KFT / Karel František Tománek (*1962), is presently the
dramaturge at the Dejvice Theatre in Prague, one of the most
interesting studio theatres in the Czech Republic. Both his adaptations
for the theatre and his own dramatic work have been staged by, for
example, the Drama Studio of Ústí nad Labem, the National Theatre of
Moravia and Silesia in Ostrava and the Klicperovo Theatre in Hradec
Králové. His play Sandwiches of Reality ®, based on the life of the
Beat Generation, his adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, and his
adaptation of I.B. Singer's novel Enemies, A Love Story can be seen at
present on his home stage.
LIST OF PLAYS:
KFT/sendviče reality® (Sandwiches of Reality®), 2003, première 15.10.2004, Dejvické divadlo Praha
Život je krásnej2005 (Life Is Beautiful2005), 2004,
an honorary mention in Alfred Radok´s Award anonymous competition in
2004, not yet performed
Love Story (after Isaac Bashevis Singer), 2005, première 11.3.2005, Dejvické divadlo Praha
Kdyby nebyla elektřina... (If There Were no Electricity), 2006, not yet performed
Spřízněni volbou (dramatization of J.W.von Goethe´s novel), 2006, première 2.11.2006, Dejvické divadlo Praha
SANDWICHES OF REALITY®
(KFT/sendviče reality®)
8 men, 7 women
A play about life, death & sex
Ann throws Neal out of her flat. Jack tries to calm
things down, but Neal, at Ann's bedside holding a revolver, entreats
Ann to make love with him. When he is yet again refused, Neal throws
the weapon at Ann: "Then I'd rather you did away with me!" But before
she has time to shoot him, he jumps on her. The shot whizzes past into
the ceiling. Ann surrenders to Neal. Neal cries: "That's the stuff,
Jack, write that down." Thirty-five similarly dramatic scenes capture
the world of the legendary personalities of the beat generation - of
course, from the viewpoint of today's "Generation X". Messy love
affairs of Neil Cassady, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William S.
Borroughs, with others and even among themselves, are an indivisible
part of the time when the sexual revolution and rock'n'roll, literary
experiments and experimentation with drugs, all started. Abstracted
from their literary fame, the characters themselves go through
grotesque situations which - shifted into a fast tempo - paradoxically
became similar to poetry.
The play was given a riveting production on the
stage of the Dejvice Theatre (where the central European hit, Petr
Zelenka's Tales of Common Insanity originated), the world premiere
being directed by Miroslav Krobot (15.10.2004). It has just been
nominated for Alfréd Radok Award in the cathegory of Play of the Year.
"Apparently the origin of the Dejvice production was a fascination
with how those picturesque, non-conformist personalities of our
grandparents' generation managed to "load themselves". However, the
anticipated success with the audience will also help to create an
evocation of how those "truly blown" paid their price for their unusual
life style- for there is, after a good supper, something titillatingly
picturesque about sad ends and deep despair (...).
As the title indicates, elements of reality - parts of stories from
books about the beat generation - are sliced by the dramatist into
separate lighter and more tragic scenes, on slivers of merrier and
desolate situations, of proclamations, emotions and feelings. These are
freely combined and inserted by the sandwich method, and made more
tasty by the addition of an attractive dressing. (...)"
Pavel Janoušek: "KFT/Proklatě dobré sendviče", Divadelní noviny no.18, 2.11.2004
"A less informed viewer doesn't have to be aware at all of what is
going on, but this openness doesn't matter, rather the other way
around. There remain sketchy possibilities and limits of a certain
approach of certain people, indifferent as to specifically who. (...)
Every scene is a very carefully structured number, for the most part
reaching a surprising conclusion of unmasking; however, the linking of
these numbers is very free. The ‘only' unifying point is this
generation's sense of life."
Michal Čunderle: "Na cestě (k beatnikům a k sobě)", Svět a divadlo no. 6/2004