The Seven Ravens

Once upon a time, a girl lived with her parents in a humble dwelling close to the castle in a small village. They gave her the name Bohdanka. During one of her many expeditions to the old attic she discovered seven boys’ shirts at the bottom of a dusty chest. And with them, the terrible truth that she decides to face head on, with her innate obstinacy. No sacrifice can be large enough to stop her. Perhaps only if love crossed her path?

The original production, based on the motifs of a classic fairy tale about looking for peace in an impetuous mind, about will power and about a restless soul, which can only find peace with a considerable amount of self-denial and with the courage to sacrifice herself for others, joins the ranks of Drak Theatre‘s productions that are built on well-known fairy tales. After the successful Sleeping Beauty, the theatre‘s director Jakub Vašíček returns to the adaptation of a well-known tale in a production meant for audiences aged six and up.

Awards and acknowledgements:

Edita Dohnálková Valášek was nominated for Thalia Award for Acting in the Puppet Theatre category. “In the role of Bohdanka, Edita Dohnálková Valášek uses many layers of her acting talent. At first, she is childishly naïve, incredibly unrestrained, and inquisitive, but especially in the second half of the show when she is not allowed to speak, she can vividly portray a whole range of emotions including her affection for the prince, as well as her fear, exhaustion, and pain.”

In the media:

“It is astonishing how Vašíček can easily switch between the humorous grotesque of life and a fairy-talish mysterious, mystical atmosphere. The music, the light design, the acting, the set design are equally captivating… such a masterful and balanced form in all components is absolutely unique in Czech theatre.”

Jitka Šotkovská, 2.7.2024, 73. Puppetry Chrudim – Newsletter No. 4.

Sleeping Beauty

An evil fairy is not invited to be a godmother to an infant princess. Yet, the fairy is not to be discouraged and keeps attempting to reach the baptism at any cost. Will the fairy succeed? The readers familiar with the story know that she will. Our production tells the story as a puppet slapstick about the inevitability of faith, when you literally show it out of the door and it will return through the window. However, besides evil fairies, there are also good ones. The world abounds with princes seeking fortune and ready to set free cursed princesses. Our production is based on classic fairy-tale themes, which are a traditional dramaturgical part of Drak Theatre’s repertoire. Following the success of the acclaimed productions like The White Doe and The Golden Fish, after many years Drak has revived a most-classic story of Sleeping Beauty. The well-known tale of a beautiful cursed princess has seen many adaptations by various artists. Its provoking metaphors and imagery seem perfectly suited for puppet theatre. Moreover, its multi-faceted nature is attractive not only for school-aged audiences.

(more…)

Design Playground

This interactive exhibition teaches concepts and methods of design in a playful way. Step by step, children learn how a designer thinks and comes up with ideas. 

The exhibition takes visitors from the first idea to the final product. A simple guide leads them through five phases: empathy, definition, shaping ideas, prototypes, and testing. The participants discover new, creative approaches to their own work and everyday life as they go through numerous creative adventures. 

Exploring concepts of design teaches visitors how to generate ideas and evaluate them, finding creative solutions to problems. It develops communication and presentation skills, supports teamwork and inclusion, and is playful, fun and educational. 

What will you experience at The Design Playground? How does it work? 

• An interactive exhibition suitable for visitors aged 6 and over. Children should be accompanied by an adult and we count on the active participation of all parties!
• The exhibition is made up of 5 stations. You will learn about one aspect of design at each station.
• Please go through the stations in order.
• You will find a worksheet at each station that will let you experience how a designer thinks and designs.
• At the end, you will have your very own personally-designed diary/notebook/scrapbook, or maybe something else entirely
• We recommend that you spend 1.5 – 2 hours at the exhibition.
• The exhibition is accessible to English-speaking visitors.  Most of the texts in the exhibition are in Czech and English. The worksheets are bilingual.

We offer programs for school groups which take students through the entire creative process. They learn how to gather, sort, analyze, and evaluate information and see how it can be applied to new contexts and situations. In five steps, they get from first idea to its final implementation. 

The exhibition fosters many important skills: teamwork, communication, public speaking, visual presentation of ideas, discussion and debate. 

The process of exploring design concepts brings visitors together, breaking barriers in a group and contributing to individuals’ sense of fulfillment.  

Our educational programs are designed for a range of age groups, from elementary to high school students. 

The creators of the exhibition are from the PROTEBE cultural association in Karlovy Vary. They are design activists, artists, and passionate locals who have been promoting culture and civil society in the town of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) since 2005. DIZAJNPARK is the name of their creative center, which was previously called the Supermarket WC Gallery. They are now located in an industrial building that once housed the Tuhnice heat exchanger, and the space has a strong influence on their work.