The professional era of Slovak theatre culture began with the opening of the Slovak National Theatre in March 1920. Even though we do not have a long tradition we can be proud of in comparison to our neighbouring countries, Slovak theatre caught up and was able to achieve major milestones and international successes in a little over a hundred years. A lot of the credit for this goes to the actors: in every historical period, there were distinctive personalities whose art made the young Slovak theatres noticeably more visible. One of the strongest generations was the group of actors and actresses who acted in plays at the Slovak National Theatre at the turn of the 1930s and 40s as graduates of the Academy of Music and Drama for Slovakia (State Conservatory from 1941). At that time, it was the only Slovak school where acting was taught. František Dibarbora (1916–1987) had a unique comedic talent that naturally moved along the rich spectrum of this genre, from coarse slapstick to conversational salon humour. However, in his later years, he also showcased the tragic face of his acting. Karol L. Zachar (1918–2003) was perceived as a performer who played elderly roles thanks to his dry raspy voice and mature appearance.
From the mid-forties, he was established as a visual artist but mainly as a specific director. For the next three decades, he fundamentally shaped the profile of post-war Slovak theatre. Mikuláš Huba (1919–1986) had a melodic voice and graceful expression which destined him to play positive heroic roles in classical verse dramas, those of characters who would not hesitate to lay down their lives for their ideals. Likewise, Viliam Záborský’s (1920–1982) voice was his dominant means of expression. He personified men with strong gestures, charismatic commentators, intellectuals or aristocrats, but in later years also their opposites, animalistic people. The talent of František Zvarík (1921–2008) provided him with a prominent place in both plays, where directors mainly saw him in the role of a bon vivant, enjoying the gifts of life, and opera where he was involved in major productions of the classical repertoire with his dramatic bass. The earthy nature of Július Pántik (1922–2002) meant that he particularly tended to play the role of a good-hearted altruist, an authoritarian rebel or a folk wise-man within Slovak and international classics.Six artists, six talents, six shades of richly coloured Slovak acting.
Karol Mišovič
