The Student’s Pranks
A freely adapted Renaissance comedy based on the moral plays of Hans Sachs, reworked by director Jozef Pražmári. In this production, the author mocks human vices such as infidelity, naivety, greed, and foolishness through the characters of miserly peasants visited by a cunning student. The Student’s Pranks premiered in April 2012.
The characters speak in a stylized folk verse line of ten syllables. The three stories are linked together by a wandering student, while the performance is led by the head of the troupe. The Student and the Principal both represent different aspects of the Nuremberg shoemaker Hans Sachs, as the audience gradually discovers over the course of the performance. The actors appear in period costumes, though their faces remain recognizably contemporary. Their faces are covered with masks, just as in Renaissance fairground theatre. The masks are not only aesthetic elements, but also reflect one of the play’s key themes: “peering beneath” the social masks that we all wear, both in the past and today.
One of the main themes of the production is the relationship between man and woman. The acting abilities of the ensemble, which had grown to 12 members, expanded considerably compared to their first production. All of the performers sing and dance. In contrast to the 2010 production of Romeo and Juliet, they play against type in order to broaden their acting range. Their performance style is highly stylized.
The music for The Student’s Pranks was composed by Kristína Prekopová, while the text was written by Jozef Pražmári. The songs were performed by Jakub Gabriel:
Cast:
Student: Jakub Gabriel
Sachs, Principal, Moneylender: Jozef Pražmári / Andrej Svetko
First Peasant Woman: Kristína Prekopová
First Peasant: Marek Hlina
Second Peasant Woman: Daniela Macková
Second Peasant: Peter Zbranek / Peter Janotka
Third Peasant Woman: Silvia Milošovičová / Eva Barániková
Third Peasant: Peter Gombárik
Villager: Peter Janotka / Peter Zbranek
Village Woman: Eva Barániková / Silvia Milošovičová
Director: Jozef Pražmári
Music: Kristína Prekopová
Set Design, Costumes, Masks: Jozef Pražmári
Poster Design: Jaro Daubrava
Promotional Video Clip: Henrich Bródy
Production Support: Jaro Daubrava, Miro Daubrava, Zita Kollárová
Lighting: Marek Korintuš, Aljaž Veličkí
Sound: Ľuboš Holík, Martin Majoroš
