 Welcome everybody back here to seagull talks at the Martinese seagull theater center the greater center CUNY in midtown Manhattan we have a beautiful June days here extraordinary days after a little scare of the forest fires coming here from Canada which was an apocalyptic setting and reminded all of us how connected really everything is and how close. These current problems which we are experiencing was the climate catastrophe really are and it will will be made many more of those days I think ahead of us and the role of the art to make us aware of where we live how we live. What we're doing and what should be done better is becoming, in my opinion, more and more important. Part of a cultural and artistic like in every city is our festivals whether they're music festivals with the exhibitions but also theater festivals in New York always can use more festivals we just experienced the closure of the under the radar festival a very sad thing there's no really big big theater festival in the United days on the scale of Avignon and Edinburgh we are working on it and hope something might be possible. One day, but there's one festival, which over the years has done I think an important contribution being a bridge between America and the world, especially Europe and especially a central Europe it's the festival for the truth and rehearsal for the truth. And we have with us, Pavla and Edward, who are running or will be running and this festival is I think is over 10 years old we will hear a bit more from Pavla who is running it. And with us is Lucia Mann from Berlin with strong ties also to the Czech Republic, who just was a guest here at the festivals the play called the astronaut I think it would went very very well I saw it. And so we're going to talk a little bit about that play which is the experience of a Czech refugee Jewish family and having to leave the country, the Bohemian National Hall is the host. It's kind of the Czech cultural center. And with us is a Pavla Niclova, who is the director of the center Pavla tell us a little bit about you where you are but where are you at the moment. Hello everyone. Hi Frank, thank you for inviting me to this wonderful discussions I'm happy to see all of you I worked with all of you recently so it's a pleasure to see you again. I, yes, as Frank said I'm in New York at the Bohemian National Hall, which is an old cultural house built at the end of the 19th century. And it's always belong to the Czech community of the Upper East Side. And there are different organizations that prepare their cultural programs and diplomatic events. And on behalf of two of them I was happy to start an annual showcase of Central European Theater the first year was in 2017. And we've been able to continue since it's, it's, it's an exciting project. The main organization that's excuse me stands behind it is the Václav Havel Library Foundation. And so the great playwright and also president of Czech Republic at a time here. And so the festival is called rehearsal for truth. It's a festival honoring Václav Havel. What's the idea rehearsal for the truth. So there's one saying that Václav Havel is famous for and that says that a truth and love must prevail over hatred and and lies. And so that's where the true comes from. The festival is because of course Václav Havel was not only a famous president and dissident but first and foremost, he was playwright. So that's why we decided that with our programming in New York, it would be very appropriate to honor him with theatrical programming and performances and but with Central Europe with the countries that are called the Shagrad countries, which may not. It's a term that we haven't used that much. It's not that known in the United States. So we prefer to call it Central Europe, but these are the four countries Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland that are close neighbors and that in many respects shared common history, particularly last the second half of the 20th century, when all of our countries were under where like satellites countries of the former Soviet Union. Václav Havel was convinced that we these four countries should work together that they should approach the Western world the Western Europe European Union and other associations basically together. And that in that way, our voice would be stronger, which I think he was absolutely right. What these countries represent these days. It's another question, but I still believe that we have something together and also there are theater institutes in all of these countries as Frank, you probably know that have a long history who've been working together so although and on political level, these countries are not always united and they present different nations depending on who what the government is. I think in the area of theater and performing arts, they've shown remarkable ability to collaborate over over many years. Can you tell us a bit of festival how long is it how many companies or plays or is a music film or what's what's the idea. So we started in 2017 and we started with four productions from those four center European countries, and they were really European productions that that came to present in New York. It's very difficult for European companies to present in New York to get a working visa to pay all the expenses. The travel is expensive so we we call it festival but it's in real terms it's really a showcase so that means that each company plays once or twice. There are a lot of tickets and in that way, the companies don't need to have working visa so it's really more of a, they come to show what they've been doing. And so we started 2017 then in 2019 we added a spring kind of new series where we present stage readings of European plays that have been translated into English. So again, we love to present works that have been translated to to New York and sometimes international audience and work with local artists, directors and actors to try these works on stage with the hope that maybe the New York audience will see the full version of these plays. So every year we present from around let's say 10 events, usually more. And it was within two weeks. Something like that is running. Yeah, amazing. What are you looking for when when you select. I always try to keep in mind one of how well wrote about theater he wrote about many things and one of the things he wrote is that it doesn't matter in the play in the performance of the theater is a comedy tragedy, or different form, but it should be addressing some of current political or social issues. So that what we've been trying to look at when we before we decide that we would like to present a particular production. And so for example this year it happened that we had three dance shows in a row and it was a very exciting run. We worked with Czech, Slovak American and Russian artists, and it was a very, very special series that we are very happy to present we also had music. Last year we had a big concerts of by that as a music foundation. So we try to combine different art forms to create kind of a taste of sense to Europe. But more and more we also work with local artists that basically came in, particularly with the pandemic. In 2020 we could not do anything and in 2021 in June, still and no European artists would travel to the United States so we decided to work with European American artists who live here in the city. And we created a very beautiful collaborations and we thought that that would be the best way to continue in further in future years. If I understand right also your term at the Bohemian National Hall in the Jack Halschel Center, I think that over 22 organizations in that one building also a fantastic restaurant and a bar with Czech beer and draft. Beautiful space, but your term is coming to an end for how long have you been here and how was your experience in New York presenting art from Europe. You're right, I've been here at the Bohemian National Hall for 13 years. I, I, but I worked for different organizations here at the building so I started as an official check represents as if running the Czech Center New York which is the equivalent of a small very small equivalent of get the Institute or French Institute. And that's how I started and then I was lucky enough to to get a green card and to start working for the Hubble Foundation that is located here at the same building and to work with other Czech expatriate organizations that are here so that was one of the really nice things that I've been always trying collaborate I really like to work with partners, I believe that it's, it's, it's one of the strength in arts to connect people and to bring more organizers more artists just to to be open to new ideas. So that's been one of the wonderful things that we've been trying to do here at the Bohemia National Hall to really and not to be only. So, Bohemia National Hall is mainly Czech cultural house, but I've always tried to to invite, well, first the slow works because because they, they are the closest and we really have a lot of income and but then also through other European cultural institutes I we try to work with with Austrians. We have very good relations with the Polish Cultural Institute. So that's been a really one of the best experiences working with other European partners here in the city. Yeah, it's truly amazing and you made a great contribution to the city of New York where Tony Kushner once said it's the melting pot that never really melted. But I think the Bohemia National helped to melt and to invite people local and European European artists. We have great audiences, you know which is not easy to get over time you get that reputation of the festival and grew and it's really one of the beautiful events and I like as you said it's free it's donation based. It's a gift in a way, and if as a small organization as you pointed out is absolutely remarkable. What you did how you created and that everybody knows you might not know who is the writer who's the musician what's theater play, you might see but you will always know something went through your mind your organization's mind is always an interesting work. I also would like to say that it's also it's everyone who comes to perform here at their work and funding as well European companies apply for travel grants to be able to come here, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the arts, thanks to their grants, we can afford to do this relatively already big event. It's really great with such limited means that you were able at least to host an interest and it's a lot of work. I know I've seen you working and I also know how much is so all my respect and great job done and we will miss you and the city was better because of you who left the legacy with us we have, of course, see how we will come to you and did the great astronaut play. But Edward Einhorn is now with us and he will take over as the director for the festival which of course is our main interest here at the Segal Center. Edward, tell us a little bit about you and your special relation to let's love how. Back in the 2000s I was doing a number of festivals. With my theater company, I run a theater company on top theater company number 61. And in 2006. We did a festival of all the work of lots of help and it was on the 70th birthday and fortunately it turned out to have we had a very fortuitous arrangement with Columbia University because they also wanted to do something of all the time and so they brought him over and he was here for the full period of the festival. So, got to work with him, he was able to come to see the shows. And he during the time of the festival which was basically from late October to early December. He came to the theater multiple times and then that created a relationship that continued until he passed away. And so we presented a piece the pig which I worked on the translation for and we presented a piece called the velvet Artoria which was about the revolution that was presented at the Bohemian National Hall and so we have this ongoing relationship with Havel but also with Czech work with Czech history. And I've been working with Pavla since she's come to New York so first with the Czech Center then with the rehearsal for Truth Festival and done a lot of artistic work together on that end. And also on my own probably because of these relationships I've done work about pterazine, I've done work about where to play about where off the second. So there's been a lot of work that's related to this. And, you know, the original festival remains this very important part of my artistic life and that and, you know, because I had been an admirer of Havel from the time I went to college. I was around the time of the revolution. And I had also discovered his plays around the time right before the revolution happened. And then he was suddenly in the news and it was amazing and and the first show that my theater company did was his play Audience, which was is one of its Vania plays. And, and then after the, the festival we also published all the new translations that were done in relation to the festival so we have five volumes set of these of these havel plays. You wrote the introduction a beautiful edition and we have to talk maybe with this single center, we can reissue them. So what kind of person, what kind of person was Havel but tell us a little bit, that combination of a political thinker but also then who became president of a country but also he was a player. How was how was he as an artist what did you learn from him. He was very approachable very, you know, he just, I mean, I didn't have the honor of knowing before the presidency but it was not. It felt like he was probably the same person before as he was after. And I think one of the things that I found really touching during the festival is that we did. We had a revolution party. And it was, you know, on November 17 at the brick in in Brooklyn which is a small theater, a small independent theater and we didn't expect Havel to actually arrive at that we were showing a play of his temptation. But we figured, you know, he had diplomatic events. We invited him of course but we didn't expect him to go anyway. He arrived with with everybody in tow. And there was Madeleine Albright and some ambassadors and the council general and what and they all came to see the show. And then they, then they stayed for the party afterwards and he made a speech saying that you know there was no place that he would rather be on the anniversary of the revolution and you know and to us in the independent theater world, it just felt like he was one of us in like he was a person of the theater, essentially. This was where his joy was this is where his love was, and that had never changed. And so, you know, his reaction at the party, you know, was in this sort of camaraderie with the same as as anyone who was working in independent theater. Amazing. It's an artist. You know, one of us is he went to jail for his opinions. It meant something freedom of speech meant something free artistic expression was something you had to fight for and and he really cared about art but also was politically to make life better better to have less suffering and to find solutions for problems. You will take over from public I understood right for the festival. What are your ideas what are your dreams where will you change what will you continue. I don't know the answers to all those things yet. Okay, you know the, the public talked about his truth and love, let's overcome lies and hatred was a very important quote of his the the one that I associated with rehearsal for truth has always been his idea about living in truth. He talks about how it's important to speak truth even when it's difficult to speak truth. And I think that is also a very important artistic, as well as political principle. And so that's one of the organizing ideas of it for me. And I think that, you know what what Pablo has done so well is finding work that follows in his tradition, both artistically and morally. I think that's, you know, that's what I would be looking for. I think that is very, there's so many important issues and they're different issues but they're also similar issues that to those that he addressed and finding ways that theater and dance and the arts can can address those issues is really, you know, compelling to me. And I think one of the things that it, you know, the, one of the reasons the devil revolution is particularly inspiring to artists is it was, you know, it was a theater artist in charge it was organized in the theater. You know, there were like, there was some, you know, there were these dissidents who were speaking out and so many of them worked in theater, and, and it shows the potential of what the arts can do in difficult political times. And it's not always going to achieve that I mean, you know, we're not going to have revolutions led by, you know, an artist every every year. But I do think that there is a leadership that the arts can provide in looking at moral issues, and, and that's the sort of work that I would, I would be looking for. I would be looking back at your five years or 60s of the festival what was and what is important what do you feel as a curator also what what did you learn. There are many things but I'd like to react to what Edward just said about what kind of works he would like to present and yesterday we close the festival with a performance by a Romanian artist Alina. And it's her autobiographical piece about her difficult life how she was growing up and she never gave up, she made it she now performs, not only at the National Theater in Bucharest, but she also performs here in New York she studied at school and why you she did different scholarships and she did her master's program in London. And so there won't be like artists president every year, but there are those different other levels or or or or or things happening to people that that show how our arts are important. And also, she said and I know that but she was she was she mentioned it yesterday during the talk by Alina that every art is political. Basically, and it's a means every good art or basically every every art that has something to say is in one way or other political because comes from the current situation and speaks about about issues that are that are painful questions that are painful. So that was also one of the lessons that I learned that that really these things can be impressed and expressed in in different artistic forms and and also and then one interesting point from the production point of view was that you would think that that to bring the full productions or to prepare stage readings that the full productions were would be more complicated and it turned out the other way around the stage readings were much more organizing because we had to find, you know, we had to identify the play that was more that was really the festivals that was our job to do that to find suitable planes plays to find a American director who would like to do it and then the director and to get all sometimes together with us would be looking for the cast. So that actually was more more work than if you just present a full production and also I would like to say it's the artists are really grateful for all these opportunities for learning about European plays and and I know it's not very common but I know about and not everybody reports back to me, but I know that some people who met European playwrights because of our stage reading series, they've been in state they stayed in touch and they are thinking about creating a project perhaps in Europe. So that that has been really good that it has some follow ups I know about two productions that we presented that then had a full run at La Mama so who never want to credit us by the way, but otherwise, it's, it's, it's been really nice, it's been really nice. Before we come to Lucia, what else overlooking back what was some of the production that you keep in mind but what you think that really represented what we were looking for. That question for Lucia. Lucia, yeah. No, no, no for for Pavla some of your festival what what what companies what productions stayed in your mind. Well, we have very strong collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute and to Max Molarski who's been producing just just wonderful things and a couple of plays. And that was like all the text by the catch that that we had two years ago, directed by Daniel, it is a day and that was a kind of a huge show and after the pandemic, it was so refreshing and relieving that we can still do a live theater so that is definitely one of the very important ones. Then I remember very well our first performance and that was by theater group that is now at the bottom of the theater of the ballast trade which was what's love how was kind of home theater where he produced his play. And it was about two famous Czech theater people, George Voskovets and Jan Werich, who were a very important couple between the wars and then George Voskovets immigrated to the United States after the war so we had a full house and everybody loved that performance. And then of course I have in mind the show that just finished so that's that dance trial that we had over the weekend was really strong. And of course, and I hope she will perform more Elena Demianenko who's American Russian choreographer dancer. She lives in the United States. So she met she met with another Russian dancer in Berlin, and they started working on a piece and basically asking question what should Russian artists do with the invasion on Ukraine how they should react. What's going to happen with with Russian artists so that that was a very special performance that we presented I think they will still develop it but they they performed in Berlin they've come here. Yeah, will be interesting. Yeah, how much I saw that it cuts the production I think one actor took the took the advice break a leg a little bit too literal. In the show, I think he broke his leg I saw the great trap door theater the project play I saw this will show absolutely brilliant and so so much more but we also have with us an artist because of course it is important to listen to the voices of the artists. And also, and was the water must love sky came back as you said was the Polish cultural Institute, and we should play bowie in bars so also beautiful I thought reflection on on a moment in time in the early 70s were bowie like a messianic angel for 40 minutes trust the ground coming out of a bus after concert in Moscow or something and about the people of that time and then we have would see a man with us just a couple of days ago with her play. The astronaut would see a first of all, thank you for listening and in and for joining us and for the patient where are you now and what time is it. And what time is it I'm in Berlin, and it's 730 here, PM, 730 PM. And yeah, thank you for, you know, having me like giving me the chance to perform the play in New York to the marketing theater center and also to the rehearsal for shoes festival which was really a pleasure and was really great to see it on stage. So what did it mean for you to show a work which is kind of deals, maybe say a few words about this, the content. The content of the play. Yeah, it's a, it's a father son relationship. And it also shows how immigration shapes your life and the advice that you give to your children the relationship between children and parents and how it takes you from. Yeah, you're not necessarily your roots but what other people have if they always stay in the same place. Yeah, it's an immigrant I see from Czech, Czechoslovakia at the time, in the early 70s as an emigrated and talk to a son who happens to be in an astronaut uniform can't really move can really say anything, and the father has a long monologue to tell us a little bit about the idea what does it has to do with migration or the immigrants. I think it's your taste so basically when you are most of the immigrants or immigrants, they lose all their contacts I mean they have to make new friends, they only have a few family members of their lucky with them. And they just, it's not the same as for people who are all their life in the same place they don't have their school friends they don't have. You know that where they were educated is not in the same place. So you feel probably a little bit alone, you know, like, for example my father didn't have also my mother like they didn't have passports for some time. So then you can travel and you feel probably isolated in a way so the son that the father is not able to communicate with the sun is also a sign of isolation in some way. But it's also, if you don't look at the politics at all. It's also just a parent child relationship where sometimes you see a person as a different you know someone can be an astronaut suit in front of you maybe they work for NASA. You see it and you ask them questions like what are you doing, or your child is an artist and you don't accept it and you think, what are you doing. So this is, I think also simple. What did it mean for you to come over and tell a story is a check German story about if I remember right. I think it meant a lot to me it was very nice to have to be able to show the performance to an American audience, or like an international audience in English, which is also very special it's. I think very, because I'm, of course I'm from Germany I was born in Berlin, but I don't feel 100% like German, because of my Jewish background as probably other Germans would feel. So this is kind of a special perspective. And I'm happy to have the chance to show this perspective in the US. Yeah, and I understand also the actor was from the Jewish family that fled Germany grew up in the United States went back to Germany quite successful career and came back for the first time in his life to perform in the US. Exactly the actors August Turner, and his parents were Austrian Jewish refugees who came to Illinois, he grew up there until he was 17 and then decided to go to Germany. And he's American so he speaks American English, he learned German. And yeah this was his debut basically in English which was very special for him also for us. He was the director and on Greenberg was a Dutch writer. Very successful. And it was a nice, you know, European Jewish group was very nice to do this. And I want to point that out to show what that Bohemian National Hall the rehearsal photos festival is a space that opens that invites that makes such unique things that would never happen. This would not have happened without the festival that you also took a risk, you know, Pablo, so you know we don't really know how it will be. So we will give a space we will give you room you will have to find you know some funding to come here but we can support you when you're there and there are few places, as we all know not enough places and I think this is why the work of the rehearsal for the festival and so many others cultural vendors in New York City but I think especially the the the check center as the Japan society or the Romanian cultural center actually also and the good Institute and French Alliance do it is such an important place to give a home and to also create a dialogue between continents that often are like very different, different planets. You also come from a literary family and some famous and not so famous you're the great granddaughter of the man family Heinrich man was the brother of Thomas man your grandfather was Ashkenazi a famous check writer. How do you deal with this as a writer to have such a legacy and then what are coming to New York and expectations to yourself and how do you. Is that something that encourages you is it something that stays in your way how do you deal with it. I think, if at all then it encourages me it doesn't stand in my way I don't compare myself to Heinrich man, for example, obviously. No foundation for that. So, it just shows you I think as an artist like whatever your parents do you know like not as an artist but in every field of your parents are. You know, like mechanics or lawyers or something it's always something you get in touch with and you, you probably learn a little bit as an early age, you know from it. So I think it gave me the chance to see that you can be a writer as a profession. Although I didn't do this right away I studied business first of all and went a different route. But, yeah, I think my grandfather Ludwig Ashkenazi had definitely a big influence on me because I read all his, you know, like books for children when I was a child. So I think he, you know, I think about him often when I write. So how is your relations since you live with the Czech Republic and, you know, that's through a detour you know the Czech Center of the Bohemian Hall. Well, how is your relation to a country, you know with that difficult history of immigration of your family. How do you feel that at the moment. At the moment I feel, okay, I mean, there are lots of things to discuss about politics and stuff which we're not doing right now but I don't have. I love the Czech Republic now I like Prague a lot I spent a lot of time there my father lives there. We work there together often so I have a very good and strong relationship to Prague. My father left Poland in 68. So there was also very antisemitic time in 68 so I think, because I have spent less time in Poland. And I have mixed feelings of course towards like towards these you know events but about the countries and going there and I'm happy there and and a lot of people who live there and it's all fine now. How did the audience, how did the American audience react to your to your work. It was very interesting that a lot of people came to me and because it's a father child relationship and the son is an astronaut so I feel like a lot of people had their own, you know, their own reflections on their own life so I got a lot. And basically almost every person who talked to me said, or I'm thinking about, you know, my parents or it was horrible to be here with my son, because it showed us you know that these relationships are difficult and we saw some things that happened to us also, or. Yeah, I think people really have their own. They see their own life when they see the show. Yeah, I think the great the Harold Pinter the great writer you know, who said he also writes because it wants to show that human relations between men woman father son mother daughter or whatever that they are so often so in impossible to really live to. They're not compatible and that language itself also is limited. Communicate what you really want to say but on a stage, when you see people pretending to do something you listen to it in a group of others all the sudden for a moment at least, you know it gives some meaning it gives pieces a secure space in it. So we are a question to both of you these these stories of immigration refugees, a political persecution. Is this also something that went through all the five years are you going to continue that is that the kind of the main center of the festival, maybe Pavla first. It wasn't at the beginning but there are some years when it's more present. I think it was last year. When we basically, we had one project it was a small exhibition and book presentation and talk. The book is called to get to the new world and it's it's about check and immigrants artists who actually managed to escape before the war and found their home in the United States in New York, and then we also had that concept by the Terezin Music Foundation who celebrated check musicians who who were who were imprisoned in Terezin stuff and I keep hearing that basically Terezin became the cultural capital of Europe during the war and so it was it was an amazing night so so it somehow happened that we had that we went back to to the second world war and presented both artists who who perished and artists who who managed to escape. And it's also I think in a way it's a more common in central Europe because we had to go through those 40 years of communism and that wasn't every time to reflect back. And so I think many stories actually it took longer to to make to make some some piece or to speak about certain things. So it's actually it has never been planned in advance. It's not a particular theme for any year of the festival, but somehow things usually I feel also some some natural process in it, and so sometimes it's more about immigration and we presented we presented other place Slovak place also dealing with the second world war or or with people who immigrated from Slovakia to Canada that was one state reading. So it is, I think because of the history of the of the war and then after of the communism, when many people emigrated, there were several ways. So I think it's natural that this theme comes back. Yeah. So, you know, I mean, I'm also Jewish and I have that connection to to a lot of people who had to immigrate. And, and I've done a lot of work with kerosene so I, there's, I have a natural interest in that sort of question and I feel like modern immigration and the question, you know, is a one of the important political moral issues of the day. So of course, since this is, you know, there's what we want to do are addressing these sorts of moral issues. That's going to be one of the themes I think that crops up. But as Pablo says I'm not. I think I'm going to see what the work is out there and, and there will be a shaping of the mathematics, partly from seeing what artists are talking about right now. And I think that you learn a lot just by looking at the work that's being created and and seeing what various artists feel like it is important to address. So, I think there is, I mean, as always, you know that one be guided by the, you know, these sort of underlying principles, but I also think that is that it's equally important to like listen to be to what people are talking about and be reactive to that rather than to impose the thematics beforehand. Yeah, it's, it's so I'm very, very true and as Pablo pointed out from her talk last night, every theatrical every artistic action is action actually against violence against war, something for the truth. And, and theater at the moment is in Ukraine and we might not able to stop the war, but we are witness, and we can then we tell the stories the stories of the World War one of World War two of a holocaust. And what you did the Teresian start to cover a. And so I think it's a significant important function also here in North America were perhaps the memory of history is very short and, and as someone said, and often say you know you should really study history to understand that people forget it also. So this is a great contribution that this festival does also in a bit out of commercial restraints so really present work that is often also complex, complicated but in a way very welcome but individual but very, very universal. Lucia for you to come here experiencing this center. And how will this influence you do you think this will change something is just one stop out of many I know you work on film and television also but how was that experience for you as an artist to come here spend time, and we do, or do the show. It was a very good experience, I think it's, it's great that the tickets don't cost anything. So it's, it's very nice to invite people and not have them, you know, spend tons of money I think especially New York where tickets are usually quite expensive. It's nice to have art for free basically in that sense at least for the, you know, the guests. And it's, it's great that you can, you know, you can see your own work on stage, and you can, you know, try out new things, and you can see if something works you can observe the audience, you can have conversations afterwards so it's very nice to be able to. And there's good communication it's nice that everyone is exchanging their thoughts and you know, maybe what you know to change next time or for me it was a very good experience I feel like I want to perform the astronaut a million times now. Yeah, it was a world premiere also the festival gave it a chance. What are you working on now as what are your upcoming theater projects at least upcoming theater projects. One that is so I wouldn't go on record yet saying what it is. vaguely maybe just the idea. vaguely it's about a historical figure. And people discussing how to present that historical figure, because everyone has a different opinion about the person. But that was very well done. Yeah. Other ones in projects where, for example, I focus at the moment. I mean, you know, things change all the time but at the moment I'm focusing on contemporary Jewish life in Germany. But from a comedic point of view, so not on a series like to make the jewel more normal in Germany basically. Yeah, and tell us a little bit I know you also have a play running at the moment you're also a novelist to the children's box you, you know, put the Harvard edition together but tell us a little bit about also your work as a writer. So the play that's performing right now it's at the new Ohio theater. And it is called the Shylock and the Shakespeareans. So as you might guess from the title it's a take on the merchant of Venice from a Jewish point of view. So the Shylock is a man named Jacob who's a jeweler. And it sort of centers the Jewish characters and deals with the connections between the sort of anti Semitism of Shakespeare's day to modern surgeon anti Semitism so there's both like modern social issues but how they connect to the to the sort of ancient lies like the blood libel that were sort of embodied in the Shakespeare play. And it also addresses immigration, as well as other sort of moral issues in the context of dealing with the place and it's a comedy that that turns tragic. Amazing. Yeah, also at a place you know the new Ohio there's also shutting down. So we experienced at the moment, you know the dying of a lot of institutions new ones are sure will come. But it is complicated I just heard that Alex wrote the Metropolitan Playhouse will close will not reopen. So it makes this festival also the one you will guide, even more important and who knows it might also expand, you know, in a way on the mission, Pavla. Tell us about your work what's lying ahead of you. Where will you be going and what will you be doing. There's a big change ahead of me that's going to happen already next week and I will be returning to prop, and I've been honored to lead the Jewish Museum in Prague from July 1. And it's an institution that I'm familiar with, I worked there for six years before I came to New York so I'm kind of in a way I'm returning home. And it's a it's a wonderful place it we will celebrate 120 years in 2026. So, there's a lot of things to do. I think the pandemic hit the museum quite badly. Now it's things I'll have reopened and what I'd like to do is to kind of elevate the museum to more international level and to, for example, start some collaborations with the Jewish Museum in Berlin or in Warsaw. And we will see how that goes. But I'm very excited. I, I still know some people who worked there. So it's, and we already started planning some things for Franz Kafka's anniversary, who the museum actually doesn't have any of his archives, but we still I think it's not possible to, to miss his anniversary in Prague. So we hope, we hope to open the museum for so that it's not for tourists who come and go really quickly, but we would like to offer something for them to come back to stay longer. And again, like what we've done with the festival to show something contemporary to ask some questions. And, and we will see. I'm excited. Yeah, fantastic. What will you bring from New York what will be different as if you would have stayed in Prague what will you take from you for your experience with the festival here and the city and the life. So one thing is that you have to dream big. So, I'm really planning to, I will try to persuade people about the biggest project we can think of, and then we will maybe scaling down so. So that's one thing that I learned that people are really hard working in New York that was one thing that that somebody told me, you have to slow down when you come to Prague. You can't expect people to work in the same pace as as as you are used to from New York. So that's one thing I will try to keep in mind. And then what I learned here. Also, New York is a multicultural city, truly. And I have two adult young adult children, and they went to public schools here, many of their friends come from different parts of the world. So, I learned that about other cultures that you really don't need in Prague is still a little bit it's in middle of Europe, but it's it's still a little bit like a in closed place so I'd like to open that as well to be more open about other cultures. And, and, and I actually hope I had an opportunity to meet with some people from the Jewish Museum on the Upper East side and from the Museum of Jewish Heritage Battery Park so I just hope. I hope to create an international advisory board and really to stay in touch with with people who try to focus on arts and history and to present stories in a meaningful way to to contemporary viewers and audiences. It's really wonderful what an exchange you brought here you know, global art global artists into this city and this city can also change you from its context was mixed up and you will go back and bring something of that New York spirit you know in a way this is a city of the future. I don't know any other like this one where people really try to live together with all the complications and to form something. And so, how can people send all their plays and choreographies and ideas. How will that work are you going to travel around, can they send it to you by email, call you up or wait for you at the entrance of the Bohemian Hall how does that work as anybody has any ideas. I'm, I'm open to people. Contact to me, however, I, I mean, I haven't really set up shop. So it's harder to say but but I've been actively asking people about ideas and shows they've seen and probably end up asking Pablo when she goes back to Prague if she sees anything that she would suggest. And then I have my own website at redinehorn.com and it's always is very easy to contact me directly. So, there's like a contact thing on that website. And so, you know, I'm always open to people contact me that way with something exciting that they want to talk to talk about. The Rehearsal for Druze festival has an email on the website a contact information. And so it's an open breathing art center. I think it's quite quite beautiful close to us actually also is the Hungarian American library was a performing space or something is happening there on the Upper East side where people should go and can go. And I think it's a fantastic addition to the artistic and cultural life in the city and we'll see where will you stay staying in the summer in Berlin. Will you travel around what do you do your writing. Do I will spend the summer in Berlin and then I will start a writers and residents at the major medical center for Jewish studies at the Ohio State University in August. So that's why I will be in August, if you're looking for me. Very good. So, thank you all, you know for participating and and we had perfect timing as it should be in our conversations thanks to how round again vj and see a fall for hosting us for being such great partners to bring kind of a bit of a global view to to to the Americas and to the great nonprofit platform digital platform of American theater howl round. Thanks to our listeners who are listening and we had some technical complications so we had to postpone the talk. I'm so glad and we got it all done we got popular just before she's leaving the last week and we got Edward just before he started moments of transitions are of interest, and a great that we had the astronaut play. But that was very impressive to see that that almost like this uber popper that puppet of an astronaut, the image of the actor reflected on his golden screen but so he was talking to himself maybe he was a ghost of the past or not. And it showed us what theater anyway is all about and also what's at the core and the center of the festival which is an encounter and things of movement and everything in life is an encounter and I think public rated next to many other things she did a great great forum a great platform for such encounters and giving space to others working tirelessly a bit of course behind it but we really appreciate it all our respect and we would like to thank you. In the name of all the artists who at your festival everybody in New York City who came to your work and we are going to miss you and hope you will be back and hope we will come and visit you so thank you all. And, and goodbye. Thank you. Thank you.