Theatre of Poland
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In common with other European countries, the most frequent and most popular form of theatre in Poland is dramatic theatre, based on the existence of stable artistic companies. It is above all a theatre of directors, who decide on the form of its productions and the appearance of individual scenes. There is no strict division in Poland between theatre and film directors and actors, therefore many stage artists are known to theatre goers from films of Andrzej Wajda, for example: Wojciech Pszoniak, Daniel Olbrychski, Krystyna Janda, Jerzy Radziwiłowicz, and from films of Krzysztof Kieślowski, actors such as Jerzy Stuhr, Janusz Gajos and others.
Alongside the many types of dramatic theatre whose basis is literature, there are in Poland historic forms of theatre in which spoken word is not the most important means of expression, e.g., visual theatre popular against state censorship, musical theatre, theatre of movement, etc. An equal popularity is being gained by theatres employing puppets, figures, or shadows; there is even a theatre of drawing as well as a theatre of fire.
Tradition
The strength of
Among the professional companies, the most representative is the National Theatre in Warsaw. The core of its repertoire consists of the most cherished Polish and foreign dramas, with which directors conduct their individual dialogues, asking these classic pieces questions tormenting modern-day Poles. Within this exploration, the National Theatre frequently attempts very courageous experiments, which means that its stage, although a showcase, is not at all academic. Most characteristic are the productions of Jerzy Grzegorzewski (Theatre director between 1997 and 2002), who, employing complicated stage equipment (metaphoric scenographic elements such as pantographs, huge musical instruments, or symbolic props) and creating his own montage of classic texts, testing their value, searching for their relevance to the here and now.
Somewhat more conservative is the second Polish theatre with national status - the
Actors and directors
At present, the Polish theatre actor possibly best known outside the country is
During the second half of the nineties, there appeared in Polish dramatic theatre a new generation of young directors, who have attempted to create productions relevant to the experience and problems of a thirty-something generation brought up surrounded by mass culture, habituated to a fast-moving lifestyle, but at the same time ever more lost in the world of
The true rebirth, following the collapse of the Soviet empire, was experienced by the Ludowy Theatre in Nowa Huta district of Kraków taken over by an actor, director, and politician Jerzy Fedorowicz (1989–2005).[1] Under his management, the theatre won considerable recognition, and numerous awards. It was twice invited to the Edinburgh International Festival: in 1996 with Macbeth directed by Jerzy Stuhr, and in 1997 with Antigone directed by Włodzimierz Nurkowski. Current director is Jacek Strama, an award-winning theatre and film producer.[2]
Venues
The theatrical map of Poland, on which for many years the most important points were Warsaw and Kraków, has undergone numerous changes over the last decade. The most recognized directors in Poland, such as Krzysztof Warlikowski, Grzegorz Jarzyna, Jan Klata,
There is no doubt that the greatest achievements of the 20th-century Polish theatre are thanks to those artists seeking new forms and functions for the theatrical arts. From the very beginning of the great European reform movement, Polish theatre people have undertaken courageous experiments in this area. The Polish stream of reform was characterised by the linking of theatre with metaphysics. The source of this type of search was the work and thinking of the Polish Romantics, with Adam Mickiewicz at the forefront. In his Forefathers' Eve, the most important work in Polish literature, there is a vision of theatre as phenomenon on the border between a show and a ceremony led by an actor. In succeeding years, the most important artists of the Polish stage referred to, and sometimes polemicized with, this vision, developing or modifying it.
It was from this root that
Jerzy Grotowski
Though arising from the same roots, a totally different attempt to renew theatre was undertaken by
Grotowski's work has also influenced many Polish theatre artistes.
In
influences. In common with Czyżewski, the founder of the "Music of the Eastern Lands" Foundation, Jan Bernad, also came from Gardzienice, and has devoted himself to gathering and reconstructing the rich multiethnic traditions of the ancient music from the Eastern Borders for years.During the Sixties and Seventies, at the same time as Grotowski's work, the movement of social and politically engaged theatre was also developing in Poland. At first, it was, above all, a rebellious student theatre, later, during the period of martial law, the movement also accepted professionals, who organised productions for the underground Home Theatre. One specific form of political rebellion through theatre was promoted by Wrocław's Orange Alternative, an informal group which organised mass events poking fun at the symbols and ceremonies of officialdom. After the regaining of sovereignty in 1989, this movement weakened, but recently it has been reborn as an anticapitalist and antiwar movement. The most important centre for this kind of activity is Poznań, where, alongside the once famous and still active Theatre of the Eighth Day (the antiglobalist production Summit), the Travel Agency Theatre operates. One of its most important achievements is the open-air production Carmen Funebre, created under the influence of events in the former Yugoslavia and shown all over the world.
Another developing stream of theatre in Poland is so-called visual theatre, using pictures above all, and almost completely avoiding the spoken word. Its originator is considered to be Józef Szajna (1922), an artist whose collaboration with theatre began with stage design, went on to direction, and, since the seventies, the creation of theatrical productions employing striking pictures referring to expressionist and surrealist aesthetics. The unique form of Szajna's theatre arose both from his artistic and personal experiences (during WWII he was a concentration camp prisoner). They were based on a vision of a deformed world in which battles are fought over the basic human values, which are constantly under threat. Szajna's most famous productions, also performed abroad, are Dante, Cervantes, and Replica, which directly relate to his traumatic wartime experiences.
Currently, the leading representative of visual theatre is
Close to this stream are the strongly theatrical happenings of Jerzy Kalina as well as the theatrical activities of Warsaw's Academy of Movement. Speaking of the borderline between art and theatre, it is also worth recalling that there are still active performance artists in Poland. Polish experimental theatre has been counted among the most interesting in Europe, evidence of which are regular prestigious Fringe First awards from the Edinburgh Festival. In recent years, for example, the Travel Agency, Wierszalin, Kana, Song of the Goat, and Provisorium theatres have been recognised in this way.
During recent years in Poland, there has been a boom in musical theatre. Alongside the world-famous composers and singers, Polish directors of opera are rated ever more highly. The most important among this group has, for years, been Ryszard Peryt, collaborating with the Warsaw Chamber Opera (organising the annual Mozart Festival, among others) and the National Opera. His speciality is the production of oratorios, among which the theatrical version of Verdi's Requiem, which has been performed in Moscow's Red Square, stands out. Recent seasons have been a period of great operatic success for the film director Mariusz Treliński, who has aroused the interest of New York's Metropolitan Opera. Critical acclaim has also been enjoyed by the opera stage designs of Andrzej Majewski. Growing popularity is also enjoyed by dance theatre. In addition to classical ballet, whose best groups have for years been linked with opera halls, contemporary dance groups have been appearing since the Sixties and Seventies. Among the most important are Poznań's Polish Theatre of Dance, founded by Conrad Drzewiecki and currently led by Ewa Wycichowska, and Wrocław's "Pantomima", founded by Henryk Tomaszewski (1919–2001). Since the nineties, both Bytom (Silesian Dance Theatre) and Kraków have become important centres, hosting festivals which attract dancers from all over the world.
Festivals
International festivals are a particular element of Polish theatre life, occasions to allow the artistic achievements of East and West to confront each other. To this end, there are such festivals as "Contact," taking place annually in Toruń, and "Dialogue," organised biannually in autumn in Wrocław, in turn with Kraków's "Dedications" (October) and Warsaw's "Meetings" (November). Aside from these, the most interesting events are "Theatrical Confrontations" in Lublin (October), the open-air "Malta" festival in Poznań (June), Kraków's "Ballet in Spring" and the Puppet Theatre Biennial in Bielsko-Biała.
One world-famous person who had links with 20th-century Polish theatre and was
Witkacy Prize
The Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy) Prize (Polish: Nagroda im. Stanisława Ignacego Witkiewicza) is an annual award of the Polish Centre of the International Theatre Institute for the foreign (awarded by the Board of Polish Centre of the ITI) and Polish (awarded by the Critics' Circle) artists, scholars or critics for outstanding achievements in the promotion of Polish theatre throughout the world. The Prize has been given since 1983 on the occasion of the World Theatre Day.[4][5][6][7]
The candidates are put up every year by the prominent people of Polish culture and the Laureates are chosen by a jury consisted of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage representative, Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute representative, Board of Polish Centre representatives and by Critics' Circle. Foreign recipient receives the original piece of art of a Polish artist and the invitation to Poland, where the stay is funded by the Ministry. During the visit, the Laureate takes part in series of meetings with Polish theatre community, organized by the Polish Centre of ITI. Usually the visit is combined with the international theatre festival in Poland.
Some of foreign recipients: Daniel C. Gerould (1983), Roberto Bacci (1989), Bonnie Marranca (1990), Michelle Kokosowski (1991), Richard Demarco (1992), Hendrik Lindepuu (1997), Jacques Rosner (2002), Nina Kiraly (2005), Allen Kuharski (2006), Ellen Stewart (2008),[5] Monique Stalens (2010), Manfred Beilharz (2013), Philip Arnoult (2014), Darja Dominkuš (2015), Richard Gough (2016).
Some of Polish recipients: Jerzy Jarocki (1984), Kazimierz Dejmek (1984), Jerzy Stuhr (1988), Tadeusz Kantor (1989), Józef Szajna (1992), Erwin Axer (1993), Andrzej Wajda (1995), Andrzej Seweryn (1996), Krystyna Meissner (1997), Krystian Lupa (2000), Jerzy Radziwiłowicz (2000), Tadeusz Bradecki (2001), Janusz Opryński (2002), Krzysztof Warlikowski (2003), Travel Agency Theatre (2004), Grzegorz Jarzyna (2005), Mariusz Treliński (2006), Ewa Wycichowska (2008), Song of the Goat Theatre (2010), Stefan Sutkowski (2013), Andrzej Wirth (2014), Janina Szarek (2015), Andrzej Szczytko (2016).
See also
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References
- ^ Jerzy Fedorowicz, biography at Magiczny Krakow
- ^ Jacek Strama, short biography at Teatr Ludowy official website, 2009.
- ^ "About Borderland".
- ^ "WITKACY PRIZE « Dialog Festival". dialogfestival.pl. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
- ^ a b "Polskie Radio Esperanto - La MaMa theatre founder gets Polish award". www2.polskieradio.pl. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
- ISBN 978-1-136-36684-0.
- ISBN 978-0-415-23866-3.
Further reading
- Braun, K. (1993). The Underground Theater in Poland under Martial Law during the Last Years of Communism (1981-1989). The Polish Review, 38(2), 159–186.
