2025Personalities of the Slovak National Theatre - First Day Cover

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.