Czech actor, director, and screenwriter Jaroslav Dušek is joining the roster of Prague’s Divadlo Semafor in September, following the closure and upcoming municipal reconstruction of his longtime artistic home at Club Lávka. Secured through a chance family encounter and the invitation of Jiří Suchý, Dušek will bring productions like Čtyři dohody to the stage.
Here is the kicker: Dušek’s transition back to Semafor isn’t just a routine venue shift—it marks a nostalgic homecoming for an artist whose father spent fifty years working as a lighting technician in the same building. As municipal authorities reclaim the Lávka property for renovations, Dušek’s arrival aligns with Semafor’s broader conceptual pivot back to its original multi-artistic roots, blending intimate theatricality with the spontaneous energy of live improvisation.
The Bottom Line
- Venue Displacement: Dušek departs Club Lávka after more than two decades following the venue’s return to Prague City Hall and upcoming closure for restructuring.
- Historic Return: The actor secures a residency at Divadlo Semafor, bridging a personal childhood connection with the theater’s foundational seven small forms.
- Repertoire Expansion: Audiences can expect theatrical titles alongside unique collaborative improv formats, including projects with didgeridoo player Ondřej Smeykal.
Navigating the Lávka Departure and Finding a New Stage
For more than twenty years, Club Lávka served as the reliable urban sanctuary for Dušek’s philosophical and theatrical explorations, anchoring hits like Čtyři dohody (The Four Agreements), Pátá dohoda, and Svět Toltéků. That era came to an unexpected close when the venue’s operator changed hands and the historic Prague building reverted to the administration of the Prague City Hall for a scheduled municipal overhaul. Faced with the news in May, Dušek had to pivot swiftly to secure a viable creative alternative for his loyal audiences.
Enter Divadlo Semafor, an institution that has been led by Jiří Suchý for nearly seven decades. The alignment happened with cinematic precision. While visiting his father—the veteran Semafor lighting technician—Dušek received a simultaneous phone call from Semafor production manager Lenka Řiháčková, extending an official invitation from Suchý to join the theatre.
The Evolution of Semafor’s Artistic Vision
Dušek’s integration into Semafor mirrors a deliberate aesthetic shift initiated by Jiří Suchý. Suchý is steering the theatre back toward its foundational ethos: the coexistence of seven small forms, encompassing musical comedy, film, poetry, jazz, visual art, puppetry, and dance. By inviting select guest artists whose sensibilities match the house’s distinct poetic flavor, Semafor is breathing new life into its historic boards.
| Production / Project | Collaborator | Format / Venue Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Čtyři dohody & Pátá dohoda | Solo performance | Semafor (Scheduled for September) |
| Divadlo Vizita: První pokus | Improvisational ensemble | Semafor (September repertoire) |
| Mluvka a Trouba | Ondřej Smeykal (didgeridoo) | Semafor (Scheduled for October) |
| Duše K discussions | Milan Calábek & guests | Transitioning to intimate hall formats (Velký mlýn, Semafor) |
The actor notes a profound professional chemistry with Semafor principals Suchý and Jiří Svoboda, alongside the technical crews who maintain the venue’s warm, collaborative atmosphere. This environment offers the exact brand of creative freedom that defined Dušek’s decades under Boris Gaydečka at Lávka, ensuring his signature performance style finds an equally receptive home.
Mastering the Physics of Live Improv
Beyond scripted runs like Plato’s Sokratova obhajoba or collaborative pieces with Patrik Kee, Dušek intends to maximize Semafor’s intimate seating architecture for unscripted performance. The venue’s tight geometry ensures unbroken eye contact between the stage and every seat in the house, creating an ideal ecosystem for spontaneous theatrical exploration and audience interaction.
Dušek compares the rigorous discipline of true theatrical improvisation to complex organic systems, noting that genuine spontaneous performance requires deep, parallel synchronization among partners rather than simple call-and-response cues. Much like a school of fish executing sudden directional turns without collision, the performers must anticipate a shared momentum that keeps audiences perpetually surprised.
