Alois Jirásek

Alois Jirásek (1851–1930) was one of the most prominent Czech writers and playwrights. A native of Hronov in East Bohemia, he studied history at the university in Prague and worked for many years as a high school teacher of history and geography, first in Litomyšl and later in Prague. He made his mark on theatre history as the author of timeless plays that regularly return to domestic stages to this day. During his career, he wrote twelve dramas, among which stand out rural plays such as Vojnarka or Otec (The Father), and above all his most popular work, the fairy-tale play Lucerna (The Lantern) from 1905. Although he created his works before the boom of cinematography, his plays and famous novels (F. L. Věk, Psohlavci, Temno) became the basis for countless film and television adaptations.