An Old Hindu Drama on the Czech Stage. Shudraka's The Little Clay Cart An Old Hindu Drama on the Czech Stage. Shudraka's The Little Clay Cart at the Prague National Theater
Abstract
The study discusses the circumstances of the 1893 stage presentation of Shudraka's The Little Clay Cart at the Prague National Theatre, rendered in a peculiar German adaptation by Emil Pohl. The essay situates the method of adaptation and its Czech critical reflection in the context of European reception of the old Hindu drama (represented e.g. by Kalidasa's Shakuntala), as well as in the context of Czech discussions regarding the translation of Oriental literature.
In this respect, the essay demonstrates similar features that relate Czech rendition and ensuing discussions with the wider European perception of this phenomenon, but also emphasizes the specific Czech features that originated from the period literary and translational debates. The essay is a supplement to the critical edition of the Czech translation of Emil Pohl's play, published in the journal Nový Orient.