The Bloody Sonnets
Upcoming performance February, 14, 2025
Find out more here
Plus421 Foundation proudly presents the highly anticipated New York premiere of A Birdie with the Olive Branch, a bold adaptation of Bloody Sonnets, the poetic masterwork of Slovakia’s literary giant Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav. The production will take place on September 5, 2025, at La MaMa Theater, one of New York’s most renowned venues for groundbreaking international performances.
Directed by David Paška, featuring Katarína Morháčová and Anna Maria Janeková, with dramaturgy by Darina Abrahámová, the production breathes new life into Hviezdoslav’s prophetic anti-war poetry, translated into English by John Minahane. This intensive performative concert for two actresses transcends time, bringing audiences face-to-face with the haunting visions of World War I—its propaganda, gender roles in crisis, and the lasting scars of war.
With a perspicacious blend of lyrical discourse, visual storytelling, multimedia content, and an original musical score, The Bloody Sonnets - A Birdie with the Olive Branch, is a theatrical experience that speaks both to history and to the urgent contemporary need for peace. The performers’ dynamic presence infuses the performance with moments of levity, music, and even hard-hitting humor, making it as thought-provoking as it is visually compelling.
The project also provides a platform for the creative talent of Julius Leon Seiler (stage design), Maria-Lena Poindl ( Samuel D. Abrahám (music), Maria-Lena Poindl (costumes), as well as Atelier71, led by Monika Laceková, whose fashion artistry adds another dimension to the production’s evocative visual aesthetic.
Under the esteemed patronage of the Consulate General of Slovakia in New York and DPOH – P.O. Hviezdoslav Theater in Bratislava, Slovakia, this collaboration reaffirms the mission of Plus421 Foundation: to celebrate Slovak cultural heritage on the global stage, foster artistic exchange, and build bridges between cultures through the power of art.