Photo from the performance
Theatre Husa na provázku, Brno
Eva Tálská: Death and a Horse with Me
Performing: Roman Slovák and Jan Zrzavý will both perform the role of the protagonist of this play. The other characters will be performed by other actors of Theatre Husa na provázku: Alena Ambrová, Michal Bumbálek, Radim Fiala, Vladimír Hauser, Ivana Hloužková, Gabriela Ježková, Dita Kaplanová, Kateřina Šudáková, Eva Vrbková, Pavel Zatloukal.
Also performing are members of Studio Dům: Jana Černá, Aleš Kuchař, Tomáš Pavčík, Petr Reif, Eduard Uličný, Kateřina Zdubová and guest Josef Buchta.
Script and direction: Eva Tálská
Dramaturgy: Radan Koryčanský
Consultant to Dramaturgy: Bořivoj Srba
Music: Lenka Foltýnová
Music collaboration: Jaroslav Šťastný
Stage and costume design: Jana Zbořilová
Art collaboration: Marie Jirásková
Movement collaboration: Petr Šmolík
Acrobatic consultation: Jaromír and Marcela Joo
Others collaboration: Zdeněk Kopřiva, Antonín Maloň, Antonín Hančl, Alena Ambrová, Petr Alexander, Zdeněk Král
Special thanks for their professional assistance belongs to director Jaromír Joo and his Circus JO-JOO.
The premier of Death and a Horse with Me took place on March 15, 1999, at the large auditorium of the Theatre Husa na provázku on Zelený trh 9.
Like the last few meters of a very long race just before and just after one crosses the finish line, I experienced the premiere of the play Death and a Horse with Me with relief and with pleasure. As with each comparison, this is even not the most accurate. Mainly for the reason that the training is nothing compared to the actual race. The tempo is slow and reluctant. There are several ways to reach the finish line. As a collector of maps and travel itineraries, I have been lost in the picture several times, a couple of times even surprised by the sudden departures from the journey... There were even moments when I had to force myself to be optimistic - I believed that we would not overlook our goal. A couple of days before it was realised, I was persuaded that we would receive applause from the audience. My comparison is not so precise in this, that for us, different from the other runners, it isn't important how we reach the finish line, but what we offer along the enriched journey. Only interests the audience. During those moments when we rested on tree stumps, the final shape of the production belong among my most favourite.
After seeing Gábina, for the first time, balancing on a perpendicular rope, and on the trapeze, as well as what the others did... - I had to hold my breath. Even during the first run of performances, seeing these acrobatic numbers again and again, my breath was silent. In each of these few, short minutes, there are many concentrated hours of training and gymnastic, acrobatic and artistic exercises - difficult and patient. I take my hat off to them. And not just for the dangerous numbers. Even for what the main protagonists Roman and his alter-ego Honza had to draw out.
I dreamed I was walking down the street, and whistling the main theme… The music was beautiful and pleasant to remember, something I couldn't get out of my mind before the premiere.
The characters in the story were filled with hate, infidelity, jealousy and malice; their fate was always returned as a gesture of a dark character... No, it's not tragic. Sad? Yes. Sad by means of a sorrow that believes in better times, which calls for a relevant applause after a deep silence.
Radan Koryčanský
The text is taken from the program published by Theatre Husa na provázku, Brno.