Peter Scherhaufer

PETER SCHERHAUFER (2013)

* 31^st July 1942, Bratislava
† 26^th June 1999, Brno

Director, playwright, educator, scholar and translator Peter Scherhaufer was born and spent his childhood in Bratislava. At the high school he devoted himself to basketball, he played for sport squad Slovan. He began the university studies at Brno Military Academy – Department of aircraft structures. After two years he left, and he needed to work the cost of the school off in uranium mines and later as a constructor in Zbrojovka Brno. He got to drama direction at Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno led by Evžen Sokolovský, which he ended in 1968 with honours. Major impacts on Scherhaufer’s theatrical life had his teachers and theatre artists Ludvík Kundera, Evžen Sokolovský and Bořivoj Srba, later Petr Oslzlý. Shortly after graduating he joined the first engagement at the Brno satirical theatre Večerní Brno (Evening Brno), where he studied the play by Voskovec and Werich Kat a blázen (Hangman and the fool). At the time of normalization he was forced to leave the theatre for his political position. He went through all sorts of jobs. In 1972, with friends Bořivoj Srba, Zdeněk Pospíšil and Eva Tálská he founded the theatre Husa na provázku (Goose on a String), which embarked on a bold modern theatre, experimenting with different styles and genres, with elements of folk theatre, pantomime and commedia dell'arte. The theatre staged over seventy productions (e.g. Jedenáct dnů na křižníku Potěmkin Tauričevský (Eleven days on the cruiser Potemkin Taurichevsky), Velký vandr (The big tour), Prodaný a prodaná (He as she sold), Karamazovs, or the three-part Shakespearománie (Shakespearomania) under his copyright and direction. A remarkable achievement was the Czechoslovak first performance of the Brechtian staging Svadba (Wedding). P. Scherhaufer worked also on international projects: Labyrint světa (The Labyrinth of the World) about Comenius, Karavana míru (The Peace Caravan), Cesta do Delf (Journey to Delphi). He is also the author of the Czech opera Chameleón (Chameleon). For several years he hosted also in Mahen’s Dramatic Theatre and other domestic and Slovak scenes. As a writer and director he is generally credited with more than 250 performances. He led courses for amateur directors in Edifying Institute in Bratislava for twelve years. He cooperated with the Theatre Lucerna in Prague, but also with amateur theatres throughout Czechoslovakia (e.g. ensemble of J. Chalupka, Brezno). During 1987 – 1990 he cooperated with Kremnica Theatre Under Ground, which was active in Banská Bystrica at that time. With its actors he staged three productions Entuziasti (Enthusiasts), Medzireči (Interim Talk) and Clowni (Clowns), and the actual newspaper theatre Predbežná inventúra revolúcie (Preliminary inventory of the Revolution) in 1990. His teaching activities at Brno conservatory were significant, he moved to JAMU (Janáček Academy of Performing Arts) after, and there he gradually became a lecturer, professor and vice-rector. He was the author of the History of world theatre directing and organisation of theatre events. The last directorial work of Peter Scherhaufer in theatre Husa na provázku was the staging Škola šašků (School of Goofs) in May 1999.

Author of the relief: Miroslav Rónai
Born on 22^nd September 1957, Kremnica
1972 – 1976 Secondary Artistic School student, Kremnica
1976 – 1993 Employee of medal studio in State Mint Kremnica
Participant of international exhibitions FIDEM throughout Europe and of a number of exhibitions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Author of commemorative coins, designer and performer of 10 crowns coins with the portrait of T. G. Masaryk, of the relief of the coat of arms of Czechoslovakia on all coins. Author of the highest state decoration of the SR (Order of the White Double Cross). He currently lives and works as a freelance artist in Kremnica.