DIVADLO LETÍ

Theatre Letí is an independent theatre group which thrives on passion for new plays. We stage all dramatic texts in either Czech or world premieres. Our aim is to publicize contemporary dramatical development, specifically focused on European drama. We believe that our theatre is an open platform which freely unites all artists who thrive on “passion for new plays”.

Theatre Letí was established in 2005. Since then Letí has presented over 60 plays of various contemporary playwrights (either in the form of a regular production or in the form of staged reading) on several Prague stages. In October 2007 the company gained its own stage – the Small Scene at Theatre Pod Palmovkou - where Letí stayed until December 2008. Apart from using this stage the company also co-produced several projects at Švandovo Theatre and Palace Akropolis. At the beginning of January 2009, with respect to successful cooperation with ŠvandovoTheatre, Letí accepted the offer of Švandovo Theater and moved its temporary residence to Švandovo Theatre Studio.

THE CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY DRAMA

Starting 2010 Theatre Letí (which in Czech means fly, as well as flying) spread its wings and flew. We began to work on a new project entitled Center for Contemporary Drama. The main aim of this Center is to broadly support contemporary dramatic development in the Czech Republic, and offer new Czech and foreign plays to the widest audiences. We are very proud that Václav Havel became the patron of this project.

The Center for Contemporary Drama develops a number of program routes: one of the key focusses is the playwright – in - residence – programme. The basic principle of this program is to offer such financial support to playwrights, so they could for a certain period of time, ideally a full theatre season, in close cooperate with the theatre develop a new play.. Artistic background is an integral part of the residence - close cooperation with dramaturgy, perhaps even possible actor workshops, etc. In context of contemporary Czech theatre such program is truly a unique exception, but is fully comparable with foreign theatre development.
Annually the Center for Contemporary Drama awards the Mark Ravenhill Award. It is a unique award for achievement in the sphere of staging contemporary drama in Czech theatres. When selecting the productions of such plays are taken into account that have been written in the past 10 years prior to the award ceremony. The award winning production is chosen on the basis of a consensus of members of the Festival Board of the Center of Contemporary Drama who reflect the symbiosis of high quality play plus the quality of its production. The Board also monitors the results of original and collective creation, based on the final text and its portability outside of the context of the particular theatre performance and the poetics of the certain theatre troupe where the text originated.

In the first year the main partners of the project Centre for Contemporary Drama were Arts and Theatre Institute, HaDivadlo Brno and Theatre Na Zábradlí Prague. However Theatre Letí established cooperation also with other Czech (Švandovo Theatre, Pražské komorní divadlo – Divadlo Komedie, Prague) and foreign (Wiener Wortstatten, GuNaGu) theatres and other institutions (theatre agencies DILIA and Aura-Pont etc.).

In the theatre season 2010 – 2011 it emerged as necessary to focus the growing activities of the Centre into one building. It’s partners however couldn’t find such a necessary space for the Centre in their repertoire, further plans and other agenda. For that reason Theatre Letí introduced the project to the current tenant of Theatre Na Prádle. Both subjects came to an agreement so starting 2012 Theatre Letí is slowly focusing all it’s activities into this building at Lesser Town in Prague. Meanwhile Letí continues in the cooperation with HaDivadlo Brno and it’s international partners.