Vltavan Theatre Company

Divadelní společnost Vltavan (Vltavan Theatre Company) is an amateur theatre ensemble based in Týn nad Vltavou, a small town in the South Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. It traces its origins to a student amateur theatre group founded in 1855, making it one of the oldest continuous theatrical traditions in the Czech lands. The company performs under the auspices of the town and is known for its summer open-air productions at a revolving auditorium (otáčivé hlediště) in Bedřichovy sady, a park in Týn nad Vltavou. The revolving auditorium, built in 1983, was the second of its kind in Czechoslovakia and the third in the world. The company stages a mix of classic Czech plays and popular works, often with a family-friendly orientation, and runs a youth theatre club and a senior cabaret club. It is a non-profit, community-based organisation with no commercial parent company. Its website, www.dsvltavan.cz, serves as the primary source for its current season and ticket sales. The company has around 94 members as of recent years and continues to perform throughout the summer months, typically four performances per week during the holidays. Its repertoire includes works by Czech playwrights such as Josef Kajetán Tyl, Ladislav Stroupežnický, and Jaroslav Vrchlický, as well as adaptations of fairy tales and comedies. The company is a cultural institution in the town and a living link to the Czech amateur theatre movement (ochotnické divadlo).

The history of Divadelní společnost Vltavan begins in 1855, when a student amateur theatre group was founded in Týn nad Vltavou at the inn U Zlatého slunce, with financial support from Count Schell of Koloděje and local citizens. The group had 25 actors and 12 actresses, including students and townspeople, and performed in German as well as Czech in order to obtain permission to play in Czech. In 1856, statutes drafted by Josef V. Nikolau and K. Procházka were sent to the provincial authority for approval. The founders—J. Almesberger, Jos. Grimmer, J. V. Nikolau, Tom. Pavlásek, A. Piskáček, K. Procházka, Fr. Veselý, and M. Železný—were declared a committee, which elected F. Pavlásek as director, K. Procházka as stage director, and J. V. Nikolau as secretary. In 1856, the weekly Český herec published articles about their activities, and Jan Nikolau edited 52 handwritten volumes. From 1864, disputes arose between students and townspeople over ownership of the theatre; the townspeople began performing without the students, who were studying in Prague. In 1869, decorations were destroyed by improper storage in the old school attic, and theatrical activity stagnated. By 1870, the amateur players had performed 48 plays and one-act plays, directed by Karel Procházka and Ladislav Waldstein. The most successful play was Paní Marjánka, matka pluku by Josef Kajetán Tyl. The dispute between students and Týn amateur players over ownership and naming of the theatre was resolved by transferring the theatre to the town's administration. In 1870, the Ochotnický spolek Vltavan (Vltavan Amateur Association) was founded. The association's statutes, drafted by J. N. Bayer, were unanimously adopted at the general meeting on 11 September 1870 and approved by the imperial-royal governor's decree on 21 September 1870. František Bican began directing, and the association regularly supplemented its theatre archive until 1911. Directors included Petr Hanzal, Čeněk Slepička, František Mergl, Josef Hanzlík, Eduard Plaňanský, Jan Vojna, P. Josef Kačer, Václav Vurm, Jan Zelenka, Jaroslav Vojta, František Novák, and Josef K. Bittl. From 1878, performances were held for 47 years at the inn U Chrášťanských. From 1893, the association was a member of the Central Association of Czechoslovak Amateur Theatre (ÚMDOČ), which sought to educate and morally uplift the broadest strata of the people and refused to place theatre at the service of partisan political programmes. In 1895, a theatre company was established; besides theatrical performances, masquerade balls, parties, and excursions were organised, a theatre library was founded, and a humorous magazine Smíšek was published (1903). In 1904, Fr. Kučera was elected chairman; in 1905 the association initiated the building of a monument to Matěj Kopecký (1775–1847). In the first fifty years of activity, 188 independent performances were staged with simple scenery, using the same painted backdrops made by local painters. Besides classics of the Czech National Revival, younger and world dramatists were performed: Svoboda, Vrchlický, Krásnohorská, Viková-Kunětická, Leger, Kvapil, Preissová, Krejčí, Hilbert, Baldessari Plumlovská, Wilde, Ibsen, and others. The theatre company remained active during World War I. In 1921, an open-air theatre was built, designed by Jan Švehla. Ten structures on an area of 1,500 m² created the illusion of a village with a reeve's house, inn, mill, and chateau pavilion; peasant carts with horse teams and dragoon rides were used scenically. The first play performed there was Naši furianti by Ladislav Stroupežnický. Between 1921 and 1932, 38 performances were held there, including Ženská vojna by M. Horský, Ach, ta láska by Josef Štolba, Kolébka by Alois Jirásek, and Lešetínský kovář by Svatopluk Čech. From 1925, performances were held in the newly built Sokolovna building, and an Amateur Theatre Day was organised. During the First Republic, 15–25 titles were staged annually, occasionally in the open air. The open-air theatre was demolished after 15 years. During World War II, performances continued in a limited mode. From 1954, Vltavan ceased to exist as an independent association and passed to the District House of Education as the Dramatic Ensemble Vltavan. From 1960, it was an ensemble of the Educational Club (Osvětová beseda). In the 1950s and 1960s, it staged an average of 4 plays per year; in the 1970s and 1980s, the number dropped to 2 productions. A comprehensive list of the repertoire was recorded by Jan Humhej. In 1983, to honour the 100th anniversary of the reopening of the National Theatre in Prague, a revolving auditorium for 220 spectators was built in Bedřichovy sady in just two months by volunteer labour—the second in Czechoslovakia and the third in the world. The first play performed there was Strakonický dudák by Josef Kajetán Tyl. The ensemble staged one production per year. In 1984, a children's theatre group, Vltavánek, was founded. The tradition of Týn amateur theatre is continued by Divadelní společnost Vltavan, which has 94 members. In 2014, the ensemble had 70 members. It runs a theatre club for progressive theatrical training of young people from the age of twelve and a senior club that prepares its own cabaret performances. Among Týn amateur actors, entire families participate. The oldest members include Mrs. Vlastička Helmová, Mr. Jan Humhej, Mrs. Zdena Dušková, and Mr. Václav Michalec. The company operates the revolving auditorium and plays four performances a week throughout the summer holidays. The repertoire must be attractive, interesting, or at least somewhat familiar to the audience; the audience wants to be entertained or to see familiar pieces in a new production. A successful production was Vrchlický's Noc na Karlštejně, staged as a graduation performance of the theatre club with live music. According to the current director of DS Vltavan, Ivan Sýkora, the tradition of amateur theatre in Bohemia is deeply rooted.

• 2026

  Summer season 2026 announced with 8 productions at the revolving auditorium; tickets on sale from April.

• 2014

  Ensemble has 70 members.

• 1984

  Children's theatre group Vltavánek founded.

• 1983

  Revolving auditorium for 220 spectators built in Bedřichovy sady; first play Strakonický dudák performed.

• 1960

  Ensemble becomes part of the Educational Club (Osvětová beseda).

• 1954

  Vltavan ceases as independent association, becomes Dramatic Ensemble Vltavan under District House of Education.

• 1925

  Performances move to the newly built Sokolovna; Amateur Theatre Day organised.

• 1921

  Open-air theatre designed by Jan Švehla built; first play Naši furianti performed.

• 1905

  Association initiates building of a monument to Matěj Kopecký.

• 1895

  Theatre company established; masquerade balls, parties, excursions, theatre library, and magazine Smíšek (1903) launched.

• 1893

  Association becomes a member of the Central Association of Czechoslovak Amateur Theatre (ÚMDOČ).

• 1878

  Performances begin at the inn U Chrášťanských, lasting 47 years.

• 1870

  Ochotnický spolek Vltavan founded; statutes approved on 21 September.

• 1856

  Statutes drafted by Josef V. Nikolau and K. Procházka sent for approval; weekly Český herec publishes articles.

• 1855

  Student amateur theatre group founded in Týn nad Vltavou at the inn U Zlatého slunce.

Community-based amateur theatre company preserving Czech amateur theatre tradition; family-friendly summer open-air productions.

• O chytré ženě Blaženě

• Strašidlo Bublifuk

• Strašidla jsou z talíře

• Princezna Lada

• O bojácném Floriánkovi

• Strakonický dudák

• Naši furianti

• Noc na Karlštejně

1. 1Letní sezóna 2026 • Divadelní společnost Vltavandsvltavan.cz
2. 2Divadelní společnost Vltavancs.wikipedia.org
3. 3Divadelní společnost Vltavanwikidata.org