Industrial Culture

ARCHA THEATRE is a centre for contemporary stage art, without regard to barriers of genre. ARCHA THEATRE acts as a production house, where contemporary art is created and presented. ARCHA THEATRE does not have a stable ensemble – its own performances are created as projects. ARCHA THEATRE is a place for international confrontation of stage art. ARCHA THEATRE is a place where different cultures meet. ARCHA THEATRE presents its own performances not only in the spaces of the theatre, but also elsewhere, for example in public spaces. ARCHA THEATRE places equal emphasis on the theatrical and social functions of the theatre. ARCHA THEATRE creates projects both independently and in collaboration with like-minded organisations in Czech Republic and abroad. ARCHA THEATRE serves a public which is critical and discerning. ARCHA THEATRE is a public forum.

The joint performance of Min Tanaka and John Cale, which officially opened the Archa Theatre in 1994, was a clear hint about the future direction of the theatre's dramaturgy. The encounter of a Japanese dancer and an American musician symbolized the connection of two cultures, two genres and two continents. Archa Theatre strives to be a place that is open to various and unexpected encounters. Its purpose is to examine art’s possibilities, to provide a space for innovative ideas and in various ways to reflect life at the beginning of the third millennium.

Recent projects include the visual-musical performance “Dance Through the Fence”, which deals with immigrants in the Czech Republic and is directed by Jana Svobodova as well as the acclaimed world premiere of a new play Leaving by former Czech president Vaclav Havel and directed by David Radok. Archa’s original projects, which often reflect contemporary social issues, are also created and presented outside the usual spaces of the theatre building. Many of Archa’s projects have met with international acclaim and have been presented at festivals in, among others, Bonn, Johannesburg, London, Kyoto, Tokyo, Belgrade, Brussels and Berlin.

A new initiative from Archa Theatre is Archa.lab. As its name suggests, Archa.lab is an artistic laboratory, whose aim is to create the optimal conditions for continual creation and artistic development, laying emphasis on artistic exploration and experiment in the face of routine and traditional theatrical approaches. The successful performances Chat – Dangerously Easy Relations (2003) and Nickname (2004) explore the contemporary theme of internet communication. The performances, which move beyond the boundaries of traditional theatre, make original use of modern multimedia and elements of computer communication and are also aimed at those who might not usually chose to come to a traditional theatre performance.

Today’s Archa Theatre is located on the site of the original D34 theatre, later the E. F. Burian Theatre. The building, originally a concert hall, was built as part of the functionalist banking palace constructed between 1937 and 1939, designed by the architect František Marek. The radical reshaping of the theatre space in 1994 was based on the artistic project from Ondřej Hrab and the architectural designs of Ivan Plicka. The theatre technology was designed by Miroslav Melena.

The Guardian newspaper mentioned Archa as the country’s “alternative National Theatre”, and that fits – Archa is exceptionally well-equipped venue for all kinds of stage art: from drama to dance, for concerts as well as performances. All that including a café that serves hot and cold drinks and snacks. Archa feeds the soul and body at the same time.


Part of programme:

Divadlo Husa na provázku – The Czech Sea
7/2/2010 20:00 - A play about hope in the year 2009. A dramatic tram ride -- or -- from Florenc to Náměstí bratří Mašínů. I’m not saying that it isn’t schizo. More like a dream. A little erotic, a little crazy, a little perverse. Vašek Ceckář and the band Meteor from Prague included in the price. Concluding with the question: What is our hope? It’s all devoted to Milan Kundera – and to everything else. If you are looking for eternity, close your eyes. The final part of the Perversion in Bohemia project. Script based on the eleventh play of David Drábek written by René von Ludowitz in his own blood. Well, actually, here and there it’s just tomato soup.

Bad, Mother, Bad, the Schwarzenbergs are Here!
5/2/2010 20:00 - The premiere of a documentary film about a princely life in which there never was a dull moment. Director: Břetislav Rychlík. The insanity of the 20th century also affected the fate of the most conservative parts of society, that of the Czech nobility. This documentary is the family saga of Karel Jan Schwarzenberg, whose identity card once said forester and innkeeper, but who in reality was everything possible. A presentation of the Schwarzenberg’s history of thoughts about ancestors, home, exile and return. 

Archa Theatre
Na Poříčí 26 | Praha 1
+420221716333

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Archa Theatre
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