Slovak icon of amateur acting died

Štefánia Pepka Slobodová, an iconic amateur actress died on January 2 at the age of 59. She had been recognised as the muse of the renowned director Jozef Bednárik. Their staging of a play based on French 19^th century author Guy de Maupassant's story "Dumpling" enjoyed great success at festivals all around the world. In 2004, Štefánia Slobodová was the first amateur actress in Slovakia to win the Jozef Kroner award for lifetime achievement.