a desire for freedom and fresh air, or was there something else behind it? And how do today’s young people think about emigration?

The play is the result of a joint work by students of the Memory of Nations Theatre Studio under the direction of Alena Skálová. The 6:00 p.m. performance will be followed by a discussion with the creators. The play runs for 40 minutes. Tickets here.

May 27, 6:00 p.m., Aldente Theater Creative Center – Studio from Brno: We’re Not Going to Make Our Lives a Living Hell (Nebudem si přece ze života dělat peklo)
May 28, 6:00 p.m., Institute of the Memory of Nations, Brno – Studio from Brno: We’re Not Going to Make Our Lives a Living Hell (Nebudem si přece ze života dělat peklo)

From a bud to a revolution? Is that even possible? And what does it take for change to happen? Join us as we dive into an interactive gallery that invites you to experience a not-so-distant past. And maybe Havel will even show up. But whatever we may think, we must keep one thing in mind. We’re not going to make our lives a living hell.

May 30, 6:00 p.m., Studio of the Drak Theatre – Studio from Hradec Králové: Next Stop: Endless (Příští stanice: Nekonečná)

“Mrs. Hazdrová, we’re planning to turn your story into a play. What do you think?” “I don’t think it’s possible!” (March 2, 2026)
A true story—an authentic narrative—acrobatic scarves—period recordings—live music—unexpected dance—the humour of life’s optimists

A girl’s reckoning with the present, the past, and the future, for which we (mis-)used the life story of Czechoslovak Radio announcer Dagmar Hazdrová, who in August 1968 continuously broadcast from the Hradec studio for 52 hours and for the last quarter-century was the beloved voice of drivers and passengers on public transport lines all over the republic.

When should we remain silent, and when should we give voice to our feelings and thoughts? And does it even make sense amid the cacophony of the stronger voices of grand events in history?

An original production by five young artists from the Memory of Nations Theatre Studio at Drak Theatre.
Cast: Anna Hammond, Adéla Havlová, Ema Horáková, Veronika Hovorková, Magdalena Vlková
Written and directed by: Klára Fidlerová

May 31, 10:00 a.m., Řetízkárna – Studio from Karlovy Vary: Chain factory (Řetízkárna)

A play inspired by the life and fate of Ivan Kieslinger, an eyewitness who was sent to the Jáchymov mines for 16 years by communists.

June 1, 6:00 p.m., Theatre v Dlouhé – Studio from Dlouhá: Auctoritas Moralis

What makes an authority an authority? And who draws the line between obedience and self-betrayal?
We stand on a spectrum. I will answer yes or no. It will be agreement or resistance. Inaction or action. Between what authority demands of us – and what we are able to give.
The original theatre play by the Memory of Nations Studio is based on the personal story of David Kabzan, who was seventeen when the StB first took him in for interrogation. We, too, are teenagers, and we ask ourselves if we would be able to stand up to them.
Auctoritas Moralis explores how today’s young people feel about questions of morality, authority, and freedom. It is a production about how the questions people faced in 1989 have not disappeared in the past.

June 2, 6:30 p.m., Vzlet – Cirqueon defilé + Studio from Cirqueon premiere: In Between (Mezi)

The regime is brought down by a juggling ball. The Spartakiad is laced with circus elements. A secret message is carried along a monkey bars course.
“And then you started to feel like a European.”
A short theatrical collage inspired by the memories of Alena Laufrová, the years 1989 and 1990, contemporary circus, and the space between then and now.

June 10, 5:00 p.m., Scout Institute on Old Town Square – Studio from Palmovka: And the Next Question Is? (A další otázka je?)

We invite you to join us in our traditional quiz show, where this time we’ll be focusing on the 1980s. Which category will you choose? What does the letter P stand for? Do you know the answers to all the questions? Do you want to win this quiz? The performance draws on the memories of survivors, takes inspiration from the AZ kvíz, and works with the cultural realities of the time that overwhelmed young people in the 1980s. Fingers crossed for you!

June 15 – Studio from Liberec: The Worn-Out Vikslajvant (Prošoupanej Vikslajvant)

The inspiration for the students' play was the period of normalization. The script is based on research into Czechoslovak dissent, interviews with František “Čuňas” Stárek, listening to underground bands – especially DG 307, reading essays by Jan Patočka that led us to poetry, and listening to five radio speeches by Václav Havel from Liberec in August 1968, from which we quote a few passages. Examples from the newspaper press of the time and audio recordings from the Czechoslovak Film Weekly document the development and shifts in social moods, while the reinstatement of censorship legitimizes the media's manipulation.

June 16, 4:00 p.m., Žižkostel – Festival of the Memory of Nations Theatre + Studio from Petřiny premiere: The Window (Vokno)

You’re trying to fall asleep, but the printer’s been running all night. At least it’s not cold. You have to admit, the Bolsheviks knew how to heat a place. We’re spending the night at school and preparing flyers. Someone has to do this work; otherwise, Havel wouldn’t stand a chance. And someone is sweeping in front of the entrance again… A short theatrical program inspired by the fall of 1989 and the story of Dalibor Fencl.

Festival of the Memory of Nations Theatre is an exhibition of final productions by the Memory Nations Theatre Studios from across the Czech Republic. The event begins at 4 p.m., but feel free to arrive at any time during the (approximately four-hour) program. Admission is free (donations welcome). Programme will be divided into three blocks:

4:00–5:30 p.m.

    • In Between (CIRQUEON Studio, ~4:05 p.m.)
    • We’re Not Going to Make Our Lives a Living Hell (Brno Studio, ~4:25 p.m.)
    • The Window (Petřiny Studio, ~5:00 p.m.) – premiere

5:45–7:00 p.m.

    • Next Stop: Endless (Hradec Králové Studio, ~5:45 p.m.)
    • Chain Factory (Karlovy Vary Studio, ~6:30 p.m.)

7:15–8:00 p.m.

    • And the Next Question Is? (Palmovka Studio, ~7:15 p.m.) – preview
    • Worn-Out Vikslajvant (Liberec Studio, ~7:45 p.m.) – preview