Václav Havel’s “The Garden Party” through the Eyes of a New Generation

What does the classic work of the Theatre of the Absurd, The Garden Party (1963), written by Czech playwright and later president Václav Havel, say to young artists today? The story of Hugo Pludek – a young man navigating ambition, conformity, and the loss of identity – remains strikingly relevant. But do we still grasp Havel’s distinctive humor and his language filled with empty phrases and clichés?

For several months, young documentary filmmakers followed students of the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU) as they prepared two staged readings of this legendary play. The film captures not only the rehearsal process, but also open discussions about the timeless message of The Garden Party and the creative experiments seeking to bring Havel closer to today’s audiences.

• Featuring in the documentary Hugo Among Us: emerging theatre directors Laura Fedorová and Mykhailo Fedorov, DAMU students, and theatre theorist Lenka Jungmannová.
• Concept, script & direction: Vojtěch Peřina
• Dramaturgy: Vojtěch Peřina, Ester Josefína Vandasová

The film was supported by the estate of Markéta Goetz-Stankiewicz.