Gejza Dezorz (1978, Košice)

Having studied puppetry stage directing and dramaturgy, Mr Dezorz graduated at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in 2001. It was already as student that he collaborated with a number of puppet theatres (Puppet Theatre Košice, Old Theatre Nitra – today The Karol Spišák Old Theatre in Nitra, Puppet Theatre Žilina, Bratislava Puppet Theatre), and with the Slovak Radio. In 2004 he founded The Dezorz's Puppet Theatre together with an author working under the pen name Agda Bavi Pain and set designer Von Dubravay. Theirs is the only puppet theatre in Slovakia to focus exclusively on adult audiences. With the theatre he successfully participated at local and international festivals (Charleville-Mezières, France; Spectaculo Interesse, Czech Republic; Lalka też Człowiek, Poland; Arrivano dal mare, Italy). As director he also works extensively in film and television (City of Shadows, 2008; Police Department Anděl, 2008; The Devín Massacre, 2011; Indian Summer, 2013).

Gejza Dezorz’s signature style

From the outset, Mr Dezorz has been defined as experimenting artist operating within the frameworks of dramaturgy and approaches to traditions in puppetry. His inimitable style has been apparent early on in his career: at the Puppet Theatre in Košice he staged his own texts drawing from folk theatre, fairy-tales and folk culture, as well as pop culture (Piatko and Pustaj, 2000; Momo from Mars, 2001). In other professional theatres he continued to focus dramaturgically on fairy-tale texts, approaching them with utmost inventiveness and creativity, combining traditional elements with modern technologies and contemporary pop-culture messages (Three Clever Little Goats Travel to America, 2002; Hugo the Dog and the Stolen Christmas, 2002; The Wizard of Oz, 2002).

After the foundation of The Dezorz's Puppet Theatre he continued seeking new opportunities and methods of grasping historical puppetry methods in a thought-provoking manner. In The Dezorz's Puppet Theatre he works with a permanent team of theatre-makers and puppeteers; together they created such successful titles as the horror “morality” Desperanduľa (subtitled The Terrible Daughter, or the Just Revenge for Pride and Vain Beauty, 2006), the geroic (spelled as a reference to ancient-Slavic languages) adventure Perun, the Thunder of the Godless, or the Pogrom Slavia (2008) where he freely worked with mythology of ancient Slavs; or the inventive parody to the musical Sandokan – The Tiger is Back (2012).

In 2011 he launched the project Slovak Marionette Theatre that presents traditional puppet plays (with puppets hired from the collections of the celebrated folk puppeteer Anton Anderle) as a replica of Baroque marionette theatre with painted horizons and old texts in ancient Slovak. He offers traditional puppet stories in new dress; his masterly animation of puppets with interpretation of characters proves a major forte of the productions (Johannes Dr. Faust, 2011; Drama about St. Genevieve, 2011; Jester Travels to Turkey, 2011; Don Juan or the Prodigal Son, 2013, The Circus, 2014).

As director, author or dramaturge, Mr Dezorz brings together elements in puppetry with contemporary features, mixing influences of different subcultures and mass culture (musicals, advertising, films) with inspirations from classical fairy-tales or other myths. He thus deconstructs the established preconception of puppet theatre as primarily addressed to child audiences. The Dezorz's Puppet Theatre and the project Slovak Marionette Theatre are exceptional forms in the world of Slovak puppetry.

A list of directorial works - productions:

1999 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / Roman Večer, Henrich Šiška, Gejza Dezorz, Miriam Struhárová: Stained Glass

1999 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / Pavol Dobšinský, Gejza Dezorz: Piatko and Pustaj

2000 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / Karel Novák, Jozef Mokoš: Little Thumbling

2000 / Puppet Theatre Košice / Gejza Dezorz: Piatko and Pustaj

2001 / Puppet Theatre Košice / Gejza Dezorz: Momo from Mars

2002 / Old Theatre, Nitra / Jozef Cíger Hronský, Gejza Dezorz: Three Clever Little Goats Travel to America

2002 / Puppet Theatre Žilina / Frank Lyman Baum, Veronika Gabčíková, Gejza Dezorz: The Wizard of Oz

2002 / Puppet Theatre Žilina / Aladár Hrča: Hugo the Dog and the Stolen Christmas

2003 / Theatre a.ha., Bratislava / Peter Glocko: Proud Dora

2005 / Bratislava Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Jan Malík, Gejza Dezorz: Bouncy Ball

2006 / Bratislava Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Kristína Vulgan, Gejaz Dezorz: Trip

2006 / The Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Hubert Krejčí, Gejza Dezorz: Desperanduľa the Terrible Daughter, or the Just Revenge for Pride and Vain Beauty

2008 / The Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Aladár Hrča: Perun, the Thunder of the Godless, or the Pogrom in the Slavia

2010 / The Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Gejza Dezorz: Jester’s Mischief or Erotic Adventures of Bob De Niro

2011 / The Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Gejza Dezorz: Lovestory – A Tragedy from Ecstas)

2011 / Slovak Marionette Theatre, Bratislava / Viliam Santanelli based on texts by old pupeteers: Johannes Dr. Faust

2011 / Slovak Marionette Theatre, Bratislava / Viliam Santanelli based on texts by old puppeteers: Drama about St. Genevieve

2011 / Slovak Marionette Theatre, Bratislava / Viliam Santanelli based on texts by old puppeteers: Jester Travels to Turkey

2012 / The Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Gejza Dezorz, Agda Bavi Pain, Marián Čekovský: Sandokan – Tiger is Back

2013 / Slovak Marionette Theatre, Bratislava / Viliam Santanelli based on texts by old puppeteers: Don Juan or the Prodigal Son

2013 / The Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Gejza Dezorz, Agda Bavi Pain: Fantomas and the Zombie Hunter

2014 / Slovak Marionette Theatre, Bratislava / Viliam Santanelli based on texts by old puppeteers: The Circus

2015 / The Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Agda Bavi Pain: Ján Ošík and the Avenger with the Shepherd’s Pipe

2017 / The Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava / Alfred Jarry: Ubu Roi

2018 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / Gene Luen Yang, Paula Belická: Chinese American

2018 / Bratislava Puppet Theatre / Gejza Dezorz, Lucia Ditte: Charlie the Little Monster

2019 / The Karol Spišák Old Theatre in Nitra / Jo Nesbo: Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder

2019 / Puppet Theatre Žilina / Peter Gärtner: Ghost Hunters

Awards:

2000 / The Slovak Literature Fund Award

2003 / Prize for the stage text Piatko and Pustaj, Spectaculo Interesse, Czech Republic

2010 / Prize for Creative Achievement in Puppetry in Slovakia Hašterica 2010 – Special Prize for Creativity to The Dezorz's Puppet Theatre

2010 / Prize for Puppetry Performances in the production of Desperanduľa, Lalka też Człowiek, Poland

2011 / The Bratislava Viewers don’t Award for the production The Mischievous Ways of the Caspar, or the Erotic Adventures of Bob De Niro, Festival Nová dráma / New Drama, Slovakia

Foreign languages: English

Contact: gejza@me.com

Videos from productions:

PERUN, THUNDER OF THE GODLESS OR POGROM SLÁVIA, 2008

archive of the Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava

The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/cyw_qilNTCI

JOHANES FAUST, 2011

archive of the Slovak Marionette Theatre, Bratislava

The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/Vo_o5kXoNLI

JÁN OŠÍK OR THE AVENGER WITH THE SHEPHERD’S PIPE, 2015

archive of the Dezorz Puppet Theatre, Bratislava

The video can be found at the following link: www.youtu.be/HTZApFZvBJY