Goose on a String Theatre:
Darwin & co.
A gala evening during which we will honor those who have most ingeniously denied their instinct for self-preservation. And maybe you'll be next! Don't believe it? The Darwin Award, ironically given to "those who have removed themselves from the human gene pool in a particularly stupid way," is something we can all eventually display on our shelves (post mortem, of course). Even the most self-deprecating laughter at the stupidity of others cannot drown out the increasingly urgent question of today—can our species wipe out the world with its intelligence as well as its stupidity?
Climbing snow-covered Mount Fuji – in sneakers. Taking a selfie – with a bear. Cleaning a chimney – with a hand grenade. Practicing yoga – on a runway. A festival of folly and a scientific lecture in one. A gala evening during which we will honor those who have most ingeniously denied their instinct for self-preservation. And maybe it will be your turn! Don't believe it? The Darwin Award, ironically given to "those who have removed themselves from the human gene pool in a particularly stupid way," is something we can all eventually display on our shelves (post mortem, of course). Even the most self-deprecating laughter at the stupidity of others cannot drown out the increasingly urgent question of today: can our species wipe out the world with its intelligence as well as its stupidity?
After all, what else does it mean to fight for the right to vote for all—and then give your vote to right-wing proponents of the "right of the strongest"? Millions of years of developing brain power and free will – and then entrusting them to the market. Developing technology – which will ultimately replace us. The transition of life from organic to inorganic form as natural selection? And what would Darwin himself say about that?
Inspired by the phenomenon of Darwin Awards, the work of evolutionary theory pioneer Charles Darwin, and the way in which contemporary extremist movements have appropriated it, this production is Provázek's second collaboration with acclaimed novelist Petr Šesták, following last year's hit Jednou nám za to děcka poděkujou (One Day Our Kids Will Thank Us). Šesták will make his debut as a playwright on the Provázek stage in the 2025/26 season, and in an explosive collaboration with resident director Anna Davidová, he will fearlessly explore the vulnerability of our species.
Director: Anna Davidová
Dramaturgy: Martin Sládeček
Set design: Marek Cpin
Music: Jindřich Čížek
Choreography: Linda Fernandez Saez
Stage manager: Vojtěch Škuta
Assistant dramaturgy: Branislav Mago
Assistant director: Samuel Hornáček
Matouš Benda
Růžena Dvořáková
Pavel Gajdoš
Vladimír Hauser
Milan Holenda
Sylvie Kee Krupanská
Goran Maiello
Markéta Matulová
Zdislava Pechová
Tereza Volánková
Anna Davidová (1984) has become one of the most prominent directing talents of the younger generation thanks to her dreamy directing style and lively imagery. As a freelance director and, from 2019 to 2021, also as artistic director, she has made a significant contribution to the current form of the theater on Zelný trh, creating a number of productions at Provázek that have been enthusiastically received by both critics and audiences. She won the Theater Critics' Award in the Talent of the Year category. In the 2024/25 season, she returned to Provázek as a resident director.
Petr Šesták (1981) is the author of the novel-pamphlet Vyhoření (Burnout), nominated for the Magnesia Litera 2023 award and presented at Provázek under the title Jednou nám za to děcka poděkujou (One Day the Kids Will Thank Us for It). His previous works, which span a wide range of genres, have also been acclaimed: the poetic-philosophical travelogue Kočovná galerie (Nomadic Gallery, 2014), the collection of short stories Štvanice (The Hunt, 2015), the novel Kontinuita parku (The Continuity of the Park, 2021), and the children's book Cesta je pes (The Journey is a Dog, 2023). He lived in a camper van for two years, traveling across Europe with a mobile photography exhibition. He currently lives mainly in Prague. He runs analog photo booths and organizes cultural events in Mikulov in South Moravia. The text Darwin & co., written specifically for the Sviták ensemble, is his dramatic debut.