Bohumil Hrabal (1914-1997) has thousands of loyal readers in Poland, as he does in countries throughout the world. In his many novels and stories he creates a unique and fascinating world of "normal people", who are funny, moving, sometimes prone to lead tragic lives. They inhabit the small towns that surround Prague, and though often flawed, they elicit heart-felt compassion.
BAMBINI DI PRAGA is a stage adaptation of one of Hrabal's early stories. Its heroes are craftsmen and shopkeepers, traveling salesmen and insurance agents, naive young women and street artists. Together they constitute a train of colorful, likeable characters somewhat lost in the reality that surrounds them. The action is confined to a single, eventful summer's day, which culminates with an exhilarating traditional celebration of the annual Venetian Night and... comes to a surprising close.
Bohumil Hrabal, BAMBINI DI PRAGA, translated by Andrzej Czcibor-Piotrowski, directed by Agnieszka Glińska, scene design by Magdalena Maciejewska, music by Olena Leonenko. Premiere: November 9, 2001 at the Współczesny Theatre in Warsaw.
