Moscow's Meyerhold Centre staged two showings of Teatr Provisorium's production, "The Brothers Karamazov". The play places Dostoyevsky's moral dilemmas under contemporary scrutiny
Teatr Provisorium took up "The Brothers Karamazov" novel, one of the best texts to depict the conflicts and contrasting worldviews of 19th century Russian intelligentsia. Fragments of Dostoyevsky's novel pose questions which remain valid in the contemporary discourse on human morality, and issues which date back to the 19th century emerge as questions relevant for subsequent generations of worldwide intelligentsia. The theatre adaptation of "The Brothers Karamazov" was created with an awareness of the fact that a 21st century perspective demands an adaptation of the most renown metaphysical dialogues from a 130 year old text. The world created by Dostoyevsky had to be confronted with today's harsh reality, as well as contemporary theatre. The artists cooperated with professor Cezary Wodziński, a renowned specialist on Dostoyevsky's works , the author of "Święty Idiota" ("Holy Idiot") and "Trans, Dostojewski, Rosja czyli o filozofowaniu siekierą" ("Trance, Dostoyevsky, Russia: On Philosophising with an Axe").
Watching the "Brothers", one sits on the edge of the seat for the entire three hours. There are no moments of being weary with images or fatigued with dialogue. (...) We observe the spiritual development of the play's figures as if it was the fastest action film in the world. (...) Opryński created one of those performances that disturb your sleep, because something starts to speak in your brain. A performance that you remember and attempt to analyse time and again.
Łukasz Drewniak, "Przeklęta symetria" ("Cursed Symmetry") in Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily nr 117, 17th of June, 2011
"The Brothers Karamazov"
direction and text adaptation: Janusz Opryński
set design: Jerzy Rudzki, Robert Kuśmirowski
music: Marek Dyjak
visuals: Aleksander Janas
cast: Tomasz Bazan, Anastazja Bernad, Jacek Brzeziński, Romuald Krężel, Mariusz Pogonowski, Karolina Porcari, Magdalena Warzecha, Adam Woronowicz, Marek Żerański, Łukasz Lewandowski
The performance premiered on the 10th of June, 2011
Teatr Provisorium
One of the most important theatres to emerge from the legendary alternative Polish theatre scene of the 70s and 80s. Provisorium has been working continuously from 1976, and has since created some 20 performances. At present the group is led by Janusz Opryński and Jacek Brzeziński, who cooperate with various theatre circles all over Poland. The theatre has always drawn upon the most prominent pieces of world literature, basing its performances on the works of Gustaw Herling-Grudziński, Witold Gombrowicz, Victor Erofeyev, Robert Musil and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Together with the Kompania "Teatr" troupe, Teatr Provisorium has produced 6 performances and won numerous awards: Fringe First of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Grand Prix of the Festival of Small Theatre Forms in Croatia, group actors' prize of the "Biała Wieża" ("White Tower") Festival in Belarus, group actors' prize of the MESS Festival in Bosnia, Grand Prix of the"Tempus Art" Festival in Slovakia, Grand Prix of KONTRAPUNKT Festival in Poland, Grand Prix of Konfrontacje Teatralne Festival "Klasyka Polska" in Poland. The two theatres have been honoured for with the prize of Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage as well as the Artisitc Prize of the Mayor of Lublin.
Date: 21st-22nd of November, 2011
Venue: Meyerhold Centre, Moscow
Organised by: Towarzystwo Edukacji Kulturalnej (Association for Cultural Education), Konfrontacje Teatralne, City of Lublin, Meyerhold Centre
Project cofinanced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland
Source: Adam Mickiewicz Institute