On what would have been Václav Havel’s 90th birthday, his darkly comic one-act play Unveiling returns in an intimate new production, exposing the bargains people make for comfort, status, and official approval. The performance will be followed by a discussion and a birthday gathering over goulash inspired by the Havel cookbook Kančí na daňčím.
TICKETSFerdinand Vaněk visits the carefully arranged home of old friends who are eager to display their comfortable life and persuade him to accept the same moral compromises they have made. What begins as hospitality gradually becomes an excruciatingly funny performance of self-justification, manipulation, and quiet desperation.
Written in 1975, when Havel’s work was banned in Czechoslovakia, Unveiling is one of the Vaněk plays in which the playwright used a modest alter ego to expose the language and rituals of accommodation under an authoritarian regime. Originally performed privately in apartments and living rooms, the play transforms an ordinary social visit into a precise study of conformity, compromised principles, and the need for another person’s approval.
Havel’s comic rhythm and political insight make Unveiling both hilariously uncomfortable and strikingly contemporary.
Written by Václav Havel
Translated by Jan Novak
Directed by Edward Einhorn
With Craig Anderson, Bob Brader, and Yvonne Roen
Costumes by Ramona Ponce
Stage Manager: Berit Johnson
Content note: The performance contains partial nudity.
After the performance, join us for a discussion of Havel’s theatrical legacy and a birthday gathering over goulash.Inspired by Kančí na daňčím, a collection of recipes associated with Havel, the meal offers a more informal way to remember him.
Goulash was among Havel’s favorite foods and recalls the convivial host who brought people together around the table. The cookbook also recounts his famous “federal goulash,” prepared at Hrádeček during political negotiations. The evening will therefore celebrate another side of Havel: his affection for simple Czech food, good company, and conversation.
Presented by Untitled Theater Company No. 61 in cooperation with the Czech Center New York and Rehearsal for Truth, presented by Vaclav Havel Center and Bohemian Benevolent & Literary Association.
