PROFILE // Blanka Zizka: I Am Still Learning
EXCERPT //
“Blanka Zizka has been the artistic director of the Wilma Theater for nearly 40 years. Pre-pandemic her long and illustrious career made her an ideal interview subject on the topic of resilience; now this conversation seems preordained. Zizka appears on my screen as a slight woman with alert, dark eyes. Her hair is worn in a pixie cut with the kind of effortless dishevelment no amount of product can achieve. Though she is only visible from the waist up, Zizka employs her full physical self in conversation. The distance between us and the stark white wall behind her do little to diminish her warmth.
Zizka, 65, is sheltering with her son on Long Island. …
Because of her obligations to the Wilma, she must keep striving and embrace the dichotomy of uncertain times. ‘In this moment there is fluctuation between optimism and pessimism that is interesting. I think it’s time for experimentation,’ Zizka says. ‘We should not avoid it. We should actually take it as an opportunity to open new doors.’”
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