Ondrej Spišák

Ondrej Spišák is a Slovak theatre director from a well-known artistic family; his father was the prominent director Karol Spišák. He studied directing and dramaturgy at the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre at DAMU in Prague. In 1990, he co-founded the independent association Teatro Tatro, famous for its magical nomadic performances in its own theatre tent. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with many puppet and drama theatres in Slovakia, including the Bratislava Puppet Theatre and the Karol Spišák Old Theatre in Nitra. He has also built a strong reputation abroad. In the Czech Republic, he directed successful productions at the Dejvice Theatre, the Petr Bezruč Theatre in Ostrava, and the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre. He also worked at prestigious Polish venues like Teatr Lalka in Warsaw. His directing style is known for its immense playfulness, blurring the lines between puppet and adult drama theatre.