Stepan Gajdos

Country: Czech Republic

Biography

He graduated in Directing from the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre at DAMU (Academy of Performing Arts in Prague), following his acting studies at the Brno Conservatory.

His work focuses primarily on devised theatre, interdisciplinary projects and theatre for children and young audiences, where he often explores unexpected and frequently taboo topics, intergenerational dialogue, identity, and well-being.

He has collaborated with numerous Czech theatres, including the National Theatre in Prague, Divadlo X10, Husa na provázku Theatre, The Petr Bezruč Theatre, and Polárka Theatre. His productions have been presented at international theatre festivals, and he has also collaborated with the Serbian theatre Pozorište za decu i mlade Kragujevac.

Since 2023, he has been an in-house director at The Little Theatre in České Budějovice.

He also works in the audiovisual field as a director and screenwriter for animated series.

The First Time

The First Time is an original performance for audiences aged 13 and up, produced by Polárka Theatre, a Brno-based theatre for children and young audiences. It approaches sex education in a sensitive, open and engaging way. It is not a school lesson, but a lively performance that opens up questions many people still find difficult to talk about. It shows how honest and safe communication can help teenagers (and not only them) understand their own boundaries and communicate their feelings and needs.

Eleven performers and puppets — the same number as the colours of the Progress Pride flag — explore different topics through their first sexual experiences, including consent, protection, peer pressure, myths and misinformation, body image, masturbation, asexuality, the influence of pornography, and more. The characters are represented by colours rather than names or gender, creating a world in which gender and sexuality do not need to define who we are.

The First Time was created in collaboration with psychologist and sex-education specialist Marcela Poláčková from the organisation Konsent.