K vývoju slovenského profesionálneho herectva (Pokus s Marškou)
The Development of Slovak Professional Acting (Experiment with „Marška“)

Summary/Abstract: The author continues to examine the development of Slovak professional acting. He takes a closer look on a situation after 1920, when a Czech theater company operated under the name the Slovak National Theater in Bratislava and when Slovak actors were seen on stage only gradually. Management of the theater that needed to obtain subsidies from the Slovak towns, created in the season 1921/22 a touring ensemble, entitled Rural Drama Society of SND and had to promote the idea of the Slovak National Theater and show their productions in Slovak cities and towns. Ján Borodáč joined the ensemble before before he finished dramatic arts studies at Prague Conservatory together with the Slovak actors Oľga Országhová, Andrej Bagar, Jozef Kello a Gašpar Arbet and their Czech colleagues Karel Balák, Jan Tumlíř, Marie Pochmannová – Sýkorová, Viliam Táborský, Oto Vrba, Ján Sýkora, Helena Lauterbachová-Jelenská, Ella Petzová, Anna Kovářiková, Máňa Slámová, M. Divíšková, R. Horská and the director of the ensemble, previously member of the operetta at SND, Vladimir Jelenský. After a single season, the ensemble was dissolved for the poor financial situation and the lack of results, actors took up civilian jobs, or found engagements in other theaters. In 1923, the Slovak National Theater was almost forced to shut down since the Prague Ministry of Culture had conditioned the release of grants by the takeover of the theater from the SND Coopérative to private entrepreneur. In 1924, Oskar Nedbal as the new director of National Theater persuaded a teacher Ján Borodáč to return to the theater and to take up responsibility for preparing the Slovak repertoire. The first phase of building up the Slovak professional theater brought certain positives: – The first professional theater was founded on the territory of Slovakia, which at least declared itself as a national cultural institution – A n opportunity to test their skills was given to several adepts of performing arts, whether chosen from among advanced amateur actors, or at least partially educated at the Prague Conservatory – The Slovak plays, written by earlier and contemporary authors were staged in the professional theater

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