The programme of the 30. International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra 2021 was prepared by the main programme curators’ team and accompanying programme dramaturge, together with festival director Darina Kárová.
Martina Vannayová, foreign programme section curator
Mgr. Martina Vannayová graduated in theatre studies and dance theory from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava in 2001. In 2006 and 2007, she completed two scholarship programmes in Germany (DAAD, Robert Bosch Stiftung). She worked as an academic editor at The Theatre Institute and as a radio play dramaturge at the Slovak Radio. She went freelance in 2014 and is now active in academic editing, translation and dramaturgy. She co-authored the following anthologies for Theater der Zeit publishing house in Berlin: Durchbrochene Linien. Zeitgenössisches Theater in der Slowakei (2007), Landvermessungen : Theaterlandschaften in Mittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropa (2008), Parallele Leben = Parallel Lives: Ein Dokumentartheaterprojekt zum Geheimdienst in Osteuropa (2014). She translated numerous academic texts and plays from German and Slovenian (e.g., D. Loher, N. Haratischwili, B. Studlar, R. Schimmelpfennig, S. Semenič). She is curator of the foreign programme section at ITF Divadelná Nitra since 2004.
Karol Mišovic, Slovak programme section curator
Doc. Mgr. art. Karol Mišovic, PhD. graduated with a Master’s in theatre theory and criticism in 2012 and with a PhD in 2015 from the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. His research focuses on Slovak theatre with an emphasis on 20th century directing and acting. He publishes reviews and academic articles. He collaborated on several research projects and anthologies as a coordinator, editor or author of academic studies on theatre. In 2016, he published the monograph Stage Fates, analysing the history of Slovak female acting with a special focus on Mária Prechovská, Eva Kristinová, Viera Strnisková, Zdena Gruberová and Eva Poláková. In 2019, he published History of Slovak Theatre I. (Until 1948) and History of Slovak Theatre II. (1948 – 2000). He worked at The Theatre Institute from 2012 to 2019, and since 2019 he is a researcher at the Institute of Theatre and Film Research of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Since 2016, he is a lecturer at the Department of Theatre Studies, Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts, where he teaches Slovak and Czech theatre history.
Ján Šimko, foreign programme section curator
Mgr. Ján Šimko, PhD. is dramaturge of the foreign programme section at the International Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra since 2004 and has also curated its international projects middentity and Parallel Lives. He graduated in theatre studies from the Theatre Faculty, Academy of Performing Arts, and in psychology (Master’s) and aesthetics (PhD) from the Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava. He completed internships at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague. Since 1999 he is theatre editor for the magazine Vlna and Drewo a srd publishing house. He creates original productions in theatres across Slovakia (Studio 12 in Bratislave, Stanica Žilina-Záriečie, Tabačka Kulturfabrik in Košice, State Theatre Košice) and the Czech Republic (Komedie Theatre and A-Studio Rubín in Prague, Drama Theatre of Ústí nad Labem, J. K. Tyl Theatre in Plzeň). He also authors radio plays (RTVS). His theatre and radio production have earned awards within Slovakia and internationally (Grand Prix Nová dráma/New Drama, Grand Prix Nova Bukurešť, Prix Europa Berlin). He translates from English and German.
Miroslav Zwiefelhofer, accompanying programme dramaturge
Mgr. art. Miroslav Zwiefelhofer graduated in theatre studies from the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava in 2011. In 2010 – 2014, he was member of the board for foreign theatre at ITF Divadelná Nitra. He was also part of the dramaturgical board of Nová dráma/New Drama Festival (2013) and is a judge of amateur theatre shows. He is active in theatre criticism and publishes reviews in, among others, the journal kød – konkrétne o divadle, on mloki.sk, monitoringdivadiel.sk, etc. He also worked for the Radio and Television of Slovakia (Rádio FM, Rádio Devín). He co-authored the publications 3 x S: A Lecture Anthology on 21. Century Theatre (2015), Children of the Revolution (2010), Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra: 70 (2019). In 2010 – 2015, he was project manager and later dramaturge at Štúdio 12, and in 2013 was dramaturge at the authorial theatre festival Pro-téza. Since 2020, he is accompanying programme dramaturge and community manager for the Be SpectACTive! Project at the ITF Divadelná Nitra. He manages the Andrej Bagar Theatre library fund and is a programme coordinator for the team of ECOC Nitra 2026.