Czech Theater will present five performances of František Langer’s Through the Eye of a Needle on May 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31.
What is Czech Theater?
Czech Theater is an amateur, multicultural community theatre founded in Brno in 2018, with the goal of making Czech plays accessible to the non-Czech speaking community and also giving Czechs the opportunity to see their own culture through a different lens. Their productions are now an unmissable part of Brno’s English-friendly calendar.
What is Through the Eye of a Needle?
The play is an early example of a “rom-com” – a light-hearted and funny story of the triumph of true love against a variety of challenges. Czech Theater’s theme for this 2024/2025 season is “mismatched relationships” – their autumn play, Maryša, concerned an unhappy marriage and ended with a poisonous cup of coffee. As a perfect antidote, this play ends in a milk bar with a delicious whipped cream.
Why should I see this play?
Written in 1923, Through the Eye of a Needle presents a view into that period in Czechoslovakia. In the 1920s, Tomas Masaryk was president, and the “First Republic” economy was booming – one of the world’s strongest. The rise of a business class (in contrast to the pre-WWI royalty) meant some people saw a way out of poverty for the first time.
On the other hand, Europe was emerging from one of the worst pandemics in human history and a devastating war, and “Mein Kampf” was published in 1925. A hundred years later, and things are not so different – there’s still hope and darkness – but an evening of theatre remains a chance to escape reality and imagine a life that was as light and sweet as a bowl of whipped cream.
Who was František Langer?
Langer was a medical doctor who served during both world wars and won several medals for his service. A friend of the Čapeks and Jaroslav Hašek, he was also a playwright, writing dozens of plays. This particular play was made into a film in 1923 and again in 1936 (starring Hugo Haas; this is the version of Velbloud uchem jehly that most Czechs know).
What can I expect from the performances of Through the Eye of a Needle?
Czech Theater has invited Brno’s own “Tekuty Catering” to set up a bar. The doors to Vesna open at 6:15pm and the show starts at 7pm, so people have a chance to enjoy a glass of prosecco (or other beverage) in Vesna’s beautiful courtyard before the show or at intermission. Also, because the play is set in the 1920s, audiences are invited to come in costume if they want. It’s a great date night and a chance to meet new people as well.Opening night (May 17) is already sold out; May 31 is your last chance to see Through the Eye of a Needle. After this, Czech Theater will take a summer break and return in the autumn with Czech fairy-tale classic Kytice (‘Bouquet’).
