Velvets - A Marionett Theater

We founded VELVETS with Nada Munzarova and Ivan Kraus at the beginning of 1968. At that time we had just come back from Las Vegas full of ideas and creative enthusiasm. Most of us were then 30 years old and we wanted to test our abilities. We made a contract with Rozmaryn- a theater in Brno. Here we wanted to try out our plays before traveling abroad. Unfortunately, this endeavor was interrupted by the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia.

We did not want to work here in this totalitarian state and therefore we left our homeland on Oct. 3, 1968. We played in Zurich, in Italy, later in Paris, Belgium, England , Germany and in the Bahamas. In the Fall of 1970 we ended up in Wiesbaden where we devoted our time to producing animated films. We created a 2 hour film called Contrasts, and later moved to Mainz.

Here we spent about ten years in very successful work and presented such plays as: Human Comedy, The Little Prince, Don't Be Afraid Of Bubu, Variation On Alice In Wonderland, Summer Intermezzo, Changes, etc. We also presented our plays in Sweden, Austria, Israel and Italy during those years. Since 1985 we added the plays The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Pinocchio and The Magic Flute. We cooperated with many television stations and some of our programs were taken over by Czech television.

Dana Bufkova

1958 - 1962

- studium na loutkářské katedře DAMU

1959 - 1961

- ještě během studia herečka a zpěvačka v kabaretu PARAVAN

1961-1966

- členka pražského Černého divadla manželů Lamkových při Státním divadelním studiu

- účinkovala v reuálním divadle Alhambra v nové revui Bukola od Miloše Formana a Jána Roháče

- zájezdy do zahraničí (Varšava, Londýn)

- hlavní ženská role v nové produkci Černého divadla - To nemá cenu

- monsieur Coqutrix angažuje soubor na tři neděle do pařížské Olympie, z tohoto úspěchu vyplývá

1964 - 1966

- dlouhodobý zájezd do Las Vegas (USA), Černé divadlo je hlavní atrakcí ve Folies Bergere - hotel Tropicana

- natáčení v Hollywoodu - Hollywood Palace Variety s Bing Crosbym

1966 - 1968

- Herečka v Laterně magice, během této doby jakož i v letech předtím řada různých rolí v čs. filmu a televizi v oblasti loutkového a trikového filmu (např. Karafiátovi Broučci)

1967 - 1968

- spoluzakladatelka Velvets, kde působí vedle herecké, technologické a pedagogické práce především jako autorka Kromě této činnosti animovala dvacet trikových filmů pro německou televizi (u poloviny těchto filmů je též jejich autorkou).

About the artists:

Bedrich Hanys graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Arts , and has extensive acting experience in various Prague theaters, in films and television, had a long-term contract in Las Vegas (Tropicana), played twice in Hollywood, in the Laterna Magica,¨founder of Velvets,co-author of many animated films. Earned degree Master of Arts at the University of Maryland

Dana Bufkova is a graduate of the Academy of Dramatic Arts, actress and singer in Paravan, engaged as actress in various theaters including Alhambra, worked in Paris (Olympia), later worked with B. Hanys in Las Vegas(Tropicana), played in Hollywood, later in Laterna Magica, co-founder of Velvets, and is the author of many animated films.