LOVE / An Argumentative Exercise

The story of Olive Oyl, the eternal sidekick of Popeye the Sailor.
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Olive is a successful, strong, modern and independent woman. She plays the main character in her own life. When everyone’s favourite, Popeye the Sailor, appears on the horizon, however, Olive starts to fade more and more in his shadow. Feminism starts to be drowned out by the well-intentioned advice of the previous generation, and her boyfriend’s penis becomes the third member of their household.
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This uncompromising text by the Israeli author Sivan Ben Yishai, named author of the year for 2023 in Theatre Heute magazine’s prestigious poll, breaks all the taboos regarding the role of a woman alongside a man in contemporary society. LOVE / An Argumentative Essay achieves this through the clever and entertaining parallel of the female main character, who is still rather secondary, from the animated series about Popeye the Sailor. You already know the penis; we will introduce you to the vulva!
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The play was translated with the financial support of the Goethe Institute and the Czech Literary Fund Foundation.
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Please note that the production contains explicit language.

About the company

One of the oldest independent Czech theatres, Theatre LETÍ, has been focused on new dramaturgy, especially from Europe, since it was founded in 2005. All of its productions are either Czech or world premieres, and it often initiates the creation of new plays through its residency program. Examples include Anna Saavedra’s Olga: Horrors from Hrádeček, Roman Sikora’s Confession of a Masochist, Petr Kolečko´s Poker Face, Marie Nováková, David Košťák, Joan Yago and Claudia Cedó’s CAMPQ, and Bernhard Studlar’s iPlay.
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Theatre LETÍ does not have a permanent ensemble or preferred directorial style. It aims to discover new, innovative plays with relevant social topics. Frequent topics include political themes (Confession of a Masochist, Europe Connexion), social analysis (Against Progress, Against Love, Against Democracy, CAMPQ), intergenerational relationships (And Then Mirna Came, In The Republic of Happiness, Poker Face), and problems facing minorities (Small Town Boy, After Frederic, HOMO 40), etc. Regularly initiating projects outside of theatre spaces, Theatre LETÍ also explores site-specific and immersive stagings of new plays, as in Letí on Airport at Prague’s Václav Havel Airport,, Against Progress, Against Love, Against Democracy at DOX Contemporary Art Centre, and the CAMPQ immersive installation on Štvanice island for Prague Quadriennal 2019.
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In addition to Martina Schlegelová (formerly the company’s artistic director), Theatre LETÍ regularly collaborates with directors Marián Amsler, Adam Svozil and Daniela Špinar. Since 2005, LETÍ has been in permanent residency at VILA Štvanice. It is a member of the Czech Association of Independent Theatre and the international network Fabulamundi.