Blanka and Jiri Zizka at the Wilma Theater, 1979-2000 Buchkatalog

Blanka and Jiri Zizka are the creative wellspring behind The Wilma Theatre of Philadelphia, one of America's most successful and innovative regional theatre companies. They escaped Communist oppression in Czechoslovakia during the 1970's, and honed their craft in Prague under threats of arrest and censorship. The Zizkas' ideas and artistry were shaped by their experiences of oppression and exile, as well as by their exposure to specific techniques, traditions and practices in Prague and elsewhere. In Philadelphia they created their own opportunities, and took advantage of their newfound freedom to create alternative theatre, pushing boundaries and engaging in controversial positions and ideas. This book traces the history of the Zizkas and of the Wilma, and explores the cultural, political, artistic and material influences that mark their provocative productions. It also seeks to articulate the overall significance of the Wilma's own cultural and economic history, of its architectural spaces, audiences, and artistic approach.