Karel Vetter(1886-1956)
- Writer
Karel Vetter founded the tradition of amateur theatre at Jan Neruda grammar school in Prague.
The descendant of the Old Prague family, Vetter learned French in his older sister's French nursery for young children from better Prague circles. He translated, edited books and taught French and German between the two wars at various grammar schools, where he also directed student performances. His pupils allegedly included Bozena Pulpánová, Vlasta Fabianová and Jirí Krejcík. Vetter is listed as an art consultant on Krejcík's directorial debut, the film A week in the quiet house (1947) and it is likely that the perfect portrayal of the old Prague milieu is to his credit.
Vetter was already retired when Ota Pokladník, the schoolmaster at Jan Neruda grammar school, invited him in 1948 to start and lead a dramatic society. In collaboration with professor of descriptive geometry and drawing, academic painter Jaroslav Divísek, he gradually built a real school theatre. The school chapel became an auditorium with a stage, a complete lighting park and a cloakroom in an adjoining classroom. Thanks to all this, it was possible to handle even the technically demanding titles of the world repertoire.
The opening production was Antigona by Sofokles in 1949, followed by Molière's School for husbands, Shakespeare's As you like it, two short very old plays (Rohovín Ctverrohý by Klicpera and The Farce of Master Pierre Pathelin), Molière's The hypochondriac and The broken jug by Heinrich von Kleist, all directed by Vetter.
At the same time, Vetter also cultivated recitation competitions and literary evenings, namely Jan Neruda, Bozena Nemcová, Old Chinese poetry (presented at Jiráskuv Hronov in 1954), Russian classics etc. The most famous became Comenius' school play Diogenes. The evening was included in the program of Comenius international celebrations run by UNESCO.
Vetter's approach was both artistic and educational at the same time, cultivating talents, but refusing nobody. Veter strictly paid attention to the correct pronunciation, verse and meter, and above all he was able to transmit his own refinement to his students. Among them were Czech famous actors Milan Nedela and Jan Tríska, as well as actor, publicist and historian Jaroslav Somes.