As the stage and artistic director of the Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Marián Pecko has created around one hundred drama, puppet, opera and circus productions. He has collaborated with theatres in Slovakia (Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra, State Opera in Banská Bystrica, Ján Palárik Theatre in Trnava, Slovak Chamber Theatre in Martin), the Czech Republic (Klicper Theatre in Hradec Králové, Puppet Theatre in Ostrava), Poland and Hungary. He is a member of the organizing team of the Puppet Bystrica international festival. His productions have been presented at several Slovak and international festivals in the Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria and France. The productions he has directed in Polish puppet theatres have won a number of prestigious awards.
Description of his work:
The essence of Pecko’s directorial work in the Slovak theatre context is integrally connected with the Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads in Banská Bystrica where he has created several remarkable productions for children and adults. The generally known rule of Pecko’s work is that he uses his peculiar poetics and metaphorical theatrical vision with the same intensity when creating productions for children as well as in feature drama productions for adults. Therefore, his work for children can be very demanding. However, the idiosyncratic situations he devises are always comprehensible – they are often built on a realistic foundation and makes use of good acting, regardless of whether the actors operate a puppet or not. Pecko skilfully disrupts stage situations with very specific (and often innovative) puppet elements or through sudden theatrical shortcuts that lead to funny punchlines. He uses humour in an elaborate and adequate manner, while creating interesting contrast with serious passages. However, the humorous scenes never become a mockery or parody which is why the majority of his productions are very refined pieces. Some of the other attributes of Pecko’s artistry include a very natural feel for pacing, precise gradation of situations and the ability to divide the stage design space using a variety of approaches. Stage design is not represented decoratively, but each element of it is accentuated to present the polyfunctionality and multiplicity of meaning of the individual artefacts.
When choosing subject matter for productions for children, Pecko opts for classical or devised fairy tales that he prepares mostly together with dramaturg and playwright Iveta Škripková. Titles for adults have always – from the beginning of Pecko’s career – included Slovak (The Shepherd’s Wife, Dragon Is Coming Back, Kubo) as well as international (Leonce and Lena, Metamorphosis, Richard III, Madman’s Diary, The Miser, Yerma) drama and literary classics. A separate chapter in Pecko’s career as a director and dramaturg comprises current and socially engaged plays written by Iveta Škripková and produced mostly by the TWIGA Studio in the local Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads. Pecko likes to invite tried-and-true collaborators to join him in the production team: musician Róbert Mankovecký and costume designer Eva Farkašová.
List of directed productions:
1988 / Regional Puppet Theatre in Banská Bystrica / Dušan Dušek, Iveta Škripková: Little Stevie
1989/ Regional Puppet Theatre in Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Three Butterflies
1990 / Regional Puppet Theatre in Banská Bystrica / Pavol Dobšinský: Wise Matthew and the Fools
1990 / Regional Puppet Theatre in Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: For Whom the Sparrows Chirp
1990 / Regional Puppet Theatre in Banská Bystrica / Ľubomír Feldek: Mother Holle
1991 / Regional Puppet Theatre in Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková, Marián Pecko: Not Last and Not Least I (PF ’91)
1991 / Regional Puppet Theatre in Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková, Marián Pecko: Not Last and Not Least II – Happiness Is a Beautiful Thing, But...
1991 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Fairy Tale 90/91
1991 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková, Marián Pecko: Not Last and Not Least III (Crayons and People)
1991 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková, Marián Pecko: Not Last and Not Least IV What’s the (Bottom of the) Matter ?
1991 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková, Marián Pecko: Not Last and Not Least V Pa, Pa, Papoetry
1991 / Theatre/School LUDUS, Bratislava / Jiří Mahen: Chocolate the Clown
1992 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková, Marián Pecko: Not Last and Not Least VI How Do You Do, Dominika?
1992 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: You Move Me So Much…
1992 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Christmas Show (possible appearance by...)
1992 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Johannes Doctor Faust, or the Bride From Hell
1993 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Mikuláš Kováč: The Death of Don Quixote
1993 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Dominika Navarová, Marián Pecko: Christmas Show II (possible appearances by…)
1993 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Taverna Magica
1994 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Georg Büchner: Leonce and Lena
1994 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Charles Dickens, Iveta Škripková: A Christmas Carol
1994 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Marián Pecko: Not Last and Not Least VII Circus Cinkeles
1994 / Slovak National Uprising Theatre, Martin / Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, Viera Marušiaková, Marián Pecko: Madman’s Diary
1995 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Felix Belo, Iveta Škripková: A Little Night Party
1995 / Teatr Lalka, Warsaw, Poland / Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol
1996 / Slovak National Uprising Theatre, Martin / Dobroslav Chrobák, Iveta Škripková: Dragon Is Coming Back
1996 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková, Marián Pecko, and the collective of the theatre: Not Last and Not Least VIII Master Flea
1996 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: How Vagrant Nicholad Became Saint Nicholas
1996 / Andrej Bagar Theatre, Nitra / Federico García Lorca: Yerma
1996 / Białostocki Teatr Lalek, Białystok, Poland / Edmond Rostand: Cyrano de Bergerac
1997 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Little Red Riding Hood
1997 / Andrej Bagar Theatre, Nitra / Nina Sadur: Miss
1997 / Puppet Theatre Ostrava, Czech Republic / Adolf Wenig, Iveta Škripková: The Devil and Kate
1997 / Białostocki Teatr Lalek, Białystok, Poland / Iveta Škripková: Forgotten History, or One Evening With Mrs…
1998 / City Theatre Žilina / Charles Dickens, Iveta Škripková: Mr. Scrooge
1998 / Teatr Lalka, Warsaw, Poland / Ján Werich, Iveta Škripková: The Three Veterans
1998 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Gingerbread House
1998 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Christmas Play ’98
1998 / Puppet Theatre Ostrava, Czech Republic / Marie Voříšková, Iveta Škripková: Lavuta – the Singing Violin
1999 / Andrej Bagar Theatre, Nitra / Edward Albee: Three Tall Women
1999 / Trnava Theatre / Milo Urban: Beta, Where Are You?
1999 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Marián Pecko: Christmas 1999!
2000 / Andrej Bagar Theatre, Nitra / Iveta Škripková: Sleeping Beauty
2000 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Forget-Me-Not
2000 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková, Marián Pecko: The Shaman Women I
2000 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Christmas in Dominica
2001 / Akademia Teatralna, Białystok, Poland / Maurice Meaterlinck: The Blind
2001 / Klicper Theatre Hradec Králové, Czech Republic / Robinson Jeffers, Zora Vondráčková, Marián Pecko: The Loving Shepherdess
2001 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Julius Meinholm: Don’t Cry, Anna
2001 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / collective of the theatre: Christmas Performance
2001 / Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland / Charles Dickens: Mr. Scrooge
2001 / Białostocki Teatr Lalek, Białystok, Poland / Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm: Sleeping Beauty
2002 / State Opera Banská Bystrica / Carl Maria von Weber: The Marksman
2002 / Alexander Duchnovič Theatre, Prešov / William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2002 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Marián Pecko: Christmas Play 2/2002 – Magical Theatre Automaton
2003 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Marián Pecko: The Lady With an Umbrella
2003 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice, Czech Republic / Jean Giraudoux: Ondine
2003 / Klicper Theatre Hradec Králové, Czech Republic / Federico García Lorca: The House of Bernarda Alba
2004 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Jozef Hollý: Kubo
2004 / City Theatre Žilina / Ivan Stodola: The Shepherd’s Wife
2004 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Lewis Carrol, Halina Sikorová: Alice in Wonderland
2004 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Marián Pecko: Christmas 2004
2004 / Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland / Jan Ośnica: Beauty and the Beast
2005 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Jonathan Swift, Iveta Škripková: Gulliver’s Travels
2005 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Charles Dickens: Mr. Scrooge
2006 / City Theatre Žilina / Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux: The Dispute
2006 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Marián Pecko: Christmas Happiness
2006 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Federico García Lorca: Lorciad
2006 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice, Czech Republic / František Hrubín, Martin Fahrner: Romance for a Flugelhorn
2006 / Białostocki Teatr Lalek, Białystok, Poland / Thomas Bernhard: Theatremaker
2007 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Michal Ditte: Restart: Frankenstein
2007 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Hans Christian Andersen, Marián Pecko: A Christmas Story With Mr. Andersen – The Little Match Girl
2007 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice, Czech Republic / Howard Barker: Victory
2007 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Jean Giraudoux: Ondine
2007 / Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland / Hans Christian Andersen: The Snow Queen
2008 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Josef Čapek, Iveta Škripková: All About Doggie and Pussycat
2008 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice, Czech Republic / Jindřich Janda, Emil Lotjanu, Pavel Vrba: Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven
2008 / Puppet Theatre Ostrava, Czech Republic / Ernest Bryll, Katarzyna Gärtnerová: Painted On Glass
2008 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Monika Milewska: Stories of the Famous Rodrigo
2009 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / a team of authors: Sarcophagi and ATMs
2009 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Witold Gombrowicz: Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy
2010 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Molière: The Miser
2010 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Ulrich Hub: Three Penguins and the Flood, or Meet the Ark at Eight
2010 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Franz Kafka, Marián Pecko: Metamorphosis
2010 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice, Czech Republic / Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, Marián Pecko: Madman’s Diary
2010 / Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland / Jonathan Swift: Gulliver’s Travels
2011 / Summer Shakespeare Festival, Bratislava / William Shakespeare: Richard III
2011 / Puppet Theatre Ostrava, Czech Republic / Israel Horovitz: Lebensraum
2011 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Julius Meinholm: Don’t Cry, Anna
2011 / Olsztyński Teatr Lalek, Olsztyn, Poland / Ulrich Hub: Meet the Ark at Eight
2012 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Little Tatras
2012 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice, Czech Republic / William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2012 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Marta Gruśniowska: Bon Appetite, Wolf!
2012 / Teatr Powszechny im. Jana Kochanowskiego, Radom, Poland / Josef Čapek, Emília Hoffmanová: All About Doggie and Pussycat
2012 / Teatr Lalka, Warsaw, Poland / Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann: A Mysterious Child
2012 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Josef Čapek, Emília Hoffmanová: All About Doggie and Pussycat
2013 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Iveta Škripková: Seňora
2013 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Nostalgia
2013 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Malina Prześluga: The Light
2013 / Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland / William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2013 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Marián Pecko: Dear Mr. Chrabollini, and Other Curiosities
2014 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Ladislav Grosman, Iveta Škripková: The Shop on Main Street
2014 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Monika Kováčová, Marián Pecko: The Stars Are Silent
2014 / Białostocki Teatr Lalek, Białystok, Poland / Marta Guśniowska: An Angel, a Giraffe and a Table, or about (Non)Sense
2014 / Teatr im. Ludwika Solskiego, Tarnów, Poland / Molière: The Miser
2014 / Teatr Animacji, Poznań, Poland / Malina Prześluga: Dragons
2015 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, Marián Pecko: Madman’s Diary
2015 / Puppet Theatre Ostrava, Czech Republic / Marta Gruśniowska: Good Appetite, Wolf
2015 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice, Czech Republic / Ulrich Hub: Penguins on the Ark
2015 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice, Czech Republic / Isaac Bashevis Singer, Jana Pithartová: The Magician of Lublin
2015 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Michael Ende, Iveta Škripková: Ophelia’s Shadow Theatre
2015 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Ulrich Hub: Meet the Ark at Eight
2016 / Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland / Marta Guśniowska: Bon Appetite, Wolf
2016 / Teatr Lalek Guliwer, Varšava, Poland / Marta Guśniowska: Journey on Fourteen Paws
2017 / Slovak Chamber Theatre, Martin / Svetlana Alexievich: War’s Unwomanly Face
2017 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre, Prešov / Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, Miro Dacho: Eugene Onegin
2017 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Issac Bashevis Singer, Menachem Kipnis: Jewish Tale
2017 / Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland / based on the motifs of Alexey Tolstoy’s fairy tale The Golden Key, or Buratino’s Extraordinary Adventures: Buratino
2017 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / Iveta Škripková: Europe in Correspondence
Awards:
1994 / Annual Prize of the Slovak Literary Fund in the field of puppet theatre direction
1998 / Annual Prize of the Slovak Literary Fund for the direction of Taverna Magica and The Death of Don Quixote
2001 / the Golden Mask Award given by the Silesian Duchy (Poland) for best productions of the year; awarded for the direction of Mr. Scrooge (Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland)
2002 / Annual Prize of the Slovak Literary Fund for the direction of The Shaman Women
2004 / the Hašterica Award for a work of art in the field of Slovak puppet theatre; awarded for the production Kubo
2004 / Annual Prize of the Slovak Literary Fund for the direction of Kubo
2005 / Annual Prize of the Slovak Literary Fund for the direction of The Shepherd’s Wife
2006 / the “Atest” award (Highest Artistic Level and Quality Prize) for the creators of the production Beauty and the Beast (Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland)
2006 / the Golden Mask Award given by the Silesian Duchy (Poland) for best productions of the year; awarded for the direction of Mr. Scrooge (Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki, Opole, Poland)
2008 / Award of the Festival of Central European Theatres in Lublin (III. Festiwal Teatrów Europy Środkowej Sąsiedzi – Perła Sąsiadów) for the production Kubo
2010 / Henryk Jurkowski Award for a work of art created by an artist from a V4 country; awarded for Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy produced at Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki
2010 / the Golden Mask Award given by the Silesian Duchy (Poland) for best productions of the year; awarded for the direction of Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy (Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki)
2010 / Special Prize awarded at the 24th International Festival of Puppet Theatre in Bielsko-Biała (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Sztuki Lalkarskiej) for Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy produced at Opolski Teatr Lalki i Aktora im. Alojzego Smolki
2011 / Annual Prize of the Slovak Literary Fund for the direction of Metamorphosis
2012 / the “Atest” award (Highest Artistic Level and Quality Prize) for the production Meet the Ark at Eight (Olsztyński Teatr Lalek, Olsztyn, Poland)
2012 / Main Award of the 16th International KORCZAK Festival in Warsaw (Międzynarodowy Festiwal Teatrów dla Dzieci i Młodzieży KORCZAK) for the production A Mysterious Child (Teatr Lalka, Warsaw, Poland)
2012 / the “Atest” award (Highest Artistic Level and Quality Prize) for the production A Mysterious Child (Teatr Lalka, Warsaw, Poland)
2014 / the Golden Mask Award given by the Silesian Duchy (Poland) for best productions of the year; awarded for the direction of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Teatr Lalek Banialuka im. Jerzego Zitzmana, Bielsko-Biała, Poland)
2014 / Annual Prize of the Slovak Literary Fund for the direction of Nostalgia
2017 / Grand Prix of the 2017 Nová dráma/New Drama festival, and the Bratislava Audience Award for War’s Unwomanly Face
2017 / nominated for the DOSKY Award in the Extraordinary Drama Production category, for the production War’s Unwomanly Face
2017 / Special Prize of the Association for Contemporary Theatre for Iveta Škripková and Marián Pecko for the concept of the festival Puppet Bystrica Tour 2016
2017 / Tatrabanka Foundation Prize for Art in the Theatre category for the direction of War’s Unwomanly Face
Foreign language skills: German, Polish, Russian
Contact: skripec1@gmail.com
Videos from productions:
Metamorphosis, 2010
archive of the Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWEp00q_L4g
Seňora, 2013
archive of the Jonáš Záborský Theatre Prešov
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKaE55OuR7A
War´s Unwomanly Face, 2017
archive of the Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJETwPdY_CY
