Marija Havran
Profile
Marija Havran studied at the Department of Stage Design, Faculty of Drama and Puppetry, of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, where she defended her dissertation thesis in 2002 entitled Dandy – Dandyism as the Art of Self-stylization. For a short period, she worked for the Department of Stage Design as an assistant professor. Havran has collaborated with Slovak and international theatres and theatremakers. Her creative network includes such directors as Marián Amsler, Ľubomír Vajdička, Martin Čičvák, Silvester Lavrík, Martin Bendik, Alena Lelková, and Kamil Žiška. Her theatre art is characteristic for a comprehensive perception of the visual artistic whole and focus on character-building details. Marija Havran is a multiple laureate of the prestigious DOSKY award. She contributed to the visual concept of the Theatre Institute’s exhibition Beware of Schnitzler! (2000). She held single and collective exhibitions in Slovakia and abroad.
The poetics of Marija Havran’s visual art is unique in her sense for cutting and material, which is harmonized with the stage design concept and lighting design. The most remarkable segment, applied to costume design, is the use of achromatic colours – white, black, and grey. The visual artist’s work shows her interest in a broad spectrum of hues of these colours as well as their reciprocity with other colours. A good example of this is the production Love in the Crimea (Astorka, 2014) directed by Marián Amsler, in which the visual artist presented different time periods as divided into three theme-based units, conceived in expressive colour hues. In line with the director’s interpretation, she used the three colours – white, grey, and black – in the three acts of the play. When designing the costumes, she aimed at a precise expression of contrasts between these colours.
Another important segment in Havran’s visual poetics is stylization, which the artist tries to apply in correlation with other theatrical elements. The stylization principle, with an inclination to hyperbolical representation, is evident in the production The Bald Soprano (Andrej Bagar Theatre, 2013) directed by Ľubomír Vajdička. The dominant costume feature was the tartan pattern in different colour variations. Its use was conditioned by the tense geometrical pattern which contextualized with the dramatic characters to evoke their pattern-like thinking and action. A different type of stylization appeared in the production Andorra (Vinohrady Theatre Prague, 2013), where it was conditioned by the overall colourfulness and preservation of specific elements of a community’s identity. Havran made use of white ruffled collars, which became the dominant feature of the costumes worn by the main female characters. The black colour contrasted with the white to establish a homogenous whole in the dark stage space. Havran disrupted this homogeneity during the production by using bright, yellow costumes to dress the characters who challenged the uniformity typical for the other characters.
In historical costumes, she avoids flashy pathos. This is best seen in the production Amadeus (Vinohrady Theatre Prague, 2014), where Havran made an effort to stylize Rococo costumes by destylizing their Rococo character. This allowed her to deny the pompousness of the Baroque style. The costumes stood out because of their cut and colourfulness.
Marija Havran’s visual poetics is also closely connected with the topic of dandyism, which she addressed during her doctoral studies. Later on, she applied this theme when creating theatre costumes. Elements of dandyism are evident in the male costumes in Marat-Sade (Slovak National Theatre, 2001) and Elizabeth Bathory (Slovak National Uprising Theatre, 1999) – dandyism is highlighted as a source of inspiration in the quest for a visual solution.
(Author: Nora Nagyová, published online on 30th December 2024)
- 1993 / Ludus School and Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Leonid Andreyev: The Life of Man, directed by Jozef Prážmári
- 1995 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Ján Uličiansky: Allergy, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 1995 / GUnaGU Bratislava / costume design / Viliam Klimáček: Maria Sabina, directed by Karol Vosátko
- 1996 / GUnaGU Bratislava / costume design / Viliam Klimáček: Angeleo, directed by Viliam Klimáček
- 1996 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Martin Sherman: When She Danced, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 1996 / State Opera Banská Bystrica / costume design / Giuseppe Verdi: Nabucco, directed by Martin Bendik
- 1996 / GUnaGU Bratislava / Viliam Klimáček: Firey Fires, directed by Karol Vosátko
- 1996 / East Bohemian Theatre Pardubice / stage and costume design / Albert R. Gurney: The Dining Room, directed by Jana Uherová
- 1997 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Viliam Klimáček: Democrats, directed by Viliam Klimáček, Martin Porubjak
- 1997 / Chamber Stage Arena Ostrava / stage and costume design / Silvester Lavrík: Love Is Crap, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 1998 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / stage and costume design / Silvester Lavrík: Sindibad, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 1998 / GUnaGU Bratislava / costume design / Viliam Klimáček: Argentina, directed by Karol Vosátko
- 1998 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Pavol Všudislav Ollík: Out of the Blue, directed by Peter Mikulík
- 1998 / National Moravian-Silesian Theatre Ostrava / costume design / Carlo Gozzi: The King Stag, directed by Martin Porubjak
- 1998 / Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava / stage and costume design / Silvester Lavrík: The Last Day of Summer, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 1999 / Josef Kajetán Tyl Theatre, Pilsen / costume design / Arrigo Boito: Mephistopheles, directed by Nina Vangeli
- 1999 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Bertolt Brecht: The Threepenny Opera, directed by Peter Mikulík
- 1999 / Puppet Theatre on the Crossroads, Banská Bystrica / stage and costume design / Silvester Lavrík: Puss in Boots, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 1999 / Slovak National Uprising Theatre Martin / costume design / Silvester Lavrík: Elizabeth Bathory, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 1999 / State Opera Banská Bystrica / costume design / Giuseppe Verdi: Ernani, directed by Martin Bendik
- 1999 / Theatre from the Passageway, Banská Bystrica / stage and costume design / Viera Dubáčová: Returns, directed by Viera Dubáčová
- 1999 / Trnava Theatre, Trnava / stage and costume design / Silvester Lavrík: Worlds Beyond the Village, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 1999 / Theatre from the Passageway, Banská Bystrica / costume design / Viera Dubáčová – Marija Havran: Limelight in a Passageway, directed by Vladimír Balko
- 2000 / Slovak National Uprising Theatre Martin / costume design / Bertolt Brecht: The Good Person of Szechwan, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2000 / Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky – Ján Novak: An Axe Murder in St. Petersburg, directed by Roman Polák
- 2000 / Teatr Wspólczesny, Wroclaw / stage and costume design / Jacek Papis: The Red Scarf, directed by Lukasz Kos
- 2000 / Trnava Theatre, Trnava / costume design / Herbert Huxley: Café Agatha, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 2000 / City Theatre Zlín / stage and costume design / Edmund Rostand: Cyrano de Bergerac, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 2001 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / stage and costume design / Peter Weiss: Marat – Sade, directed by Vladimír Strnisko
- 2001 / State Theatre Košice / stage design / Giuseppe Verdi: Rigoletto, directed by Martin Bendík
- 2001 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / David Harrower: Knives in Hens, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 2001 / Josef Kajetán Tyl Theatre, Pilsen / costume design / Vicenzo Bellini: Julia, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2001 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / stage and costume design / Ingmar Bergman: Scenes from a Marriage, directed by Vladimír Strnisko
- 2001 / Studio L+S Bratislava / stage and costume design / Enda Walsh: Disco Pigs, directed by Rastislav Šesták
- 2002 / National Theatre Brno / costume design / Franz Kafka: The Castle, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2002 / State Theatre Košice / stage and costume design / William Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Roman Polák
- 2002 / State Theatre Košice / costume design / Giacomo Puccini: Tosca, directed by Roman Polák
- 2002 / Drama Club Prague / stage design / Molière: The Misanthrope, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2003 / Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre / costume design / Silvester Lavrík: Yellow Lily, directed by Silvester Lavrík
- 2003 / National Theatre Brno / stage design / Carlo Goldoni: Women’s Gossip, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2003 / Josef Kajetán Tyl Theatre, Pilsen / costume design / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Abduction from the Seraglio, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2003 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Eva Maliti Fraňová: Krcheň, the Immortal, directed by Roman Polák
- 2003 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / stage design / Robert Thomas: Eight Women, directed by Roman Polák
- 2003 / Színház Merlin Budapest / stage design / Kornel Hamvai: Headman’s Holiday, directed by László Magácz
- 2003 / National Theatre Prague / costume design / Bertolt Brecht: The Good Person of Szechwan, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2004 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Roland Schimmelpfennig: Arabian Night, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2004 / State Theatre Košice / costume design / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni, directed by Roman Polák
- 2004 / Pôtoň Theatre Bátovce / costume design / Michal Ditte: Two Words of Belisa the Crepuscular... the story of Eva Luna, directed by Iveta Ditte Jurčová
- 2004 / Drama Club Prague / stage and costume design / Edward Albee: The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2005 / National Theatre Prague / costume design / Martin Čičvák: One Thousand and One Night (Stories in Sand), directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2005 / National Theatre Brno / costume design / Martin Čičvák – Martin Kubran: One Thousand and One Night (Scheherezade’s Garden), directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2005 / Letí Theatre Prague / costume design / Olya Mukhina: Flying, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2006 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava and Drama Club Prague / costume design / Thomas Vinterberg – Mogens Rukov – Bo Hansen: The Celebration, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2006 / National Theatre Drama Ljubljana / Roland Schimmelpfennig: The Woman Before, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2006 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / stage and costume design / Ján Ďurovčík: Slovak Street Session, directed by Ján Ďurovčík
- 2006 / Debris Company Bratislava / costume design / Jozef Vlk: Soliloquy, directed by Jozef Vlk
- 2006 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Viliam Klimáček: Gustav Husák, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2007 / Debris Company Bratislava / stage and costume design / Jozef Vlk: Dolcissime Sirene, directed by Jozef Vlk
- 2007 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Friedrich Schiller: Intrigue and Love, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2007 / National Theatre Brno / costume design / Sophocles: Antigone, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2007 / Drama Club Prague / costume design / Anton Pavlovich Chekhov: Ivanov, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2007 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Marguerite Duras: India Song, directed by Hans Hollmann
- 2008 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / costume design / Sławomir Mrożek: Tango, directed by Rastislav Ballek
- 2008 / Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / costume design / Pavol Braxatoris – Gejza Dusík: Blue Rose, directed by Jozef Bednárik
- 2008 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / costume design / Ivan Stodola: Just Another Cup of Tea, directed by Jakub Nvota
- 2008 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Georg Büchner: Leonce and Lena, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2008 / Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre / costume design / Ivan S. Turgenev: A Month in the Country, directed by Roman Polák
- 2008 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre Prešov / costume design / Frank Houtappels: The Beached Whale, directed by Jakub Nvota
- 2008 / City Theatre Žilina / costume design / Jonathan Swift: Gulliver’s Travels, directed by Tom Ciller
- 2008 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / costume design / Ladislav Nádaši-Jégé: The Journey Through Life, directed by Rastislav Ballek
- 2008 / Debris Company / costume design / Jozef Vlk: Hexen, directed by Jozef Vlk
- 2009 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Bertolt Brecht: Mother Courage and her Children, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2009 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / costume design / Kamil Žiška: And We Will Whisper..., directed by Kamil Žiška
- 2009 / National Theatre Prague / costume design / William Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2010 / National Theatre Prague / costume design / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Cosi Fan Tutte, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2010 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Faust I, II, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2010 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Joseph Kesserling: Arsenic and Old Lace, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2011 / National Theatre Prague / costume design / William Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2011 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Moisés Kaufman: 33 Variations, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2011 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Martin Čičvák: Kukura, directed by Rastislav Ballek
- 2011 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / David Mamet: November, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2011 / P.A.T. Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Sláva Daubnerová: Illuminarium, directed by Sláva Daubnerová
- 2012 / Andrej Bagar Theatre Nitra / costume design / Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2012 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / costume design / Ján Rozner – Peter Pavlac: Seven Days to the Funeral, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2012 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Aristophanes: Clouds, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2012 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / George Tabori: Mother’s Courage, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2013 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / stage design / Jonathan Larson: Rent, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2013 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Jonathan Larson: Rent, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2013 / Andrej Bagar Theatre Nitra / costume design / Eugéne Ionesco: The Bald Soprano, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2013 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / stage design / Patrick Marber: Closer, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2013 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Patrick Marber: Closer, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2013 / Vinohrady Theatre Prague / costume design / Max Frisch: Andorra, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2014 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Johan Nepomuk Nestroy: Mr. Mimo (Der Zerrissene), directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2014 / Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre / costume design / Slavomir Mrožek: Love in the Crimea, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2014 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre in Prešov / costume design / Alexander N. Ostrovsky: It’s Not All Shrovetide for the Cat, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2014 / Vinohrady Theatre Prague / costume design / Peter Schaffer: Amadeus, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2014 / National Theatre Prague / stage design / Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich: Orango and Antiformalist Rayok, directed by Sláva Daubnerová
- 2014 / National Theatre Prague / costume design / Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich: Orango and Antiformalist Rayok, directed by Sláva Daubnerová
- 2015 / Drama Club Prague / costume design / Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoyevsky: The Brothers Karamazov, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2015 / State Theatre Košice / costume design / Giacomo Puccini: Manon Lescaut, directed by Peter Gábor
- 2015 / City Theatre Žilina / costume design / Maxim Gorky: Counterfeit Money, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2015 / Slovak Chamber Theatre Martin / costume design / José López Rubio: The Dead See It Differently, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2015 / Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre, Bratislava / stage design / Anton P. Chekhov: The Cherry Orchard, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2015 / Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Anton P. Chekhov: The Cherry Orchard, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2015 / National Theatre Prague / costume design / Giuseppe Verdi: Macbeth, directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2016 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio, directed by Martin Bendik
- 2016 / Aréna Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Joe Orton: What the Butler Saw, directed by Rastislav Ballek
- 2016 / Spiš Theatre, Spišská Nová Ves / costume design / Alexander N. Ostrovsky: Late Love, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2016 / City Theatre of Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav, Bratislava / Florian Zeller: The Truth, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2016 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Pavol Weis: The Life of Mankind, directed by Dino Mustafić
- 2017 / Spiš Theatre, Spišská Nová Ves / costume design / Georges Feydeau: A Tailor for Ladies, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2017 / City Theatre Žilina / costume design / David Gieselmann: Pigeons, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2017 / Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / David Gieselmann: Container Paris, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2017 / National Theatre Brno / costume design / Karel Schulz – Lenka Lagronová: The Rock and the Pain, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2017 / Petr Bezruč Theatre Ostrava / stage design / Agota Kristof – Marie Špalová: The Big Notebook, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2018 / State Theatre Košice / Ladislav Stroupežnický: Our Swaggerers, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2018 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre in Prešov / stage design / Ján Skála: For Good and Evil, directed by Alena Lelková
- 2018 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre in Prešov / costume design / Ján Skála: For Good and Evil, directed by Alena Lelková
- 2018 / Ján Palárik Theatre in Trnava / costume design / Lev N. Tolstoy: The Power of Darkness, directed by Matúš Bachynec
- 2018 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Lev N. Tolstoy: War and Peace, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2019 / Slovak Chamber Theatre, Martin / costume design / Iveta Horváthová: Island, directed by Marián Pecko
- 2019 / City Theatre Žilina /costume design / Andreas Sauter: Money! (Geld – her damit!), directed by Marián Amsler
- 2019 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Ruben Östlund: The Square, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2019 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / stage design / Prebble Lucy: The Effect, directed by Alena Lelková
- 2019 / Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Lucy Prebble: The Effect, directed by Alena Lelková
- 2019 / City Theatre Zlín / costume design / Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2019 / National Theatre Brno / costume design / Alois Jirásek: The Lantern, directed by Štěpán Pácl
- 2020 / Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / costume design / Anna Saavedra: The House, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2020 / State Theatre Košice / costume design / Hana Naglik: Jurgo’s Hana, directed by Alena Lelková
- 2020 / Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / costume design / Jane Austen: Miss Elliot’s Love, directed by Ľubomír Vajdička
- 2020 / Jonáš Záborský Theatre in Prešov / stage and costume design / Božena S. Timrava: The Ťapák Clan, directed by Alena Lelková
- 2021 / Ludus Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Denisa Fulmeková – Sára Zetocha Čermáková: Convalia, Rudolf Dilong’s Forbidden Love, directed by Sára Zetocha Čermáková
- 2021 Slovak Chamber Theatre, Martin / costume design / Anton P. Chekhov: Three Sisters, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2022 / City Theatre Žilina / costume design / Lev N. Tolstoy – Armin Petras: Anna Karenina, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2022 / Astorka Korzo ’90 Theatre, Bratislava / costume design / Christopher Hampton: A German Life, directed by Alena Lelková
- 2022 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Arthur Miller: The Crucible, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2023 / Theatre without a Home / artistic collaboration / Sophocles – Patrik Krebs: Antigone, directed by Patrik Krebs
- 2023 / Ján Palárik Theatre in Trnava / stage and costume design / Emily Brontë: Wuthering Heights, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2023 / Slovak National Theatre Bratislava / costume design / Louise Alcott – Marián Amsler: Little Women, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2023 / Andrej Bagar Theatre in Nitra / costume design / Marián Amsler: The Golden Lyre, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2024 / National Theatre Prague / costume design / Klaus Mann: Mephisto, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2024 / Ján Palárik Theatre in Trnava / costume design / A. a V. Mrštík: Maryša, directed by Matúš Bachynec
- 2024 / City Theatre Žilina / costume design / Maja Zade: Status quo, directed by Marián Amsler
- 2007 / DOSKY – Best costume of the season category for the costume design in Intrigue and Love directed by Martin Čičvák
- 2012 / DOSKY – Best costume of the season category for the costume design in Illuminarium directed by Sláva Daubnerová
- 2014 / DOSKY – Best costume of the season category for the costume design in Love in the Crimea directed by Marián Amsler
- 2018 / DOSKY – Best costume of the season category for the costume design in War and Peace directed by Marián Amsler