No stone was left unturned in the Slovak National Theater before the end of 2025, when 5 actors were dismissed as part of the announced consolidation. Táňa Pauhofová will end her permanent employment, and the unpleasant verdict also applies to Roman Poláčik, Martin Šalach, Daniel Žulčák and Anna Magdaléna Hroboňová. All the artists in the theater are staying, but their contracts are changing. After the new one, they will become externs, respectively guest actors.
Naturally, Roman Poláčik (37), who just recently won the Doska award for best male acting, does not like what is happening. “Yes, it’s an annoying, illogical situation and it caught me unprepared. Even considering that I received two awards in the course of a week and the decision to terminate my internal employment,” he told .
Despite this, he doesn’t give a damn about the theater. If anyone wants him to quit SND, he has a solid message for him. “I will continue to cooperate with SND as a guest artist. I am certainly not going to another theater. I want to believe that this nonsense will one day be disproved and I will continue my artistic activity as a member of SND Drama,” he added.
Former Prime Minister Fico’s advisor also commented on the whole case Eduard Chmelár, who claims that SND was originally supposed to get rid of “old bards” such as Jamrich, Tarageľ or Vojtek, which he considers disrespectful. “I expressed my indignation at the fact that the SND Drama director Miriam Kičiňová initially proposed to release the seriously ill Dušan Jamrich. I am biting my lip with anger at so much disrespect, as if they couldn’t wait for him to leave on his own. She even persuaded the excellent Anna Javorková whether she wanted to make room for young people,” he wrote, focusing his attention on Poláčik.
“And now they are furious that the award-winning young actor Poláčik has to leave. When it angered the actress Pavlíková so much, I wonder why she didn’t protest when he was fired from DAB in Nitra for an incident under the influence of alcohol. Is he irreplaceable only in Bratislava? Undoubtedly, he made it easier for Ťapáková to make a decision by dumping trash in front of her door in a fit of emotion (there is also a camera recording of this). The actors defend his actions by saying that ‘he is so emotional’. OK, but do you see the difference between the real personalities of the theater, who were models for the public and whom they wanted to get rid of as unnecessary and superfluous – and between such conceited outgrowths who do not know how to behave?’ added Chmelár.
The reaction of the head of SND to the end of the five actors
SND press secretary Izabela Pažitková for emphasizes that the government regulation, as well as the budget approved by the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic, i.e. not only the Ministry of Culture, also results in savings on labor costs across all areas, including culture.
“Thus, the redundancies affect all ministries and all state institutions. SND is facing this challenge just like other institutions and is canceling almost ten percent of positions in total. It should be emphasized that this concerns all departments of the Slovak National Theater – that means Ballet, Opera, Drama, Art and Decoration Workshops, as well as the administration,” she said, adding that the SND considers this matter internal and media coverage on the part of the actors as purposeful.
The management’s steps were also sanctified by their legal department. “All personnel measures have been discussed with individual heads of departments, as well as five trade unions, and they are taking place in accordance with the Labor Code and legislative rules,” added the secretary.
Temporary head of the institution Zuzana Ťapáková rejects words about purges. “Nothing dramatic happens. Five actors go from internal to external status. The theater laid off 795 employees from all areas and departments, including drama. Unlike the other dismissed actors, the actors will have external contracts and continue to play, and the audience will not be deprived,” Ťapáková told Koktejl.sk. She refused to be specific according to which key they issued notices from internal contracts in the SND personnel department.
