Fourth fragment of the cover page of Wiera Gran's book "A relay of slanderers. A singer's autobiography"
Director Marcin Przybylski chose the rare theatrical genre of operita, combining operetta and musical, to tell the story of the singer Wiera Gran (1916 - 2007)
The tragic life of the Warsaw Ghetto singer has aroused interest once again after the 2010 publication of Agata Tuszyńska's book Wiera Gran - Accused.
A woman wearing a simple black dress is standing on a round platform. She is singing. At first a little shy, she grows more and more confident as the approval of the spectators becomes more and more apparent. She enters into the musical dialogue with the audience and returns their smiles. Suddenly among the sighs of admiration more and more distinct words "Gestapo" and "whore" can be heard. The singer loses confidence, distress is evident. The singer is Wiera Gran.
Wiera Gran, one of the stars of the Warsaw Ghetto's Sztuka café, was accused of collaboration with the German occupant and she fought with these accusations her entire life. In 1945 the case was undertaken by the Verification Court of Union of Polish Stage Artists and the verdict was - "not guilty". In 1949 the Central Jewish Committee Civic Court of Honour announced its verdict. Once again it was - "not guilty". One year later the singer left Poland. After spending two years in Israel, where she was still being troubled by the demons of the past accusations, she settled in France, where she worked with Chevalier, Aznavour and Brel. She also performed concerts around the world. "She trusted, that finally life was doing her justice," says director Marcin Przybylski. "That finally, she could just sing. Unfortunately, the past continued to haunt her".
In 1980, in France, she published a book entitled A Relay of Slanderers. A Singer's Autobiography (Sztafeta oszczerców. Autobiografia śpiewaczki) where she presented her version of the events to world. She died on November 19, 2007, never having regained peace of mind.
The role of Wiera Gran is played by Monika Węgiel. Not only does she resemble the singer physically but vocally as well. The story presented on the stage is accompanied by the music - the songs and sounds that bring back the music of pre-war and wartime Poland, alongside contemporary works. The team behind the play tell the story, rooting it in two realities: the factual and metaphorical ones. The metaphorical world is represented by the dangerous, sensual angels, as well as the characters impersonating the Seven Deadly Sins. The symbolic world becomes a reflection of the reality through unveiling of the mechanism and power of slander."We show the Ghetto through the prism of cabaret at the time of its downfall," Przybylski reveals. "The people sell everything they have, they starve. Still, they can fall in love or laugh together before the inevitable comes to pass".
- Gran operita; script and direction: Marcin Przybylski; stage design: Jan Kozikowski; costumes: Anna Englert; choreography: Tomasz Pałasz; music: Klezzmates; the new songs lyrics: Piotr M. Cieński; musical direction: Andrzej Perkman; lighting design: Piotr Pawlik; the cast: Anna Czartoryska, Katarzyna Dąbrowska, Joanna Jeżewska, Agnieszka Judycka, Magdalena Nieć, Weronika Nockowska, Monika Pikuła, Agnieszka Sienkiewicz, Monika Węgiel, Piotr Bajor, Jacek Bursztynowicz, Grzegorz Daukszewicz, Dariusz Dobkowski, Piotr Garlicki, Mateusz Grydlik, Marcin Januszkiewicz, Przemysław Kaczyński, Robert Kuraś, Daniel Salman, Zbigniew Suszyński, Sebastian Świerszcz, Wojan Trocki, Rafał Zawierucha (AT), Wojciech Żołądkowicz;Premiere: April 27, 2011, repeat performances: April 28-30, May 7,8,13,14.
Współczesny Theatre of Warsaw
13 Mokotowska St, 00-640 Warsaw
Executive and Creative Director: Maciej Englert
ph. (+48 22) 825 13 52, 825 07 25, 825 60 00
link*www.wspolczesny.pl*http://www.wspolczesny.pl/** ** Source: press materials