Stanislav ŠTEPKA

Founder and Artistic Director, Radošinské naivné divadlo

A graduate in teaching and journalism, Mr Štepka has always been more drawn to the theatre. He has retained his attachment to theatre throughout his life.  For years he was in the village of Radošina where he founded Radošinské naivné divadlo (RND), being also one of the actors and stage director. In 1963 he became Artistic Director of the Radošina acting company that eventually relocated to Bratislava. 1963 also saw the première of his first play, Nemé tváre alebo Zver sa píše s veľkým Z / Silent Faces or A Beast Is with a Capital B. Whilst working as teacher and journalist, he was highly committed to acting and playwriting.

The exceptional Stanislav Štepka has been part of the RND from the outset, having written for the theatre dozens of plays.  RND productions bear his signature style and are defined with inimitable humour. “There are only a handful of humans among people,” he once said. Hence, humanism is his utmost contribution to his works.

Mr Štepka’s most popular plays he had written for the RND include

  • Jááánošííík (1970)
  • Človečina / Scent of Man (1971)
  • Slovenské tango / Slovak Tango (1979)
  • Kúpeľná sezóna / Spa Season (1980)
  • Svadba / Wedding (1982)
  • Čierna ovca / Black Sheep (1983)
  • Pavilón B / Pavillion B (1984)
  • Nevesta predaná Kubovi / A Bride Sold to Kubo (1984)
  • Nebo, peklo, raj / Heaven, Hell, Paradise (1986)
  • Ženské oddelenie / Women’s Ward (1987)
  • Loď Svet / Ship Called World (1988)
  • Vygumuj a napíš / Erase and Write (1989)
  • Lás-ka-nie (1992)
  • Hostinec Grand / Grand Pub (1993)
  • Kino Pokrok / Cinema Called Progress (1995)
  • Tata / Dad (1996)
  • Konečná stanica / End Stop (1997)
  • Ako som vstúpil do seba / How I Entered into Myself (1998)
  • Ako sme sa hľadali / How We Were Looking for Each Other (2003)
  • Generál / The General (2004)
  • Hra o láske / A Play of Love (2005)
  • Desatoro / Ten Commandments (2006)
  • Stvorenie sveta / Genesis (2007)
  • Niekto to rád slovenské / Some Like It Slovak (2008)
  • Mám okno / Goen Blank (2009)
  • Nesladím / No Sugar, Please (2010)
  • Polooblačno / Half-Sun (2012)
  • Sčista-jasna / Out of the Blue (2013)
  • Sláva / Glory (2014)
  • Besame mucho (2017)
  • Mužské oddelenie / Men’s Ward (2019)

Mr Štepka is also author of a number of film scenarios (such as Dobrá správa / Good News /1995/, Čierna ovca / Black Sheep /1996/ Konečná stanica / End Stop /2004/, Ježiško zvoní, otvorte / Open, It’s Santa!  /1997/), television scripts (such as Ženské oddelenie / Women’s Ward /1987/, Výlety v pamäti / Down the Memory Lane /1993/), as well as radio scripts. For the Slovak Radio he adapted over thirty plays of his Radošinské naivné divadlo. His texts are also published as books.

Mr Štepka is laureate of a number of major awards, including the Slovak Literary Fund Award, the 2005 Igric Prize (2005). In 2006 he received the Pribina Cross of the 2nd Order from the President of the Slovak Republic and, in 2011, the 2001 Crystal Wing for Lifetime Achievement.

X