ROZHOVOR / A CONVERSATION

Jiří Stránský

Cast: 2 men, a voice

A one act chamber play revisits recent Czechoslovak past. The story of a political prisoner who returns from several years in labour camps in the mines of Jáchymov and Příbram and moves into the destitute Czech frontier area to work as a forester is very similar to the author´s own experience and has some autobiographical traits. Two former political prisoners from the fifties meet in a radio studio to broadcast a history programme, Least We Forget. A 75 year-old journalist and presenter, former political prisoner Luboš Příhoda is interviewing a 78 year-old pianist, Jiří Hemberger. The (fictitious) character of one of the best jazz pianists whose career was severed by the class hatred of the Communist regime tells the story of his life, concentrating on a small frontier village, and of its mystery and birth of honour in the hearts of its inhabitants. The small cast mostly narrative play offers great acting opportunities for two elderly male actors. A second version of this play is also available where the questions are being asked by an interviewer who is a generation younger than Jiří Hemberger.

  The play is available in Czech original.