OEDIPUS IN THE VILLAGE. THE FIRST OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE OF A GREEK TRAGEDY IN BOHEMIA

The first Czech outdoor performance of a Greek tragedy (Oedipus the King) was produced by Vaclav Krska, in the South Bohemian village in 1936. There was no permanent natural theatre with a solid stage construction and auditorium there. The actors (and their friends) built a corresponding venue for each performance in the forest. Krska's actors were recruited from among the local villagers, and naturally there were amateurs with great theatre experience. Some of them had been a part of the company for many years, they had been systematically educated, and collaboration with professionals meant a lot to them (the role of Oedipus was played by Eduard Kohout, star of the National theatre). Krska's interpretation of the play was more or less Winckelman-like. The performance, which was attended by spectators from the distant surroundings, was very successful. Prestigious actors from Prague even came to the rehearsal and the premiere was attended by a well-known journalist from Prague who wrote about the performance for a national newspaper.