Matej Kopecký

Born Feb. 24, 1775, in Líbčany; died July 3, 1847, in Koloděje nad Lužnicí. Czech actor in the puppet theater, theatrical figure, and teacher. A founder of the Czech puppet theater.

Kopecký lived in Mirovice and later (between 1825 and 1845) in Přísečnice and Vacov. His theater troupe traveled throughout the cities and villages of Bohemia and presented adaptations of popular Czech legends and plays of Shakespeare, Molière, J. Tyl, V. Tarn, and V. Klipcera, as well as satirical skits star-ring the puppet Kašpárek. In 1862, 61 plays from Kopecký’s repertoire were written down and published. The composer B. Smetana composed overtures to several of his plays.The traditions of his art were carried forth by his son, Václav Kopecký, his grandson, Antonin, and his great-granddaughter, Arnošta. Kopecký’s puppets are preserved in the National Museum in Prague.