🏆 American Emperor

A co-production between Štúdio 12 and Divadlo Pôtoň, this theatrical adaptation is based on the original reportage “Americký Cisár” by Austrian writer Martin Pollack. The production is an archaeological dig into a contaminated landscape—the historical region of Galicia—exploring mass emigration, exploitation, and fragmented identities through the lens of Mendel Beck’s journey.

The music production was created in close collaboration with Slovak singer and composer Ivana Mer. We recorded the actors’ voices, building a unique sound library from their vocal samples, and trained them to sing. Using these organic materials, we composed all the original music and designed the soundscape for the production.

The stage became a resonant field of layered languages—Yiddish, German, Slovak, Polish, Ukrainian—and sonic textures mirroring the characters’ displacement. The sound design and original score functioned as both emotional undercurrent and narrative translator, moving between the stagnant despair of the Old World and the deceptive momentum of the New.

Awards & Recognition:

• Best Theatrical Production of the Season – DOSKY Award 2018

• Special Jury Prize for Scenic Concept, New Drama Festival 2019.

• Nominated for three DOSKY Awards (Best Production, Directing, Scenography)