All three plays are condensed versions (each lasting about 30 minutes) of "great pieces" of Czech folk puppeteers who have been active in our territory since the end of the 18th century as a peculiar (and mostly extraordinary) part of the national revival. The individual puppetry families created (and passed on from generation to generation) their specific text version. The stage and language means used by these nomadic puppeteers still enchant with the poetry of the "magic of the unwanted".

 The director of the production is Tomáš Dvořák, famous and respected in our country and abroad precisely because of his return to Czech puppetry roots and his ability to process the original material with respect for tradition and at the same time with regard to the contemporary viewer. His staging of plays by folk puppeteers Don Šajn and Doktor Faust is one of the oldest and still sought-after items in the repertoire of the Alfa Theater. In addition to the domestic audience, the production was also popular with foreign audiences, especially in neighboring Germany.

 For all the "pieces", the director T. Dvořák created a very original collection of puppets, which he "collapsed" from various common objects. The production thus benefits from the irritating contrast between the conventions of traditional puppet theater and truly non-traditional "surrealist" puppets. In addition, it brings a distinctive and, last but not least, entertaining insight into two archetypal stories of European literature.

JOHANES DOCTOR FAUST, DON JUAN

Text editing: Johanes Doktor Faust - Pavel Vašíček (using texts by J. Pek, T. Dubský, A. Lagron and F. Maizner), Don Juan - Jan Dvořák
Dramaturgy: Pavel Vašíček
Music: Jiří Koptík
Premiere: Don Juan on July 4, 2001 in San Michele all'Adige (IT), Johanes doktor Faust on January 8, 2005 at the ALFA Theater Club

Johanes doktor Faust, originally based on a book of folk reading from the 16th century about a scholar who sold his soul to the devil. In all Czech puppetry versions, the parallel parody line of the comic character Kašpárek is significantly strengthened, and a number of scenes are developed and viewed with a "plebeian" view.

Don Juan is a special variant of the Spanish legend from the 14th century about the seducer of women, Don Juan, and their later dramatic adaptations.

Johanes Dr. Faust and Don Juan have already been successfully presented in Germany, France, Italy and Japan, and we can present them in the German version, possibly with German, French, Italian and Japanese commentary.

GENOVEFE

Text editing: Tomáš Dvořák
Music: Petr Vydarený
Premiere: June 8, 2020

Lovers of sharp, fun and at the same time tragic love stories will be warmed up by Genovefe. It was one of the most popular and widespread puppet shows in Europe. But the husband believes the slander of a treacherous villain ... The story of the suffering of Countess Genovefe of Brabant was first recorded in the 14th century and spread in our country, especially in books of folk reading.