A dramatization of two literary works in one inscenation: Božena Slančíková-Timrava´s piece Za koho ísť? (Whom to marry?), Elena Maróthy-Šoltésová´s piece Moje deti (My children). The inscenation continues in the search for women´s portrayal and fate, and examines all the various roles that are “given“ to women with no regard to the century they live in.

Božena Slančíková-Timrava (2nd Oktober 1867, Polichno – 27th November 1951, Lučenec)
Her proper name was Božena Slančíková, pseudonym Timrava. She refused to marry out of convenience for she believed in true love and thus she remained single for life. She never wanted to have children and for that decision she was being frowned up by the contemporary society. Even though love was a very common motif in Timrava´s work, her attitude towards it was never sentimental. On the contrary, she pointed out its self-interest and by doing so her work differed from the previously written Slovak prose. She fits in the timeless Slovak authoresses. Even though her artistic work had not gotten the response she deserved while she was alive, she earned her place among the top female authores of Slovak realism. Her work was remarkable for psychologizing its  characters and by doing this, Timrava indicated the way of literary modernism in advance. Her most significant works: short stories – Everything for the Nation (Všetko za národ), The Death of Paľo Ročka (Skon Paľa Ročku), Without Dignity (Bez hrdosti), Two eras (Dve doby), and theatre plays – Poor Family (Chudobná rodina), Peacock (Páva).
The short story Whom to marry? (1893) is Timrava´s prose debut. It is about a young, single woman and her feelings when she faces the hard choice of the direction of her love life.And yet again, Timrava does not describe the story of the woman as sentimental, on the contrary, her view of it is ironic and slightly mocking. Questions such as How to live or not to live without love? Whom to fall in love with? How to remain ourselves? How to choose? are the most powerful ones in this work.

Elena Maróthy-Šoltésová (6th January 1855, Krupina – 11th February 1939, Martin)
She was one of the most significant Slovak female figures at the turn of the 19th and the 20th century. She was a founder of the Živena woman´s association that was supportive of the tendency and efforts to bring around national revival of Slovak men and women in the 19th century. It also supported education of women and their engagement with public matters. During the leadership of Šoltésová, Živena established several family schools and courses for girls. Her most significant works: novellas – The First Misconducts (Prvé previnenia), Guineafowl (Popolka), During a summer night (Za letného večera) and the double-beam novel Against the Current (Proti prúdu).
Her most successful book is My children (Moje deti 1923 – 1924) which was translated to several languages. This work is not only an insight into children´s soul, but as well a manifestation of her democratic thinking and humility, or rather tolerance, towards life/God in a rather unusual combination with boldness shown when speaking openly about the women´s predestination in life. The book shows the individuality of a married woman with two children, her uncertainty about education and norms of behaviour in the mother – child relationship, as well as the fear and happiness of a simple mother.

Costumes and puppet design: Eva Farkašová as a guest
Music composition: Juraj Haško as a guest, selection (zulu wedding sond, Gospeed Monheim, Colleen The Cello song, J. W. Mozart)
Dramaturgical assistance: Marián Pecko
Script and directress: Iva Š.

Cast: Marianna Mackurová, Ivana Kováčová/ Andrea Krestianová as a guest, Mária Danadová as a guest/Mária Šamajová

Scenography created by: Ateliers of PTAC in cooperation with Eva Farkašová
Photo: Dodo Šamaj

Running time: 65 min.
First appearance: 24. 3. 2011