A story about immense human effort and the preservation of values, serving as a commentary on the current state of society.

The production Bez javiska by Divadlo Pôtoň is inspired by the life of the Czech baroness Sidonie Nádherná of Borutín (1885–1950), whose life serves as a metaphor for the erosion of values built up over centuries. The work depicts the final years of Sidonie Nádherná’s life and is based on historical sources, scholarly publications, and the baroness’s extensive correspondence. After the end of World War II and the death of her closest relatives, Sidonie desperately tried to save the family estate—the castle and its park in Vrchotovy Janovice. She was well aware of their historical, cultural heritage, and social value.

This struggle is documented primarily through her correspondence with Václav Wagner, an art historian and employee of the State Heritage Office. It is valuable in that it captures Sidonie’s own authentic views and attitudes toward the political and social changes during World War II and in its aftermath. The correspondence is supplemented by excerpts from her diaries, personal letters, and the literary works of two prominent figures with whom Sidonie maintained close relationships—the poet Rainer Maria Rilke and the writer Karel Kraus.

The production also serves as a commentary on society’s current relationship to monuments, cultural heritage, and collective memory. It draws a parallel between the struggle to save the castle and its gardens and the current struggle to preserve cultural monuments and culture in Slovakia.

text and dramaturgy: Slavka Civáňová

direction: Iveta Ditte Jurčová

set design, costumes, and props: Markéta Plachá

graphic design and artistic collaboration: Alona Voitiuk

collaboration on prop production: František Kovács

music and sound design: Jakub Bielik

technical implementation: Dušan Hvizd

production: Monika Deset Škojcová, Michal Ditte

performer: Simona Hudecová