Sláva Daubnerová: M.H.L.
Premiere: 22 December 2009, Studio 12, Bratislava
Stage Concept, Script, Director and Performer: Sláva Daubnerová
Dramaturgy and Sound Design: Pavel Graus
Video Art: Lukáš Kodoň
Choreography: Emil Leeger
About the work:
A documentary solo performance inspired by the life and work of Magda Husáková-Lokvencová, the first professional female theatre director in Slovakia. Once an important figure in Slovak theatre, her artistic legacy had largely faded from public memory.
Artistic approach:
Drawing on archival material and documentary research, Daubnerová creates a highly personal portrait rather than a conventional biography. As the sole performer, she embodies Husáková-Lokvencová through a combination of physical performance, video, sound and historical documents.
Why it was significant:
M.H.L. became a key work in Daubnerová’s development, establishing her distinctive approach to documentary and biographical material and her recurring interest in the stories of overlooked women artists. The performance also contributed to renewed attention to Husáková-Lokvencová and her place in Slovak theatre history.
Awards:
DOSKY Award 2010 – Discovery of the Season
Annual Prize of the Literary Fund 2010 – for direction and acting
Nominated for DOSKY Award 2010 – Best Production
Selected international festivals:
Four Days / Čtyři dny, Prague, 2010
International Theatre Festival Bezgranic / Bez hranic, Cieszyn, 2010
International Theatre Festival Divadlo, Plzeň, 2011
Borštnikovo srečanje, Maribor, 2011
International Festival of Theatre for One Actor, Cheb, 2011
Artistic development:
With M.H.L., Daubnerová moves decisively towards documentary research and the reconstruction of real lives. The work establishes a method that would become central to her later practice: using the story of another woman as a starting point for developing her own visual and performative language.
