Ferdinand Vanek Award 2019

S.d.Ch.: Guardian of the Monument or The Forgotten Unicorn
(Two-act /but still/ Vaněk play about the search for the lost kind of democracy)
One feels that it is not the absolute truth, the truth of the Velvet Revolution, the truth of Havel’s living in truth. However, it is still some kind of truth…

Leon Engler: Cement of the Nation
Obviously, today everyone can dig their own hole wherever they like. Human beings are mere destroyers of the Earth.

Max Łubieński: Satisfaction
You know, you can’t see into the heart of the speaker, you cannot know that he doesn’t like the truth and has chosen hypocrisy instead. It’s because the truth is cruel and nasty, while hypocrisy has in itself certain softness and elegance.”

Viliam Klimáček: Au-pairs and Concubines
(Hearty Greetings from China)
I’ll give you the following advice: small nations, if you want to survive, practise merely the neck muscle, sternocleidomastoideus. It is the nodding muscle. Only this muscle will bring you peace and calm in these turbulent times that bend and break the spine of the entire world.

Vít Peřina: The Masks
The Prime Minister wants to throw bundles of banknotes into the crowd of people to persuade them to vote for him. If he was throwing golden bars at them, he wouldn’t bribe the voters, but kill them.

Rodion Bielecki: The Handcuffs
(A short play)
Happy people have happy children, who can expect happy future. Our country will prosper together with you! Isn’t it an absolutely disarming feeling?

Varvara Fajer: Flat no. 13
“Mum, I have only accidentally split wine over myself, the number of the flat is irrelevant! By the way, I’ve heard that for some people thirteen is a lucky number. So, perhaps, for me too…?”

Małgorzata Sikorska-Miszczuk: KOBRO/STRZEMIŃSKI
(A phantasy story).
We could have gone to Paris or Berlin. Chagall, Lisicky, Kandinsky and others went there.
We stayed and worked in Poland.
What was our life like?
Ordinary. Normal.

Fredrik Brattberg: The Resurrection and Death of Jesus
I have risen from the dead, as I said, as I promised. But, don’t touch me, you know… I am still not where I am supposed to be. Everything will be fine, I promise. But don’t touch me and speak quietly.

Magdalena Drab: The Packaging Company
I am the fish bait, from head to toe. Ordinary face, sad eyes, handwritten sign, this is the key to my success. It is necessary to have many keys to success as you never know which lock would open. Justice! Truth! Order! Justice! Truth! Order!

David Ireland: Clint Eastwood
I hate the EU, but I voted Remain basically because I’m lazy. I hate break ups.

Miroslava Svolikova: are you sad, sibyl? why are you crying?/ it‘s not the end of the world, sibyl!
I am the sibyl, I sit in a cave, I can see the future, I speak about it, I whisper about the future to myself, without bidding, I can see it coming and rushing to me, it falls in huge chunks on people.
my word is doubled, it comes from my double mouth, ambiguous and clear.

Borbála Szabó: Cecman and Plural System or “We have finally grown up!”
Free opinions, elections – such nonsense! Darn, people, finally grow up!