It was the first weekend of the new academic year and I went to see Molly Sweeney at Divadlo Rokoko. I was slightly
worried that the theme of the play (different forms of blindness, failed hopes)
would be too ‘heavy’ for a Saturday evening; in the end however I was
pleasantly surprised by the Czech theatre adaptation of Brian Friel’s work.
Unique in its use of solely three characters that indirectly communicate
with each other through monologues, Molly
Sweeney simply could not leave one unaffected and bored. The actors’ (Dana
Batulková, Vasil Fridrich, Aleš Procházka) performances were captivating and so
were the monologues. The audience travels through time, places and the
emotional states of the characters that are all connected by their failed attempt
to restore blind Molly’s ability to see. In two hours which passed very quickly, I experienced a
roller-coaster of emotions; hope, joy and despair, to name just a few.
The differing aspirations of the characters made it increasingly obvious that
the plot was not going to end well. In short, it was a theatrical study of how
a project goes wrong and the life of those involved changes - though not for
the better, hence getting me into a rather disturbed and sad state of mind.
Nonetheless, I was not depressed; instead, after a long time, I was grateful
for even the smallest things in my life that are successful and I received a
greater desire to live –hence making Molly
Sweeney similar to Chekhov’s plays in terms of effect.
Days later, I was amazed by how the visual and auditory memory from the
theatre vivified the reading of the
play – which undoubtedly will be an advantage when writing an essay on Molly Sweeney in the future. As for the
Rokoko adaptation, I highly recommend seeing it you
might see things clearer or even differently after you leave the theatre.
Next term of
performances: 27.11. – it is 110Kč with your ISIC and
chances are, most of the seats in the audience will still be empty and you
might end up in the front rows, just like I did!
- Anna Hupcejová
