Starý holubník v Amerike (1917-1919)
Vieux-Colombier in America (1917-1919)

Summary/Abstract: A prominent Slovak theatrical theoretist and critic is publishing a chapter from the prepared monography on the French director Jacques COPEAU. The theatre Old Dovecot (Vieux-Colombier) led by Jacques COPEAU had a very successful season in 1913/1914. It brought a new approach to the historionic art and a new conception of scenography, a new way of directing, and caused that France was linked with similar movements related to theatre renewal that had been originating in that period mainly in Germany, Russia, but also in other European countries. Shortly before summer 1914 Jacques COPEAU parted with his audience promising to open the theatre again in autumn, with a further development with regard to the programme renewal. But the World War I started. Jacques COPEAU and other actors were recruited and the theatre VIEUX-COLOMBIER Dovecot was closed. The then Prime Minister of the French Government Georges CLEMENCEAU personally suggested to COPEAU to make a tour to the United States of America. From the abroad cultures in the USA of that time, was fully dominating German culture. The permanent German theatre that had been performing in New York, was considered the best in the city, Max REINHARDT got a lot of finance resources to export his stagings into American cities. CLEMENCEAU was fully aware of the art power and besides that, he was a frequent visitor of the VIEUX-COLOMBIER, and moreover, he himself was a man of letters. Jacques COPEAU accepted his offer. He le for America in January 1917. He took with him lectures on his theatrical intentions, which he had planned to offer overseas. An important lecture was organized for him at the Harvard University, where he had a an admirer in the person of a professor Georg Pierce BAKER, whose courses were attended besides others also by Eugene O’Neill. Further lectures were held in New York. The main success was achieved by persuading the maecenas Otto H. KAHN a Francophile who supported the modern art. By the end of 1917 he suggested to COPEAU the same thing what had done before him Georges CLEMENCEAU– to tranfer the whole VIEUX-COLOMBIER to the USA. The introductory performance of the American era of the VIEUX-COLOMBIER theatre took place on 27th November 1917.

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