The KONFRONTACJE TEATRALNE / THEATRE CONFRONTATIONS in Opole are Poland's most important review of classical Polish drama on stage. The festival provides a taste of the various approaches taken in staging texts belonging to the canon of Polish dramatic literature. During each year's festival proponents of the faithful reconstruction of classic plays confront those who favor production approaches that update, enliven and reinterpret these texts.
This year the Confrontations will open with a staging of
Stanislaw Wyspianski's KLATWA / THE CURSE from the Teatr im. Jana Kochanowskiego (Jan Kochanowski Theatre) in Opole. Considered a very difficult text, THE CURSE is legendary for its deep penetration of issues of human existence. In the manner of biblical or Classical authors, Wyspianski focuses on human drama, the struggle of the individual against fate in the face of God, human helplessness in light of the stubborn silence of the Jehovah of the Old Testament. This tragedy has been staged innumerable times in the past and thus carries the burden of having a great tradition in the Polish theatre. This production from the Jan Kochanowski Theatre is the creation of a group of very young artists and was directed by Pawel Passini, a fourth year directing student at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw.
Day two of the CONFRONTATIONS will feature an appearance by the ensemble of the Teatr Wspolczesny (Contemporary Theatre) in Szczecin. This time
Anna Augustynowicz has based her efforts on the text of WYZWOLENIE / LIBERATION, assembling a production that is in and of itself an uncompromising discussion about today's Poland. Few directors in recent years have proved capable of asking such pointed questions about our country and our nation. In light of the mediocre reality that surrounds us, in the face of the crudeness and shallowness of socio-political life, it is heartening that at times theatre forces us to think at a dignified level, that we need not feel embarrassed about this realm as well.
In 2001 the greatest number of festival awards went to a staging of DZIADY / FOREFATHERS' EVE from the town of Kalisz. Last year Maciej Sobocinski, the creator of that production and one of Poland's youngest professional directors, prepared a new, shorter and more dynamic version of the play at Krakow's Teatr im. Slowackiego (Juliusz Slowacki Theatre). The production's strengths include outstanding acting, especially that of Marcin Kuzminski (The Senator), who is considered to have put in one of the finest performances in Polish theatre of the last year. An additional attraction is the appearance in the production of exceptional jazz vocalist and singer Jorgos Skolias, who uses the unusual old vocal technique of harmonic singing.
The Teatr im. Zeromskiego (Zeromski Theatre) in Kielce has prepared a production entirely original in its conventions and mood. Under the title BAL WISIELCOW / HANGMEN'S BALL, directed by Piotr Szczerski, hide a series of somewhat forgotten but ever current texts by
Julian Tuwim. The evening will feature a series of attractions straight out of the author's BAL W OPERZE / THE BALL AT THE OPERA, including sharp wit, many turning points and a bit of old style cabaret.
The Teatr Wybrzeze (Coastal Theatre) in Gdansk will present
Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz's MATKA / MOTHER. Director Grzegorz Wisniewski has updated the setting for a spectacular production that features outstanding actress Dorota Kolak in the title role. Piotr Jankowski, a rising star of the Polish stage, appears in the role of Leon. The production features a highly original soundtrack composed by Tymon Tymanski, leader of a number of bands and music projects, chief among them being "Milosc" / "Love."
There will be no lack of productions based on the works of
Witold Gombrowicz during this year's CONFRONTATIONS. Audiences will have an opportunity to see a staging of this author's SLUB / THE WEDDING, directed by Waldemar Smigasiewicz at the Baltycki Teatr Dramatyczny (Baltic Dramatic Theatre) in Koszalin. In recent times, director and actor Mikolaj Grabowski has also taken on the work of this "anti poet laureate." His most recent staging is titled TANGO GOMBROWICZ and is based on the author's TRANSATLANTYK / TRANSATLANTIC and DZIENNIKI / DIARIES. Produced at the Stary Teatr (Old Theatre) in Krakow, the production is a wonderful acting duel involving Jerzy Trela, Jan Peszek, Krzysztof Globisz and Jan Frycz, all of whom take their turn playing Gombrowicz.
The CONFRONTATIONS will also include a performance of BABSKI WYBOR / WOMEN'S CHOICE, directed by Jozef Opalski on the basis of Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer's collection of short stories titled ZE SKALNEGO PODHALA / FROM THE ROCKY FOOTHILLS. The production was mounted under the aegis of the Fundacja Starego Teatru w Krakowie (Foundation of the Old Theatre in Krakow). Featuring Jerzy Nowak, it is a wise, beautiful, humorous and lyrical tale about women.
As is the custom, a number of additional events will accompany the CONFRONTATIONS. The Jan Kochanowski Theatre will offer presentations of its new play productions, among them Marek Modzelewski's ZABIJ MNIE / KILL ME, David Harrower's NOZE W KURACH / KNIVES IN HENS and Nikolai Kolyada's MERYLIN MONGOL / MARILYN MONGOL. Accompanying events will also include an exhibition of prints and paintings by
Andrzej Dudzinski, meetings with the creators of competition productions as well as two highly unusual performances. The first of these will be
Aleksander Fredro's ZEMSTA / THE REVENGE, which was staged for the first time in its history in the city of Lviv. In Opole, the ensemble of the Polish People's Theatre in Lviv will present its version of the drama as directed by W. Bortyakov. The evening, featuring this performance by an amateur acting troupe of Poles living abroad, is sure to be a sentimental one.
The second performance will consist of an "alternative" embodiment of the classics. WSCHODZENIE /THE RISING, inspired by DZIADY / FOREFATHERS' EVE and mounted by the talented young people of the Cieszyn Theatre Studio, was directed by Bogdan Slupczynski and is a controversial, multi-cultural production with unusual energy. THE RISING already garnered the main prize, referred to as the "Offeusz" ("Offeus"), at the "MALTA 2003" International Theatre Festival in Poznan.
Organizer: Jan Kochanowski Theatre
Teatr im. Jana Kochanowskiego
Director: Bartosz Zaczykiewicz
pl. Teatralny 12, 45-056 Opole
tel. (+48 77) 453 90 82
www.teatrkochanowskiego.art.pl