La MaMa
in association with GOH Productions
Presents
FOWL PLAY: Conference of the Birds
(world premiere)
La MaMa Ellen Stewart Theatre / Nov 21-Dec 8, 2024
TICKETS
Director: Vít Hořejš
Assistant Director/Producer: Bonnie Sue Stein
Music Composed by Avi Fox-Rosen (AFR) with help from Izzy
Music arrangements by AFR with the band and cast
Lyrics adapted by AFR from the book “Conference of the Birds” by Peter Sis
Choreography: Martha Tornay with the cast
Scenic Design: Tom Lee and Theresa Linnihan
Project Illustrations by Peter Sis, from his book “Conference of the Birds”
Costumes: Michelle Beshaw
inspired by Farid us-Din Attar’s 12th century Sufi poem
Cast
Deborah Beshaw-Farrell, Michelle Beshaw, Vít Hořejš, Theresa Linnihan, Gage Morgan, Sammy Rivas, Sarazina Stein, Emily LaRochelle
and a few special guests....
The Fowl Play Band
Avi Fox-Rosen, guitar + voice
Rima Fand, violin + keys + voice
Eleonore Weill, flutes + keys + voice
Jesse Chevan, drums + percussion
illustration by Peter Sis
Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre (CAMT) is produced by GOH Productions, a nonprofit organization and receives public funds New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Additional support: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and Materials for the Arts.
PREVIOUSLY
LUNGS 3rd Annual THEATER FESTIVAL
6B Community Garden, 6th St and Ave B in Manhattan
Sat & Sun, June 8-9, 2024 @ 2pm
CZECHOSLOVAK AND BENGALI STORIES WITH PUPPETS
By Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre
Created and performed by Vit Horejs & S Karim
Featuring The Naughty Tiger performed by Sayma Karin and The Devil and The Lawyer & The Twelve Months .
"GOOD SOLDIER SVEJK ("Shvayk")AND HIS FORTUNES IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR"
FEBRUARY 1 TO 18, 2024
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY, 155 First Ave, NYC 10003, https://theaterforthenewcity.net/
TICKETS
Crystal Field, Executive Director
ADAPTED AND DIRECTED FOR THE STAGE BY VIT HOREJS
Performed by CZECHOSLOVAK-AMERICAN MARIONETTE THEATRE
Michelle Beshaw, Deborah Beshaw-Farrell, Theresa Linnihan, Sammy Rivas, Rocco George and Gage Morgan
Production Design by Theresa Linnihan
The first theatrical puppet production based on the hilarious 1921 antiwar novel by Jaroslav Hašek, a countryman, contemporary and peer of Franz Kafka. Švejk, a professional dog thief and certified dimwit, stumbles through the WWI military machine of Austria-Hungary, whose Czech soldiers are fighting in a conflict they do not understand on behalf of an empire to which they have no loyalty. This timeless satire about a good-humored, simple-minded man, overly enthusiastic to serve, was inspirational to Joseph Heller ("Catch 22"), the creators of M*A*S*H, and Bertold Brecht, among many. In a series of absurdly comic episodes, it explores the pointlessness and futility of military discipline and of conflict in general, defining the idiocy of war and the men who wage it, not just in the Great War but in all wars; not just the idiocy of war but idiocy itself. An innovative re-interpretation of a classic, combining live performers with puppets.
Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre (CAMT) is produced by GOH Productions, a nonprofit organization and receives public funds New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Additional support: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Materials for the Arts, and Maturity Works.
Soldier Svejk image by Josef Lada
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CZECH AND SLOVAK TALES WITH STRINGS
Tour supported by Nebraska and Kansas Czech Honorary Consuls
VIT HOREJS WITH ANTIQUE MARIONETTES - photo: Jonathan Slaff
Vit Horejs performs Czech & Slovak Tales with Strings - photo: Jonathan Slaff
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September 2023 Midwest Tour of historic Czechoslovak Communities! We are making a Roadtrip Film of Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre on tour with the show Czech & Slovak Tales with Strings! (more about the film later) September 8-17, 2023 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE IOWA Sept 8, 1:30pm. National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, Cedar Rapids, IOWA NEBRASKA Sept 9, 3:45 & 5:30pm Annual St. Wenceslas Czech Brewfest!, Milligan (Auditorium) Sept 10, 1:00pm Prague Parish Hall (yes that's right, there's a Prague in Nebraska!) Sept 10, 7:00pm Friend Historical Society Opera House, Friend Sept 11, 12:30 University of Nebraska UNION, Lincoln Sept 12, 1:00pm Friend Public School, Friend KANSAS Sept 13, 5:00pm U of Kansas, Swarthout Hall, Lawrence Sept 15, 6:00pm Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City Sept 17, 4:00pm Historic Midland Railroad Hotel, Wilson |
take a look at our past shows below!
AUDIENCE BY VÁCLAV HAVEL
FEB 2-19, 2023
La MaMa Ellen Stewart Theatre
66 E. 4TH STREET, NYC
MORE
https://www.lamama.org/shows/audience-2023
"Audience," a dark comedy of spying in a brewery, is staged with live actors, giant puppets and live projected closeups of smaller puppets from security cameras in order to suggest surveillance. The production's concept is by Vít Horejš and Theresa Linnihan, who act the play together.
Havel’s classic autobiographical play follows Ferdinand Vanek, a distinguished playwright forced to perform manual labor in a brewery because his writings have been banned by the Communist regime. He is repeatedly called into the bleak office of his boss, the brewmaster, who regales him with irksome, circular monologues, washing them down with endless rounds of beer. Tiresome bureaucracy and constant fear under Communism have driven this hapless boss to alcoholism and fits of rage and despair, which are often turned against his inferiors. The writer must endure a delicate game of cat and mouse -- pointless chat, clumsy interrogation and flattery -- with implied threats of dire consequences such as the loss of even his menial job or imprisonment. One way out of his predicament is for Vanek to help his boss by supplying weekly reports on himself. The playwright refuses, further offending his superior.
The play reflects on the time when Havel actually had to work in a brewery as penance for writing critically of the Czechoslovak communist government. He ultimately went from prison to the castle, becoming president of Czechoslovakia.
Vít Horejš plays Vanek and Theresa Linnihan plays the Brewmaster. Production design is by Alan Barnes Netherton. Marionettes are by Milos Kasal and Jakub "Kuba" Krejci. Costumes and the Vanek marionettes are by Theresa Linnihan. Producer is Bonnie Sue Stein/GOH Productions
FEB 2-19, 2023
La MaMa Ellen Stewart Theatre
66 E. 4TH STREET, NYC
MORE
https://www.lamama.org/shows/audience-2023
"Audience," a dark comedy of spying in a brewery, is staged with live actors, giant puppets and live projected closeups of smaller puppets from security cameras in order to suggest surveillance. The production's concept is by Vít Horejš and Theresa Linnihan, who act the play together.
Havel’s classic autobiographical play follows Ferdinand Vanek, a distinguished playwright forced to perform manual labor in a brewery because his writings have been banned by the Communist regime. He is repeatedly called into the bleak office of his boss, the brewmaster, who regales him with irksome, circular monologues, washing them down with endless rounds of beer. Tiresome bureaucracy and constant fear under Communism have driven this hapless boss to alcoholism and fits of rage and despair, which are often turned against his inferiors. The writer must endure a delicate game of cat and mouse -- pointless chat, clumsy interrogation and flattery -- with implied threats of dire consequences such as the loss of even his menial job or imprisonment. One way out of his predicament is for Vanek to help his boss by supplying weekly reports on himself. The playwright refuses, further offending his superior.
The play reflects on the time when Havel actually had to work in a brewery as penance for writing critically of the Czechoslovak communist government. He ultimately went from prison to the castle, becoming president of Czechoslovakia.
Vít Horejš plays Vanek and Theresa Linnihan plays the Brewmaster. Production design is by Alan Barnes Netherton. Marionettes are by Milos Kasal and Jakub "Kuba" Krejci. Costumes and the Vanek marionettes are by Theresa Linnihan. Producer is Bonnie Sue Stein/GOH Productions
CZechoslovak American Marionette Theatre presents
NAPTIME STORIES FOR THE ABSURD TIMES
A series streamed from the Hudson River Valley
The irreverent storyteller Vít Hořejš re-tells classic Czech and Slovak fairy tales from his socially-distanced Upstate refuge. Co-starring guest-musicians from across the globe.
WHERE AND WHEN: Live Stream on FaceBook, Wednesdays at 3pm (since June 24, 2020) at:
Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre page
EPISODES 1-10 Available on HD on:
YouTube
The irreverent storyteller Vít Hořejš re-tells classic Czech and Slovak fairy tales from his socially-distanced Upstate refuge. Co-starring guest-musicians from across the globe.
WHERE AND WHEN: Live Stream on FaceBook, Wednesdays at 3pm (since June 24, 2020) at:
Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre page
EPISODES 1-10 Available on HD on:
YouTube
About Naptime Stories - The idea for Naptime Stories was born when the return to live theater with a live audience was becoming the ghost of a distant future. A frustrated puppeteer finding himself up the river without puppets, Vít Hořejš decided to revive the storytelling format and use the tales to uplift the mood of homebound families. This new reality inspired Hořejš to collaborate with musician friends in the telling of traditional Czech and Slovak tales to a global virtual audience for a delightful afternoon break. With live streaming technology and increased online programming options, it became possible to create a platform for their art. Czech-born puppeteer, founder and artistic director of the Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre, Hořejš reflects on storytelling roots in his hometown of Prague, Czechoslovakia when he told fairy tales in rock and jazz clubs accompanied by leading Czech musicians. Since coming to the USA in 1979, he has continued to relate fairy tales with and without strings with great success in libraries, galleries, and in other settings, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The World Trade Center and the Smithsonian Museum among others. Each live stream starts with a whimsical introduction by Horejs, sometimes in conversation with Kašpárek, a traditional Czech marionette character, which is followed by the reading of one fairy tale with musical accompaniment.
CHRISTMAS CAROL, OY HANUKKAH, MERRY KWANZAA
2019 - 2020 Edition
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AT THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY DECEMBER 19 - JANUARY 5 |
AT DETROIT INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS December 29 & December 30 |
"I had walked in Scrooge-like but happily walked out feeling the spirit of the season."
- Motherhood Later
"fun, warmhearted mix of tradition and novelty with something to appeal to family members of any age."
- Thinking Theater NYC
"Tongue in cheek line deliveries and self-aware humor fill this show winningly."
- theaterreviewsfrommyseat.com
- Motherhood Later
"fun, warmhearted mix of tradition and novelty with something to appeal to family members of any age."
- Thinking Theater NYC
"Tongue in cheek line deliveries and self-aware humor fill this show winningly."
- theaterreviewsfrommyseat.com
In March 2019, Vít, and GOH Productions Director Bonnie Stein received NY Acker Award.
Artistic Director Vít Hořejš received the Czechoslovak Society for Arts and Sciences (SVU) 2018 Award in recognition of his lifetime achievement in fostering the art form of Czech and Slovak Puppetry. Hořejš joined the list of awardees that includes such notables as film directors Miloš Forman, MacArthur award winning illustrator and author Peter Sis, and choreographer Jiří Kylián.
In 2016,Czech and Slovak puppetry was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
**Great News!!**
Congratulations to Michelle Beshaw and Beata Bocek who have received nominations for New York Innovative 15th Annual Theater Award for Czechoslovak-American Theatre’s production of Duke Oldřich & Washerwoman Božena, the True Story.
Beata Bocek: (Nominated for Outstanding Original Music and Sound Design) is a Czech-Polish singer/instrumentalist performing traditional and not so traditional music, including an array of songs in Polish, Slovak, Czech, Moravian, Swedish and invented languages. She was born in the north Moravian Polish minority region of Silesia (Czech Republic), and plays many instruments including accordion, ukulele, koncovka (shepherd's overtone flute with no finger holes), mbira and guitar. Her trademark songs are performed in a made-up language that is meant to emphasize her minority status in the Czech Republic. She has appeared throughout the Czech and Slovak Republics, Poland, and in Japan. A musical prodigy, she grew up singing and playing several instruments and has achieved prominence in Europe despite having no formal musical training. We are thrilled to host her US DEBUT. www.beatabocek.com
Michelle Beshaw: (Nominated for Costume Design) favorites from among her many strange and wonderful adventures in New York theatre include all her work with CAMT, from the theatres of New York to the tents of Pakistan, and her own small spectacles and puppet shows: A Thundering Notion, at Los Kabayitos Puppet Theatre; The Napier Project, Mabou Mines Resident Artist Suite; and Lulu: a Woeful High Seas Rhapsody of Sunken Wishes and Curious Fishes, at Here Arts Center and The Puppet Library in the Arch at Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza. In 2009 she won her first Innovative Theatre Award for the Czechoslovak-Ameican Theatre’s production of The Very Sad Story of Ethel & Julius as Roy Cohn.
*All costumes in the attached photos (puppet costumes, musician and actor costumes) are by nominee Michelle Beshaw.*
Join the Czechoslovak American Marionette Theatre at the Loisaida Festival (Avenue C from East 12th to East 6th Streets), the largest Latin American community pride event in Manhattan’s most historic neighborhood. Vít Hořejš, our award winning Artistic Director, will perform his one-man show, “Czech & Slovak Fairy Tales With Strings,” (in English). Be enchanted by his century-old marionettes that speak in dozens of voices, dance, play violin, swim, and fly. Our performance (around 15 minutes in length) will be at 12:30pm, THIS SUNDAY (5/26/19), on the Main Stage located at 6th Street and Avenue C. We look forward to seeing you there.
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Past Shows
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Dvořák in America
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The Magic Garden
or The Princess Who Grew Antlers March 5 to 22, 2015 Theater for the New City |
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A Christmas Carol, Oy! Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa La MaMa Theatre (The Club) December 5-14, 2014 www.lamama.org |
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THE REPUBLIC or MY DINNER WITH SOCRATES Adapted from Plato's dialogues La MaMa E.T.C. 2013 |
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KING EXECUTIONER 2013 |
Links:
http://new-york.czechcentres.cz/
http://www.bohemianbenevolent.org/
DUKE OLDRICH & WASHERWOMAN BOZENA, THE TRUE STORY: A HISTORICAL COMEDYE IN THREE ACTS
Jan Hus Church, 2018
A non-traditional staging of a 374 year-old marionette play based on a story of love at first sight. The 11th century Duke Oldrich, who braved stout opposition from friend and foe alike to marry the exquisitely fair washerwoman Bozena, nevertheless forgets to mention some details regarding his own marital status.
http://new-york.czechcentres.cz/
http://www.bohemianbenevolent.org/
DUKE OLDRICH & WASHERWOMAN BOZENA, THE TRUE STORY: A HISTORICAL COMEDYE IN THREE ACTS
Jan Hus Church, 2018
A non-traditional staging of a 374 year-old marionette play based on a story of love at first sight. The 11th century Duke Oldrich, who braved stout opposition from friend and foe alike to marry the exquisitely fair washerwoman Bozena, nevertheless forgets to mention some details regarding his own marital status.
