History
Slzy Janka Borodáča (The Tears of Janko Borodáč) emerged after the closure of the Prešov National Theatre, active in Prešov from 2013 to 2021. Playwright Michaela Zakuťanská and director Júlia Rázusová (stage productions include “Single Radicals”; “Good Place to Die;” or “The Day When Gott Died”), unite in an intergenerational collaboration through their work and have primarily explored the everlasting feud between the East and West of Slovakia, pinpointing the divergent standard of living in the country. They aimed to highlight the disparities in living standards across the country. Over the course of its active years the theatre received several awards for its conceptual approach and creative output, presenting productions at numerous Slovak and international theatre festivals.
In 2019, under the banner of the Prešov National Theatre, director Júlia Rázusová and actor Peter Brajerčík premiered the co-authored monodrama Moral Insanity, which addresses issues of antisemitism and conspiracy theories. In 2020, they produced Kramer vs. Kramer, exploring the evolving notions of partnership within the context of patchwork families. After the closure of the Prešov National Theatre, these productions transitioned to the newly established theatre, Slzy Janka Borodáča.
Present
We are an independent theatre ensemble based in Prešov, founded in 2020 by director Júlia Rázusová and theatre manager Linda Durkáčová. The ensemble's name references the founder of Slovak professional theatre, Janko Borodáč, who was born in Prešov in 1892. In 1919, he became the first Slovak to study acting at the Prague Conservatory. He is also regarded as Slovakia's first professional director. Due to his lifelong inclination toward psychological realism, he was considered an artistic conservative during his career. His uncritical political stances during totalitarian regimes also sparked controversy. Thus, the name of our theatre symbolically relates to a figure of traditionalism who would likely disapprove of our work and perhaps “weep” because of it.
With Slzy Janka Borodáča, we strive to expand the theatre landscape in Eastern Slovakia in order to decentralize the art across our country. Our work focuses on deepening the director-actor collaboration to provoke societal reflection among creators while exploring new creative perspectives. We address themes of nationalism, radicalism, populism, ethical and moral dilemmas, and the crises of contemporary families.
Currently, our repertoire includes four productions: Moral Insanity, Kramerová vs. Kramer, Pop Animal, and Outcast. Beyond theatre productions, we are also dedicated to exploring progressive acting techniques and organizing acting workshops for professional actors and actresses.