News: Czech Director Viktor Tauš Brings 30 Child Actors to NYC for Film & Theatre Screenings And Performances

 Viktor Tauš, the avant-garde Czech director recognized for his visually experimental storytelling, is bringing 30 child actors from the Czech Republic—many of whom grew up in foster care and orphanages—to New York City in January 2025. These children are actors in his groundbreaking production titled Snowflakes, a multidimensional performance that also serves as a “live trailer” for Tauš’s new film, Girl America. This innovative “live trailer” combines elements of documentary and musical theater, fashion, and choreography, integrating the actors’ personal narratives into the performance, making for a truly unique audience experience.

Snowflakes has been recognized as the Best New Play of 2024 by the prestigious Theatre Newspaper in the Czech Republic. The travelling ensemble has an upcoming show set at the Bohemian National Hall in Manhattan on January 9th at 7:00pm, but they also plan to carry out guerilla-staged performances in public spaces around NYC such as Central Park, Financial District, Washington Square Park, etc.

The children of Snowflakes first met while filming Tauš’s previously mentioned feature film, Girl America, which premiered at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival last month and is currently seeking its US Premiere.

Girl America is the poignant tale of a forsaken girl raised in totalitarian Czechoslovakia, blending surreal visuals with the reality of her fight for redemption. They call her Girl America. Once a girl, now a woman. How many times can you be knocked down and yet rise again? An orphan under communism. Foster care. Juvenile Detention, And then, the Velvet Revolution. Girl America is more than just a story of perseverance; it’s an emotional journey that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of hope. The hope that one day you’d escape to America, where your father awaits.

Snowflakes and Girl America are not only productions, but an urgent call for change. Snowflakes / Girl America’s mission is to spotlight the need for reform in the Czech Republic’s outdated legislation governing children’s orphanages—a system that has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. The goal is to modify two specific laws. One would reformulate Czech orphanages into residential units in cities, with a maximum of four children per unit, bringing them closer to individual care. The second focuses on prevention, since there isn’t enough support for families in crisis.

To quote Tauš, “For the 6,500 children currently living in institutional care in the Czech Republic, the ‘American Dream’ represents more than an ideal; it symbolizes hope. A hope for a future where children are raised in individual care rather than in large orphanage facilities. For these young performers, sharing their stories in the U.S. is both a dream fulfilled and a powerful appeal for legislative reform that could transform countless lives.”

Experience this one-of-a-kind performance and join us in celebrating the power of hope, community, and the transformative potential of theatre.

GIRL AMERICA SCREENING
Tuesday - January 7, 2025, 7:00 PM
Wednesday - January 8, 2025, 7:00 PM
Friday - January 10, 2025, 7:00 PM

SNOWFLAKES LIVE PERFORMANCE
Thursday – January 9, 2025, at 7:00 PM

All events will take places at the Bohemian National Hall, 321 East 73rd Street, New York, NY 10021. Seats are free and open to the public but are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. RSVP through Eventbrite. 

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