Pavol Smolík will be appointed interim general director of the Slovak National Theatre (SND), the Culture Ministry's press department said on August 27.
Culture Minister Marek Maďarič met all three SND section directors on Thursday following the resignation of Silvia Hroncová from the post of general director of the SND that morning. Both SmolÌk, the former opera section head, and former SND theatre section director Štefan Bučko, who resigned from their respective posts on August 26, decided to return after the talks with Maďarič. The minister notified the directors of SND's individual sections about his intention to launch a selection procedure to find a permanent general director of SND.
The Slovak National Theatre (SND) is conservative, and resists any innovations and comparisons with similar European theatres, Hroncová told the SITA newswire. She said in a post-resignation statement that her goals included taking on young members into artistic ensembles, formation of well-known production teams, active and productive contacts with foreign theatres, attracting new audiences and effectively handling SND funds and property. However, she said was unhappy about the conservative thinking of her colleagues, who rejected comparisons with institutions at the European level. This is the basis of the dispute between her and other members of SND senior management, Hroncová said.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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