Inspired by the volatile lives of Zdena Salivarova and Josef Skvorecky—two exceptional novelists and translators—the play examines their creative work and hardships under communist Czechoslovakia, as well as their subsequent emigration to Toronto, Canada. In 1971, the couple founded '68 Publishers, a Canadian publishing house dedicated to printing banned Czech literature during the Soviet regime. Featuring works by Czech authors like Havel, Kundera, Blatny, Mandlova, Divis, and Hrabal. Milan Kundera declared that without it, “serious printed Czech literature would cease to exist.”
I Girl on a Trampoline (Czechia). By: Pavel Jurda and Ensemble. Directed by: Martin Frantisak. Cast: Andrea Bursova, Marek Frnka, Barbora Krupkova, Jan Mansfeld, Matej Andel, Katarina Misejkova, Jiri Bobysut, and Martin Frantisak. From: Svandovo divadlo. In collaboration with: Czech Center New York, Consulate General of the Czech Republic in New York. Supported by: Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, City of Prague.
Presented in Czech with English supertitles. Running time: 140 min with one intermission.
This event is part of the 2026 Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival: Hope. For more information, visit rehearsalfortruth.org.
Free and open to the public. Suggested donation $25. Seats are limited, on first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required.
About
Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival, honoring Vaclav Havel, is a showcase of contemporary European theater organized each year in New York City. Conceived in 2017 as a shared endeavor of the Vaclav Havel Center and Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association, the festival honors the legacy of Czech playwright, dissident and political thinker Vaclav Havel. The 2026 festival is being produced in partnership with Untitled Theater Company No. 61.
Each edition of Rehearsal for Truth Theater Festival addresses current sociopolitical trends in Central and Eastern Europe, offering New York audiences a unique opportunity to witness the region’s theatrical zeitgeist.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.