Photos: UNVEILING Will Open in New York to Honor Václav Havel's 90th
The darkly comic masterpiece will play in an intimate living-room setting at Torn Page, featuring Craig Anderson, Bob Brader, and Yvonne Roen.
In honor of what would have been the 90th birthday of playwright and former Czech President Václav Havel, a new production of his political satire Unveiling (Vernisáž) will open in New York City this October following an opening preview performance in Chicago. Tickets are available at untitledtheater.com.
Translated by Jan Novak and directed by Edward Einhorn, Unveiling features a cast including Craig Anderson, Bob Brader, and Yvonne Roen, with costumes by Ramona Ponce and stage management by Berit Johnson. The production is presented by Untitled Theater Company No. 61 in cooperation with the Czech Center New York and Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival (presented by the Vaclav Havel Center and the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association).
Written in 1975 while Havel's work was banned by the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia, Unveiling is a darkly comic critique of individuals who compromise their ethics in exchange for government favors and material privileges. The plot centers on Havel's iconic alter-ego, Ferdinand Vaněk, as he visits the home of old friends who aggressively attempt to seduce him into accepting the same moral compromises they have made. Havel's biting wit makes Unveiling both hilariously uncomfortable and strikingly relevant—a 45-minute farce that exposes the desperation of a society losing its moral bearings.
To reflect the play's historic origins—when banned scripts were secretly performed in private apartments across Prague—the primary New York run will take place in an ultra-intimate environment at Torn Page in Chelsea, accommodating fewer than 25 audience members per show.
New York Performance Details
Torn Page (435 W 22nd Street, New York, NY)
Dates: October 1 – October 17, 2026
Schedule: Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:00 PM; Saturday Matinees at 3:00 PM
Format: Intimate living-room theater (Only 25 seats per show; walk-up involves stairs)
Admission: Tickets available by donation
Bohemian National Hall (321 E 73rd Street, New York, NY)
Date: Monday, October 5, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Special Event: Celebratory performance honoring Havel's 90th birthday. The performance will be followed by a post-show panel discussion on Václav Havel's theatrical and political legacy, as well as celebratory birthday goulash.
Admission: Tickets $25
Preview Performance (Chicago)
Chopin Theatre (1543 W Division St, Chicago, IL)
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Presented in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago as part of a Czech cultural celebration.
About Václav Havel
Václav Havel (1936–2011) was one of the premier absurdist dramatists of the 20th century, winning multiple OBIE Awards in New York for his theatrical masterworks. A prominent political dissident and leader of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that peacefully overthrew Soviet rule, Havel went on to serve as the last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic.
About Edward Einhorn
Edward Einhorn is a director, playwright, librettist, and the Artistic Director of Untitled Theater Company No. 61: A Theater of Ideas, as well as the Artistic Director of the Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival. He has a long history with Václav Havel's body of work, having curated The Havel Festival in 2006, a landmark festival of Havel's complete theatrical plays with Havel himself in attendance. Einhorn's work has been produced across New York City at venues such as La MaMa, 3LD, HERE Arts Center, The Ohio/New Ohio, and the Bohemian National Hall. His productions have been praised by The New York Times as 'exquisite, ingenious' and 'dramatically shrewd.'
About the Czech Center New York
Established in 1995, the Czech Center New York (CCNY) is a public diplomacy organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Located in the historic Bohemian National Hall in Upper Manhattan, CCNY's mission is to promote Czech culture, innovation, and creative industries in the United States. Through a diverse program spanning theater, visual arts, film, music, literature, and social innovation, CCNY builds vibrant cultural bridges and fosters international dialogue between Czech and American artists, scholars, and audiences.
About Rehearsal for Truth
The Rehearsal for Truth International Theater Festival is an annual international theater festival organized by the Václav Havel Center and the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA). Honoring the artistic and political legacy of Václav Havel, the festival showcases contemporary Central and Eastern European theater that actively engages with politics, human rights, and pressing socio-political questions. By featuring bold, innovative, and experimental theatrical works, Rehearsal for Truth provides New York audiences with a vital platform for cross-cultural reflection and civic engagement.
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