Helena Štáchová

Helena Štáchová (2011)

Helena Štáchová (born November 18, 1944 in Prague ; † March 22, 2017 there ) was a Czech puppeteer , singer, author, director and voice actress . For 50 years she led the female characters in the world of Spejbl and Hurvínek and gave them her voice. From 1996 to 2016 she directed the Spejbl and Hurvínek Marionette Theater in Prague .

Live and act

Štáchová was born into a musically gifted academic family in the final phase of the Second World War . The father was an engineer, the mother a professor; the brother became a veterinarian. After graduating from high school, she was accepted at the Pedagogical Faculty in the Faculty of Literature and Art Education, but did not begin her studies, but moved to the theater faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU). Here she graduated in 1966 and joined the famous Spejbl and Hurvínek puppet theater at the age of 22 . A year later, she replaced Božena Weleková in leading and speaking the character Mánička . In 1971, at her suggestion, the figure of Mrs. Kateřina , the grandma of Mánička and thus another female counter-figure of the father-son couple Spejbl and Hurvínek, was created. Štáchová also took over this character and, like Miloš Kirschner , led the two main female characters with the two male characters for a long time.

In 1972 she married the theater director Kirschner, who was 16 years her senior. In 1984 she had a serious car accident in which she was seriously injured in the face.

Štáchová (right) with her predecessor Božena Weleková; between the two the marionette Mánička (1969)

The entire “family” on a mural on the outside facade of the Prague Marionette Theater “Spejbl and Hurvínek” ; third and fourth from the top: Mrs. Katharina and Mánička

Since 1969, Štáchová has been recording records for Supraphon with the ensemble , which have been extremely successful and have been awarded 33 gold, 25 platinum and one diamond record. Supraphon sold more than five million records with stories about Spejbl and Hurvínek in Czechoslovakia alone and then in the Czech Republic . The theater was also successful outside the Czech-speaking area, where the company regularly toured. Under Miloš Kirschner, the ensemble had 17 foreign languages in their repertoire, including Japanese and Arabic . Under Kirschner's successor as spokesman and leader of the main characters Martin Klásek , there were eleven foreign languages. Since Kirschner and Klásek were able to embody different languages as the main speakers, Štáchová, who worked with both, ultimately performed in 21 languages. She performed in more than 30 different countries. The characters were also particularly popular in the GDR, where more than ten radio plays in German were published on records. In addition, many of the programs were recorded on film and initially released on television and later also on DVD.

After Kirschner's death in 1996, Štáchová took over the management of the theater, worked on the development of the plays and also directed; her new life partner was the political scientist Zdeněk Zbořil. In 2000, a legal dispute broke out with the city of Pilsen over the rights of use to the characters, which lasted eight years and was only finally decided in favor of the theater in 2008. In 2004, Štáchová was diagnosed with lymphoma , and in 2005 she dealt with the fight against the disease in the book Život na nitích (Life on threads) . In 2016, one year before her death, she retired. The actress Marie Šimsová became his successor as the embodiment of the female characters .

In addition to working for the puppet theater, Štáchová was also active in other areas. She was active as a voice actress and for a long time gave Lisa Simpson her voice in the Czech version of The Simpsons . For some time she taught at DAMU. She wrote 54 television and radio games for both children and adult audiences. She also wrote nine books.

Štáchová was highly decorated. In 2013 she accepted the Thalia Prize for the theater . In the same year she was honored with the Order of Gold by the Czech Chamber of Commerce. In 2016, as part of the celebrations for the 90th birthday of Spejbl, she became an honorary member of Herecká asociace , the Czech actors' association.

Štáchová had three children with Kirschner, two of whom survived; the eldest daughter Helena died one day after the birth. Both took up professions that enabled them to work in the Spejbl and Hurvínek puppet theaters. The daughter Denisa studied cultural studies at the Charles University in Prague and works as a dramaturge at the puppet theater. She also works as a theater actress and book author. Son Miloš studied and works at the film faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. He writes scenarios for plays and radio plays, and directs the latter. He also designs puppets for the theater.

German-language radio plays and recordings (selection)

Sound carrier:

Spejbl & Hurvínek, record, Supraphon Prague, ČSSR, 1968
Hurvínek's Snowman, record, Supraphon Prague, ČSSR, 1977
Spejbls warm metaferoses
Hurvínek in Dreamland, record, Supraphon Prague, ČSSR, 1982
Amorosiada, LP
Hurvínek's Snowman, LP
The Christmas carp, EP (or single?)
Spejbl & Hurvínek on their birthday, record, Supraphon Prague, ČSSR, 1975
Spejbl & Hurvínek - Hurvínek among the beetles, Supraphon Prague, ČSSR, 1977
Spejbl's vacation with Hurvínek, record, Supraphon Prague, ČSSR, 1980
Hurvínek is on vacation, Supraphon Prague, ČSSR, 1980
Hurvínek's birthday
Hurvínek's good nursery
The best of Spejbl and Hurvinek. 3 CDs, 2002 (compilation of various Supraphon recordings)
News from Spejbl and Hurvinek. 3 CDs, 2003 (compilation of various Supraphon recordings)

Video:

Spejbl & Hurvínek - Life is beautiful, DVD, 2004
Spejbl & Hurvínek - How it all began, DVD, 2004
Spejbl & Hurvínek - Hurvínek's Year, DVD, 2004
Spejbl & Hurvínek - DVD Collection (3 DVDs - compilation of the above three individual publications), 2004
Hurvinek and the Magic Flute, DVD 2005

Web links

Commons : Helena Štáchová - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

personal data
SURNAME	Štáchová, Helena
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Czech puppeteer, singer, writer, director and voice actress
DATE OF BIRTH	November 18, 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH	Prague
DATE OF DEATH	22nd March 2017
Place of death	Prague