Third annual playwriting festival!
Hey! Guess what time it is?!
New Visions’ play writing festival is back!
This year’s theme is Facing Reality.
All of us have had to make hard choices in life. We’ve been faced with options and had to face difficult realities. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to even distinguish what is real and what’s not. All we are left with is facing our own realities.
Here’s this year’s festival program!
September letters:
5th October - Divadlo D21, Záhřebskáv468, 120 00 Praha 2 - 19h
Synopsis:
War rages on in the background. In a war prison camp, a prisoner private is suffering the whipping post, a prisoner lieutenant strives to keep things in balance. A camp sergeant enjoys inflicting pain, the camp commander waits to get the fruits of his hard work. Suddenly a peace treaty between their armies breaks out and forces these four characters to deal with a change in the reality they called home till that very morning.
Who’s who:
Playwright: Guglielmo Menichetti
Director: Jazmín
Sound design: Luca Castaldo
Playing Prisoner Private: Rozie Angel
Playing Camp Commander: Lilia Griselle Gonzalez
Playing Camp Sergeant: Guglielmo Menichetti
Playing Prisoner Lieutenant: Antoanella Ungureanu
Living or Leaving:
5th October - Divadlo D21, Záhřebskáv468, 120 00 Praha 2 - 19h
Synopsis:
Three family life pictures, each one 5 years apart from the other. Two male characters with no women, a father and son. First picture is taken right after granddad’s funeral. Then we skip in the middle of the father’s fight against a degenerative illness. Finally, at father’s deathbed.
Who’s who:
Playwright: Guglielmo Menichetti
Director: Jazmín
Sound design: Luca Castaldo
Playing Father: Milan Šebo
Playing Son: Nikolay Velinov
One black coffee, please. No sugar. :
7th December - Divadlo D21, Záhřebskáv 468, 120 00 Praha 2 - 19h
Synopsis:
In a poignant portrayal of the complexity of family ties and personal struggles, a younger daughter who left her hometown six years ago discovers her father's passing. Battling with her own mental health issues closely tied to her father's alcoholism, she gets the unexpected chance to engage in a final conversation with him. Now faced with the daunting task of deciding whether to embrace this chance for closure or let it fade into the past, she must confront her deepest emotions and make a pivotal choice.
Who’s who:
Playwright: Nel Burshakbayeva
Director: Jazmín
Playing Kaia: Nikki Severin
Playing Michelle: Rozie Angel
Playing Father: Milan Šebo
Playing The Narrator: Guglielmo Menichetti
Reality Check:
11th January - Divadlo D21, Záhřebskáv 468, 120 00 Praha 2 - 19h
Synopsis:
After Will’s obsession with Dungeons & Dragons ruins date night with his girlfriend Faith, an encounter with a curious companion straight out of his game world gives him the chance to make things right, but at a hidden cost. Will and the companion embark on a real-world quest together. Will must complete tests of cunning and strength, all while facing his own inadequacies in the hope of winning back the love of his life. But can he really trust his companion and will Faith ever take him back? 'Reality Check' explores the ideas of free will, destiny, and 'growing up' in a humorous reimagining of the traditional hero's journey.
Who’s who:
Playwrights: Patrik Říha + Callum Roy
Director: Luc.i.e.
Playing Will: Guglielmo Menichetti
Playing Faith: Nikki Severin
Playing Fidgets: Charles Simos Zeind
Adele’s Dream:
1st February - Divadlo D21, Záhřebskáv 468, 120 00 Praha 2 - 19h
Synopsis:
Adele is in a constant state of daze: she is not sure if she is awake or dreaming. That makes her not commit to anything in terms of work and relationships. She is always forgetful and just does not pay attention. She has been dating the same guy for a long time, but the relationship is stagnant. She has been in the same office job that does not interest her at all. One day, her techno savvy flatmate gives her a potential way out: a side hustle run by her digital clone. Life for Adele seems great until the clone seems to develop a life of its own…
Who’s who:
Playwright: Julia Kirszman
Director: Jazmín
Playing Adele: Jade Becker
Playing Jan: Omar Dahy
Playing Paul: Nikolay Velinov
Playing Lara: Olivia Biskupska
Playing Boss: Lada Luntseva
Playing Nils: Guglielmo Menichetti
Meet the talent!
Rozie Angel
Rozie is a multilingual performer, theatre director and creative writer. Upon graduating with a B.A. in English, French and Theatre Studies from Prague's Charles University in 2021, she completed an Arts Management internship at the Czech Centre London, as well as a theatre-making intensive at Denmark's Odin Teatret. Since then, she's directed and appeared in numerous independent, multidisciplinary projects in Prague and internationally, spanning classical theatre, experimental film, voice-over acting, and modern dance. She spent the 2022/23 season performing with Scotland-based troupe EUSS (most notably as Decius Brutus in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar") and for last year's Edinburg Fringe festival, she co-created and starred in an original show reimagining Euripides' "Tragedy of Hekabé" as a movement-based Brechtian drama. Over the years, she's appeared in main and supporting roles in a number of short films (independent, FAMU, NYU, PFS, FAMO Písek) and is a long-term collaborator of the Prague-based Dark Bark Drama theatre company. For several years, she worked as a translator and production assistant at Dramox, the largest streaming platform with theatre and dance content in Czechia. Her reviews and opinion pieces are regularly featured in the highly-regarded performing arts magazine Dance Context.
Olivia Biskupska
Olivia Biskupska was born in the picturesque land of Slovakia. A year ago Prague has charmed her so that she fell in love with the city, moved here and hasn’t stopped feeling charmed ever since.
As a trained actor Olivia loves combining her experience in singing,film score composing and improv in both on screen and stage performances.
You may have seen her in a short film called A Guided Meditation or in a long term effort to master escaping rooms.
Luca Castaldo
Luca is an Italian composer and sound designer, winner of the Marzio Rosi International Prize in 2018 for composition for audio-video projects. After completing a degree in electronic music at Conservatorio statale di Musica "Nicola Sala" in Benevento, he came to Prague for an internship in sound design at HAMU where he's still working as a composer for the No verbal theatre class. Right after he came to Prague he founded the "Vetrnik" collective with which he realised the video art project called Vetrnik. The project was awarded third place in the Artefici del nostro tempo prize wich allowed the collective to perform at Biennale d'arte in Venice. He's collaborating in Prague with several theatrical projects and companies as well as some film projects. He likes to say that he loves telling stories through sound.
Jazmin Cepeda
A director and former student at DAMU in Prague. With the support of her friend’s, she founded New Visions Theatre and hopes to help bring theatre to the community.
Julia Kirszman
Runner, football play, hair model, screen writer, film producer, German translator… Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the end of the 80s, hyperinflation taught her to always look for solutions and new paths. And so, she came to Prague in January 2020 to live new adventures.
Luc.i.e.
Director of short plays on several scenes in Prague, e.g. Donkey Drop Theatre, Prague Horror Theater or Dark Bark Drama.
Patrik Říha
Game enthusiast, performer, slam poet, writer of interactive texts and occasional game designer based in Davle near Prague. The game spirit is apparent in his playwriting debut Reality Check which will be introduced as part of New Visions Theatre Playwriting festival 2024.
Nikki Severin
Nikki is a Prague-based actress and voice actress who, despite never having been formally educated in acting, has starred in many short and feature films, theatre plays, music videos, and more. She is a returning actor at the playwriting festival and has a deep love for dragons, fantasy, and Dungeons & Dragons (this is very relevant). Her biggest success is the lead voice part in the animated documentary “Rising Above,” which was nominated for an Oscar and made the BAFTA shortlist.
Antoanella Ungureanu
Formally educated in Bucharest, she was conquered by other forms of self expression until a few Meisner classes in Prague opened a new appetite for performance, inhabiting characters and the unparalleled presence of acting. She is an actor based in Prague, experienced with short films, theatre plays and voice commercials.
Charles Simos Zeind
Charles Simos Zeind is what people would call, a late bloomer in life. When he finally decided to engage with acting, he understood the significance of growing up in Athens; the random moments of absolute madness and drama had prepared him for this. Fuelled by his burning passion, he is determined to plunge deeper into the void, to lands unknown, following the mantra “grow as I learn, learn as I grow”. Charles has already been part of several stage performances and film productions
Jade Becker
Jade Becker is from Doncaster, England and has been living in Prague since 2007. She is a former soloist with Czech National Ballet and currently, the associate director at First International Ballet School in Prague. Over the past 10 years she has branched out into the world of acting, expanding her knowledge and skills as a performing artist and teacher.
Nel Burshakbayeva
Nel is a passionate and highly sensitive storyteller who uses writing as a means to forge a deeper connection with her emotions and feelings. She has a strong affinity for drama, tragedy, and the meticulous psychoanalysis of life and its experiences. In addition to her writing, Nel is a trained theater actress specializing in the Meisner technique.
Omar Dahy
Omar is an Electronics and Telecommunications Engineer working in the Cyber security field and following his acting and love for the stage passion. Performing with the Drama Queens in Animal Farm as Boxer, and a flair for improv and stand-up comedy, Omar brings a unique blend of creative and passion energy to every performance.
Lilia Griselle Gonzalez
Lilia graduated with a BA in Communications TV & Film production together with a year of Acting from the University of Puerto Rico which also gave her the chance to do exchange
programs at CSULA & NYU. After a 13 year creative gap, Lilia has made a strong comeback to the screen with multiple supportive roles with FAMU, PFS, PFI,
Divide Films and other independent productions; worked on stage with Prague Horror Theater, New Visions Theater Company, Dark Bark Drama & Bite Your Thumbs player. Lilia studies Meisner technique at Prague Acting Playhouse Studio which undoubtedly has been a great influence & impact on her life in every aspect.
Lada Luntseva
A professional videographer with a degree in experimental arts and a diploma in film directing. Theatre director and actress.
Guglielmo Menichetti
Guglielmo is a 37 yo Italian expat in Prague. After a year of Meisner technique training he got his first gigs as an actor in student movies (PFS). Since August '23 he has been cast in several theatre productions spanning from more dramatic roles (Master of Trapdoors) to comedic ones (Servant of Two Masters) and original plays (Dating an influencer, Baron Munchausen). Lately, he has also started to write short plays.
Callum Roy
Formerly an English teacher in Prague, now based on the south coast of England, Callum’s introduction to playwriting came when he accidentally signed up for a surrealist playwriting class at university. Now he’s back in his old stomping grounds and more surreal than ever. A lover of gaming, martial arts and obscure facts - he’s excited to see his playwriting debut “Reality Check” come to life in the New Visions Playwriting Festival.
Milan Šebo
Director Komárek, EinTopf, director: Marek Dobeš, Theatre Na Prádle, in production (2024)
John Brown, Ray Coonney: 1+1=3, director: Jakub Kudrna, DS Amartum, Praha, in production (2024) A Waiter, Never say never, director: Petr Míka, Theatre Bez hranic, Prague (2024) A holocaust survivor, Sunday´s stage readings, MA theatre, Prague (2023) Actor, Panic cabaret, Sasha Minajev, Theatre Kamen, Prague (2023)
Peter, Arnold Wesker: The Kitchen, Marianna Arzumanova theater, Prague (2020) Charlie, Lenka Svobodova: Interview at 2.30 am, Prague (2018)
Waiter, Marianna Arzumanova: In the cafe, Marianna Arzumanova theater (2018) Anselm, Moliere: The Miser, Koma theatre, Prague (2016)
Black monk, A.P. Cekhov: Black monk, White theatre, Bratislava (2016) F. Kafka, F. Kafka: Letter to Milena, White theatre, Bratislava (2013)
Nills Krogstad, Henrik Ibsen: A Doll’s house, White theatre, Bratislava (2012)
Nikolay Velinov
Born and raised in the mystical lands of Bulgaria, Niko has always followed his thirst for adventure - which led him to the city of Prague several years ago. He instantly fell in love with the place and has been calling it home ever since. Originally versed in visual arts, film-making and animation at Colgate University in upstate NY, he also finally said yes to his passion for stage and on-camera acting, here in the Czech Republic. This reckless decision has since propelled him to some of the most exciting and unforgettable experiences in his life. Looking forward to more!