ALFA Theatre US TOUR - Chevy Chase, MD

November 10, 2025, 6:00 PM

Divadlo ALFA, one of the Czech Republic’s most acclaimed puppet theatre companies, continues its tour of the performance Mr. Kašpar and His Jolly Family on November 10, 2025, at 6 pm, at the Meadowbrook Activity Building in Chevy Chase, MD. Hailing from Pilsen, Divadlo ALFA brings its distinctive blend of imagination, humor, and masterful puppetry to audiences of all ages as part of this year’s Mutual Inspirations Festival celebrating the Pilsen Region.

Event Details:
Date/Time: November 10, 2025, at 6 pm

Location: Meadowbrook Activity Building
79-1 Meadowbrooke Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

About Alfa Theatre
Alfa Theatre, hailing from the Pilsen Region of the Czech Republic,is one of the best Czech puppet theatre companies with a sixty-year-long tradition. Since the 1990s, it has ranked among the most internationally successful Czech puppet theatres. Its pinnacle work is the puppet version of Dumas’The Three Musketeers, which has won dozens of awards at festivals and toured around 40 countries worldwide.Other successful titles of recent years include Mr. Kašpar and His Jolly Family, Čáslavská Tokyo 1964, and Zorro.

Alfa Theatre has performed in most European countries, as well as in the US, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.In 2025, Alfa Theatrerepresented the Czech Republic at Expo Osaka, where over 2,000 spectators saw the performance Čáslavská Tokyo 1964.In recent years, the theatre has received the Award for the Most Inspiring Production of 2021, the City of Pilsen Award for the Cultural Event of 2024, and the Jan Borna Award. Alfa Theatreis one of the few Czech theatres that preserve the tradition of puppet theatre while combining it with modern theatrical genres.

About Mr. Kašpar and His Jolly Family
The story follows the family of Kašpárek and Kalupinka, who are taking care of their little baby, helped by their family pet dog Hafík and Mr. Death, who is Kašpárek’s friend. The plot is modern and resembles the crazy life of a young family today. However, the puppets themselves are traditional, so both children and parents can look forward to classic Czech puppet theatre, in particular the traditional Czech puppetry genre of a glove puppet booth show (maňásková rakvičkárna).

More information:
The performance lasts 35 minutes. After the show, there is a workshop for children with the puppets. Children can explore the backstage area and play with the puppets. The workshop lasts about 30 minutes.The performance is suitable for families with children aged 4 and up —especially for families,who currently have experience with a new baby sibling, and, of course, for all lovers of puppet theatre.

About Czech puppet theatre:
Czech puppet theatre has a rich and unique history that dates back to the 18th century. It developed from folk traditions and travelling puppet troupes that performed in villages and towns across the Czech lands. Over time, puppet theatre became an important part of Czech cultural life, entertaining both children and adults, and reflecting social and political events of the time.

A distinctive feature of Czech puppet theatre is the wide variety of puppet types, from traditional marionettes on strings to hand puppetsand rod puppets. Czech puppeteers developed exceptional craftsmanship, with beautifully carved and painted puppets, as well as sophisticated stage mechanisms and scenography.

In the 20th century, Czech puppet theatre gained international recognition thanks to renowned ensembles and artists such as Josef Skupa, Jiří Trnka, and the Spejbl and Hurvínek Theatre. Their innovative approaches influenced the development of modern puppet theatre around the world.In 2016, Czech and Slovak puppet theatre was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognition highlights its cultural significance, its deep roots in local communities, and its contribution to world theatre art.

Czech puppet theatre continues to thrive today, combining traditional techniques with contemporary themes and new media. It remains a vibrant and inspiring art form that delights audiences of all generations and serves as an important link between the past and the present.