Everything for the Nation

One of the peaks of the season 2007/2008 in Slovakia was a unique dramaturgical project of the Andrej Bagar Theatre, The Family Silver. Five productions of Slovak classical prose and drama in contemporary stage interpretations represent five views on the characteristic features and idealistic values of the Slovak nation. The selection consisted of works by Jozef Gregor Tajovský, Július Barč-Ivan, František Švantner (with motives from works by other Slovak authors such as Margita Figuli and Dobroslav Chrobák), the founders of Slovak operetta – Gejza Dusík and Pavol Braxatoris as well as Božena Slančíková-Timrava, the writer of an exceptional observing talent. Even though Timrava lived at the turn of the 19^th century, her view on characteristic features of the nouvelles and stories heroes surprises by its universality and ever-validity.

Ondrej Šulaj returned to Timrava´s work for the second time. In 1975 he dramatized her novel The Ťapák Family which is staged by professional and also amateur theatre groups up to this day. A work is successful mainly because of its theme – laziness and lethargy of Timrava´s heroes are still alive features of our national character. For The Family Silver he chose novel Everything for the Nation – the picture of lives of young women longing for self-realization. The main conflicts of the heroines with the surrounding world put Šulaj in a slightly ironic contrast to desires of an ordinary woman. By this he created an original dramatic text where the characters play out Timrava´s sharp-witted observations in dramatic situations with dominating themes such as hopeless searching for happiness, fanfaronade of nationalists, moral dullness or the resignation of active life.

The production is situated in a studio space, among the audience. Stage designer Pavol Andraško uses natural materials – earth, water, authentic furniture and by them he supports the nostalgic atmosphere of individual scenes, as well as the historical costumes.

In his productions young director Michal Vajdička trusts his actors, he gives space to their nature and offers them a significant partaking on the final form. In Everything for the Nation the actors play their stories by the expressive means of modern theatre, based on a significant detail, emphasising of the paradox and cutting of the situations and moods. Thanks to the strong theme, theatrically popular staging and terrific acting Nitra´s Everything for the Nation became one of the noteworthy events of the previous season in Slovakia. In Slovak theatre, where dominate proven texts and light entertainment, is Everything for the Nation, together with The Family Silver project, a unique act of the theatre of civic engagement.
Oleg Dlouhý