Metamorphoses of acting in the productions of Karol L. Zacha
Metamorphoses of acting in the productions of Karol L. Zacha

Summary/Abstract: The personality and talent of Karol L. Zachar (1918–2003) significantly influenced multiple fields – acting, directing, stage design, drawing, folklore and pedagogy. From a global perspective, the most significant contribution was his directorial work. His expression was characterised by an optimistic view of the world. In his productions, he created festively tuned reinterpretations of world and Slovak classics, which required the actors to balance the characters and their relation-ships with others rather than seek out and reveal dramatic conflicts. However, he was also a director that avoided political themes. Even in the times of the most severe political pressures of Communist totalitarianism in the early 1950s and later in the 1970s, his productions were apolitical oases of creative freedom. That is why his productions received extremely positive audience reception. Through the plays of Shakespeare, Molière, Goldoni, Nestroy or Slovak authors of the 19th century, such as Ján Palárik or Jonáš Záborský, he provided a purely comic world full of a kind-hearted atmosphere. His productions manifested a revival of laid-back spectacle and theatrical imagination, as well as a radical departure from descriptive psychological realism. He suppressed the literary nature of the text in his productions, tried to humanise the negative features of the characters, and avoided philosophical themes. His productions have also received international recognition in performances in Vienna, Prague, Warsaw and Zagreb. His unique style also had a profound impact on Slovak acting. He encouraged spontaneity and harmonisation in actors. The paper discusses the uniqueness and the constancy of Zachar’s style, which does not have its “before” and “after”. At the same time, the text explores the director’s work with the actors of the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava, who, thanks to their collaboration with Zachar, opened up new reserves of their creativity. Zachar was able to lead even actors of tragic nature to spontaneous comedic acting. At the time of his career, Zachar was one of the most important theatre directors who did not react to a paradigm shift but created theatre in the style of an unchanging philosophy of life.

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