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Boleslav Polivka

For the Lady in the Balcony

Czech Republic

Boleslav Polivka is one of the top ten clowns of Europe, one of those whose art is not associated with the circus or a music hall or pop stage, but whose clown art is closest to theater. Polivka has many faces: a mime, a clown, a theatrical and film actor (who was nominated by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for an Oscar in 2000 for his film «We Should Help Each Other», directed by Jan Grzhebeika), a director, and, currently, the head of his own theater in Prague. He also hosts popular television shows on Czech television and has been awarded a prize by the magazine «Mlady Svet» for his «black sheep» quality.

Vyacheslav Polunin describes Polivka's artistry as that of a «real actor-psychologist». Everyone thinks that Polivka is a happy person who can pull a fountain of funny sto­ries and jokes out of his sleeve at any moment. But he is more than a comic. He is first and foremost and actor gifted at serious roles, as in the films «The Tender Barbarian» or «Forgotton Light», or in the theater in «Keene IV» or «8 1/2».

If Polivka isn’t doing a film or acting in the theater or thinking up television shows, he happily rides his horse Bilbo, reads, or organizes different happenings on his farm in the Oishans, which are full of curious achievements.

He describes his worries as the head of the theater as follows: «It’s not easy to run a theater. In bringing it to its feet, we spent huge amounts of energy. We fixed the roof, the pipes, the bathrooms, the electricity, and, together with Peter Bilek, spent so much of our strength that I got a nervous tick. I kept thinking, ‘Is it raining out? Will the water leak in? Are the faucets dripping?’

We started a show, and there I was on stage. Suddenly, I caught myself wondering simultaneously whether the water was leaking in the bathroom. During the intermission, I told my colleague Bilek, who was in charge of maintenance, ‘You know,

Peter, I'm worried and always listening for whether the water is dripping.’ And he said, ‘Bolek, please, don’t pay any attention. It’s my problem. Worry about your act­ing!’ So I went on and listened for whether Bilek was listening to whether the water was dripping.»

Boleslav Polivka has never been on tour in Russia (not counting his performance at the Czech Embassy in Moscow). The theatrical Olympics of Moscow will be seeing this leading artist for the first time.

June 18,19, 20
The Hermitage Theater