Trial by Theatre – Reports on Czech Drama

by Barbara Day, published by Karolinum Press

Launch 13. 12. 2019

Trial by Theatre – Reflections on Czech Drama is the first volume in the Karolinum’s series to be published in English. It sets the story of Czech theatre in its political and social contexts, highlighting the important role it plays in affirming Czech identity and its influence on public events, up to and including the Velvet Revolution and the playwright president Václav Havel. Guests at the atmospheric Franz Kafka Centre on the auspi- cious date of Friday 13 December included the well-known writer Ivan Klíma with his wife and daughter (author of the runaway success for chil- dren, The Adventures of Mr Wellington), the Keeper of the Patočka Archive Ivan Chvatík, the popular theatre director Lida Engelová, the theatre publisher Jan Dvořák, and Eva Anderová, Director of the Franz Kafka Centre. The compere was the broadcaster David Vaughan (author of two books on the Munich betrayal) and the buffet was provided by Café Millème.

From left: Robert Michael Baugh, Editor, Karolinum Press, David Vaughan, Broadcaster, Český rozhlas, and Barbara Day, Writer

From left: Lucie Paříková, Franz Kafka Centre and Eva Anderová, Director, Franz Kafka Centre

From left: Mr. Robert Michael Baugh and Tomáš Míka, Translator

From left: Jitka Sloupová, Theatre Critic and Zuzana Geislerová, Actress

Mrs. Jitka Janečková and Mr. Vladimír Janeček

Nigel Brown, Headmaster, English College in Prague

From left: Jakub Heřmánek, Film Maker, Johana Heřmánková, Philosopher, and Jan Kovařovič, Architect

From left: Michael March, Prague Writers’ Festival and Robert Michael Baugh, Editor, Karolinum Press

From left: Tomáš Míka, Translator and Vladimír Urbánek, Editor, Acta Comeniana

Hana Bergmannová-Klímová, Artist & Author (Dobrodružství pana Wellingtona) with her husband