Jana will soon be collecting linden flowers - Premiere

The Viola Theater will present the Book of the Year on stage, poems about love stronger than death will be recited by Jenovéfa Boková with David Matásek.

A masterfully written lament for a beloved woman titled "Jana will soon be collecting linden flowers" will soon take the stage at Prague's Viola Theatre. The eponymous collection by writer and poet Miloš Doležal also shone in the Magnesia Litera competition, where it became the Book of the Year 2022. The deep verses will now transform into a captivating dialogue between a man and a woman, performed by David Matásek and Jenovéfa Boková. The music for the production was composed by renowned musician Jan P. Muchow. Jenovéfa Boková will also enrich the performance with her violin playing. The direction is handled by Beata Parkanová, known for her film and theater work. The first premiere will take place on May 29, and the second on May 30 at the Viola Theatre, with the nearest reprises planned for June 17 and 20. "Like Doležal's excellent book, our production tells the story of a person who unexpectedly loses a loved one and tries to cope with this situation as best as they can," says director Beata Parkanová. "It is about an irreversible and fundamental life turning point, but also about the journey to reconciliation and acceptance. And it is also about the hope that our relationship with loved ones does not end with their departure but transforms," adds Parkanová. Despite the tragic premise, the production also brings comfort and hope. It will be full of vitality, dreaming, and vivid emotions. "I really love poetry; my favorite authors include Jacques Prévert and Václav Hrabě. Miloš Doležal's verses are beautiful too," says Jenovéfa Boková. "I once tried to write poems, but I never showed them to anyone," reveals the actress, who portrays Jana, the lost and found beloved woman. "Jenovéfa is among the best actresses of her generation, who, among other things, is endowed with a touching human authenticity and communicative closeness. And that is exactly what the intimate space of Viola needs," says Beata Parkanová, who similarly praises David Matásek. "In my opinion, it is an unpretentious, very personal, and universally valid statement," says David Matásek, who plays the loving husband. "We will present the audience with a private tragedy here. But not sadly, because there is always a way out," the actor states. According to Parkanová, the text of the collection has been adapted so that an authentic and close relationship develops between the two protagonists. "You can look forward to the wonderful harmony between David Matásek and Jenovéfa Boková, to dialogues that will touch your heart, and to a production rich in words, images, and music," summarizes the director. Love, faith, hope "Viola is known as the smallest theater in Prague with great acting personalities, offering the audience titles based on an engaging connection of words and music. Both the audience and the actors enjoy coming here because they experience evenings together in an atmosphere of understanding and closeness," specifies Klára Cibulková, director of the Viola Theatre. "This will certainly also apply to the upcoming new production 'Jana will soon be collecting linden flowers.' In my opinion, it tells not only about our finiteness but also about nature, light, scents, and other everyday miracles that arise from our love, faith, and hope," says Cibulková.