Having studied stage directing, Mr Gombár graduated at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava in 1998. While at the Academy, he spent a year in New York on scholarship at the Circle at Square Theatre School where, as author-director, he presented his production Tell Me About Birds (1997). As student he already made a mark with his productions that displayed a sense of counterpoint, perception of characters and situations, and connection of visual aspects with directing (J. Gombár: ... So That Nobody Can Say That Nothing Happened Here That Night, 1994; T. Dorst: Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter, 1995). After graduation he spent two years as staff director at The Slovak National Uprising Theatre in the city of Martin. His productions at the time were already well-defined: their interpretation was out of the box of the orthodox textual perception in both Slovak and global context: R. Gerhart – D. Gombár – A Pirate’s Tale (1996), M. Gorki: The Lower Depths (1998), W. Allen: Play Again, Sam (2001).
Over the years, Mr Gombár has been closely collaborating with a number of Czech theatres (incl. theatre Reduta by the National Theatre Brno, City Theatre Brno, The Bolek Polívka Theatre, Drama Studio Ústí nad Labem, The Petr Bezruč Theatre Ostrava, Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově). He is currently artistic director at the theatre Švandovo divadlo in Prague.
Mr Gombár is author of published plays Hugo Karas (1999), Between Heaven and Woman (2002), The Third Age (2002), Godless House (2008), Advent (2011) and Money (2015). He staged the first three – Hugo Karas at The Petr Bezruč Theatre in Ostrava (2006) and Between Heaven and Woman at the Theatre Company Frída in Brno (2011) and the City Theatre Zlín (2007), and The Third Age at the City Theatre Žilina (2009). His texts have been translated into seven languages. As stage director and playwright he received several awards.
Dodo Gombár’s signature style:
Dodo Gombár is member of middle generation of Slovak stage directors with highly defined signature style. His directing is epitomised by clear visual aspect, work with symbol and stage metaphor. In his productions he doesn’t limit himself to a single author or origin. His portfolio instead includes genres ranging from drama, through musicals, dance projects, all the way to fairy-tales for children. His established collaborators include the set designer Martin Hollý and costumes designer Erika Gadušová.
Mr Gombár leans towards themes and masters that are open to interpretation and represent primordial universal values. When interpreting ancient texts, he virtually heads for adaptation, not opposing the master and seeking the ground for its contemporary message. He takes each text as a material to adapt to his own take on the world and value system (M. Gorki: The Lower Depths, 1998; F. Garcia Lorca: Blood Wedding, 2002; W. Shakespeare: Hamlet, 2013). In his productions he is particularly interested in relationships, inner human conflict against the backdrop of historic and societal conflicts. He reveals subtexts through the portrayal by movement and visual metaphor. He is inclined to apply the principle of theatre-within-theatre in order to bring into the story the unexpected perspective, tension between reality and fiction, and between theatre and reality: J. G. Tajovský: New Life (Dust Off), 2004; M. Bulgakov: Heart of a Dog, 2005; R. Mankovecký – D. Gombár: The Štúrs (Concert Cancelled), 2010; J. Hollý: Kubo (remake), 2011. Such interlace gives a stage interpretation new etymological layers that go beyond the master. He follows similar lines in the stage sitcom productions at the Martin theatre www.narodnycintorin.sk Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (2012, 2013, 2013, 2014).
The experiment and interpretation in some of his productions sometimes trigger widespread and meet with reserved reception. His portfolio to date includes over sixty productions, half of which have been staged in Slovakia.
A list of directorial works – productions:
1994 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / Dodo Gombár: ... So That Nobody Can Say That Nothing Happened Here That Night
1994 / Radošina Naive Theatre, Bratislava / Stanislav Štepka: A Minor Heart Attack
1995 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / Tankred Dorst: Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter
1995 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / O. von Horváth: Tales from the Vienna Woods
1996 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / William Shakespeare, Dodo Gombár: The Tempest
1996 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / F.G. Lorca, Dodo Gombár: Blood Wedding
1996 / The Slovak National Uprising Theatre, Martin / Ronald Gerhardt, Dodo Gombár: A Pirate’s Tale
1997 / The Cyprián Majerník Gallery, Bratislava / Something from Eurydice’s
1997 / The Circle in the Square - Theatre School New York / Dodo Gombár: Tell Me About Birds
1998 / The Slovak National Uprising Theatre, Martin / Maxim Gorki: The Lower Depths
1998 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Jozef Urban, Ľubomír Horňák, Dodo Gombár: King David
1998 / The Slovak National Uprising Theatre, Martin / Jozef Urban, Dodo Gombár: Shortness of Breath
1999 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / David Mamet: Oleanna
1999 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Ray Cooney: 1 + 1 = 3
1999 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Daniel Landa: The Pied Piper
1999 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / Bertolt Brecht: Baal
2000 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Ferenc Molnár: Liliom
2000 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Patrick Süskind: The Double Bass
2000 / Theatre Company Frída, Brno / Dodo Gombár: Sex, drogy a rock&roll
2000 / Bratislava Dance Theatre / Šárka Ondrišová, Dodo Gombár: Faust
2001 / Theatre a.ha, Bratislava / Miloš Janoušek: A Ghostly Tale or Do Not Touch the Trolls
2001 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Woody Allen: Play it Again, Sam
2001 / Theatre Company Frída, Brno / Dodo Gombár: The Inn Keeper
2001 / The Bolek Polívka Theatre, Brno / Boleslav Polívka, Dodo Gombár: The Drinking Variations
2001 / Česko Slovenská scéna Reduta, Prague / Federico Garcia Lorca, Dodo Gombár: The House
2002 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Federico Lorca Garcia: Blood Wedding
2002 / Theatre a.ha, Bratislava / Miloš Janoušek: Paťa and the Pirates
2002 / City Theatre Zlín / Anton Chekhov: Three Sisters
2002 / Husa na Provázku, Brno / Afred Jarry, Arthur Nathanson: Supermale
2003 / Theatre Nová scéna, Bratislava / Galt MacDermot: Hair
2003 / Theatre Company Frída, Brno / Dodo Gombár: The Deer Are Calling
2003 / Theatre Company Frída, Brno / Dodo Gombár: Men’s Show
2005 / Thália Szinhász, Budapest / Dodo Gombár: Between Heaven and Woman
2004 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Jozef Gregor Tajovský: New Life (Dust Off)
2004 / Moravian Theatre Olomouc / J. B. Molière: The Impostures of Scapin
2004 / City Theatre Zlín / Jerry Bock, Joseph Stein, Sheldon Harnick: Fiddler on the Roof
2004 / City Theatre Brno / Galt McDermot, Gerome Ragni, James Rado: Hair
2004 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Georg Büchner: Woyzeck – Der Romantiker
2005 / The Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / Horace McRoy: They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
2005 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Michail Bulgakov, Dodo Gombár: Heart of A Dog (stage autopsy)
2005 / City Theatre Zlín / Michail Bulgakov, Dodo Gombár: Master and Margarite
2005 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / William Shakespeare: Midsummer Night’s Dream
2005 / Puppet Theatre Žilina / Richard Brautigan, Dodo Gombár: In Watermelon Sugar
2006 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Róbert Mankovecký, Dodo Gombár: The Štúrs (Concert Cancelled)
2006 / JAMU Brno – Studio Marta, stage of the Theatre Faculty / Dodo Gombár: Cobweb (The Fatal Story)
2006 / Theatre Company Frída, Brno / Dodo Gombár: The Little Butterfly
2006 / The Petr Bezruč Theatre Company, Ostrava / Dodo Gombár: Hugo Karas
2006 / City Theatre Zlín / Jiří Brdečka, Vratislav Blažek, Pavel Kopta: Lemonade Joe
2006 / City Theatre Zlín / Dodo Gombár: The Third Age (Generational Vignettes), a staged dramatic reading
2007 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Anton Pavlovič Čechov: The Seagull
2007 / City Theatre Zlín / Dodo Gombár, Vladimír Fekar: We Are Crazy About Theatre, a street performance
2007 / City Theatre Zlín / Johann Wolfang Goethe: Faust (Temptation and Redemption)
2007 / City Theatre Zlín / John Kander, Joe Masteroff, Fred Ebb: Cabaret
2007 / Malá scéna Zlín / Dodo Gombár: Between Heaven and Woman
2008 / City Theatre Zlín / Dodo Gombár: Thieves (Slightly Surreal Chanson Evening about the Search for Hope)
2008 / City Theatre Zlín / Miloš Stědroň, Milan Uhde: Ballad for a Bandit
2008 / City Theatre Zlín / Miloš Macourek, Jana Kafková: Žofka the Monkey
2008 / Prague City Theatres, Rokoko stage, Prague / Božena Němcová, Dodo Gombár: The Case of Wild Bára
2008 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Michal Viewegh, Dodo Gombár: Everyday Angels
2008 / Istroart production, Bratislava / Ľubomír Horňák, Dodo Gombár: Matúš Čák of Trenčín
2009 / City Theatre Žilina / Dodo Gombár: The Third Age
2009 / Drama Studio studio Ústí nad Labem / Federico Garcia Lorca, Dodo Gombár: The House of Bernarda Alba
2009 / City Theatre Zlín / Tankred Dorst: Merlin or the Waste Land
2009 / National Theatre Brno / Danuta Lukasinska: Agata Szuka Pracy
2009 / State Opera Prague / Michal Horáček, Petr Hapka: Kudykam
2010 / City Theatre Zlín / Rudolf Sloboda: Armageddon in Grba
2010 / National Theatre Brno / Dodo Gombár, Dora Viceníková: Station: Dance Hall
2010 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Tankred Dorst: Merlin: Birth
2010 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Tankred Dorst: Merlin: The Grail
2010 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Dodo Gombár: Axe in a Christmas Tree
2011 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Jozef Hollý, Dodo Gombár: Kubo (remake)
2011 / City Theatre Žilina / Ľubomír Feldek: Stalin in Žilina
2011 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Dodo Gombár: Angel – The Passion Play Project
2011 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Dodo Gombár: Burning of Satan 666
2011 / INFILM, Prague / Michal Viewegh, Dodo Gombár: Biowife
2011 / Theatre Company Frída, Brno / Dodo Gombár: Between woman and heaven
2012 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Róbert Mankovecký, Dodo Gombár: www.narodnycintorin.sk – Part 1
2012 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Michal Horáček, Dodo Gombár: Czech Calendar (10 original music-drama productions presented monthly at the theatre Švandovo divadlo)
2012 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Dodo Gombár: Crash by the Brook
2012 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Anica Jenski: Shut up, Job, Shut Up! (A Butcher’s Dream)
2012 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Karel Koppa: Escalator (Manifest of an Outsider)
2012 / Theatre Slovácké divadlo Uherské Hradiště / Karel Čapek, Dodo Gombár, Libor Vodička: War with the Newts
2012 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague Project WINGS / Dodo Gombár, Ondřej Brzobohatý: R.I.P.
2013 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Jan Kratochvíl: Vladimir’s Slut
2013 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Karel Kryl, Libor Vodička, Dodo Gombár: Country Indifference
2013 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / William Shakespeare: Hamlet
2013 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Róbert Mankovecký, Dodo Gombár: www.narodnycintorin.sk – Part 2
2013 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Róbert Mankovecký, Dodo Gombár: www.narodnycintorin.sk – Part 3
2014 / City Theatre Zlín / Lucia Piussi, Dodo Gombár, Iva Mikulová: Love is a Hen
2014 / City Theatre Zlín / Kateřina Tučková, Dodo Gombár: The Žítková Goddesses
2014 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Franz Kafka, Dodo Gombár, Lucie Kolouchová: Metamorphosis
2014 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Dodo Gombár: Hřebíčková and Onufráková Lightly Meditate or Sluts from Arbes
2014 / City Theatre Zlín / Dodo Gombár: Tomáš Baťa, Alive
2014 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Róbert Mankovecký, Dodo Gombár: www.narodnycintorin.sk – Part 4
2015 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Roman Holý, Roman Sikora, Dodo Gombár: Garbage Collectors
2015 / National Theatre Brno / Ira Levin: Veronica’s Room
2015 / JAMU Brno – Studio Marta, stage of the Theatre Faculty / Dodo Gombár: Oh, Brno
2015 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Róbert Mankovecký, Dodo Gombár: www.narodnycintorin.sk – Part 5
2016 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Ian McEvan, Petra Hůlová: The Cement Garden
2016 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / Mary Shellyová, Dodo Gombár: Frankenstein (My Conscience)
2016 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Dodo Gombár et al.: Despite Addiction
2016 / City Theatre Zlín / Miloš Macourek: Žofka the Monkey
2016 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Viktor Dyk, Martina Kinská: The Pied Piper
2016 / The Bohuslav Martinů Filharmonic Zlín / Dodo Gombár, David Rotter: I, Job! music-drama oratorio
2017 / City Theatre Zlín / Dodo Gombár: Between heaven and woman
2017 / National Theatre Brno / Květa Legátová, Dodo Gombár: Želary
2017 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Andrea Buršová, Dodo Gombár: Surge of Andrea Buršová
2017 / City Theatre Brno / Kateřina Tučková, Dodo Gombár: The Žítková Goddesses (Blood Is Blood)
2017 / Studio L+S Bratislava / Tereza Oľhová, Martina Sľuková: Otherwise I’m Okay
2017 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Josef Holcman: Breaking Bread
2017 / Actors College Zlín / Claude Confortes: Le Marathon
2017 / City Theatre Zlín / Antonín Bajaja, Dodo Gombár: Growing Wild
2018 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / William Shakespeare: King Lear (The Story of the World)
2018 / Theatre Švandovo divadlo na Smíchově, Prague / Robert Schneider: Brother of Sleep
2019 / The F.X. Šalda Theatre Liberec / F. M. Dostojevsky, Dodo Gombár: Demons
2019 / Theatre Nová scéna Bratislava / Dodo Gombár, Ľubo Horňák, Marián Brezáni: Marie Thérèse (The Last Mercy)
2019 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / F. M. Dostojevsky, Dodo Gombár: Madness
2019 / Theatre Husa na Provázku Brno / Dodo Gombár et al.: Silence on Earth
2019 / Summer Shakespeare festival Bratislava Castle / William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
Awards
1999 / 2nd place in The Alfréd Radok drama competition for the play Hugo Karas
2017 / Nomination by the i-divadlo portal for the Personality of the Year
2017 / Main Prize at the V4 festival in Vác, Hungary for the production of Between heaven and woman (City Theatre Zlín, 2017)
Foreign languages: English, passively: German, Russian
Contact: dodog@volny.cz
Videos from productions:
DOG’S HEART, 2005
archive of the Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/mM-fA32RSdM
THE ŠTÚRS (CONCERT CANCELLED), 2006
archive of the Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/R8ZO4oxqZTs
KUBO (REMAKE), 2011
archive of the Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin
The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/JCQ9EnoGlW4
