30th November (Wednesday), 11:00 am

The Apocalypsis Space at the Grotowski Institute, 27 Rynek-Ratusz

Reduta Lives On

This panel, called “On Theatre Today,” marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of Juliusz Osterwa’s theatre Reduta and the approaching end of the 90th anniversary of ZASP, the Association of Polish Theatre Artists.

Organizers: the Lower Silesian Chapter of ZASP, the Grotowski Institute and the Wroclaw Culture and Arts Centre. 

29th November, 2009, marks 90 years since the opening of Reduta, the first Polish theatre laboratory headed by renowned Polish actor Juliusz Osterwa and geology professor Mieczyslaw Limanowski, an incurable theatre lover. Even before a new Poland, which had re-emerged after 123 years of foreign rule, was fully formed, the two set out to reinstate the role of Polish theatre as prophesised by Adam Mickiewicz, Cyprian Norwid and—most importantly—Stanislaw Wyspianski, and to restore the dignity of theatre actors by putting them on a par with other artists.

     The 20-year history of Reduta, which coincided with the inter-war years, falls into three distinct periods: the first Warsaw period (1919 – 1924), which saw the opening of the largest number of spectacular productions based on the work of Polish playwrights; the Vilnius period (1925 – 1929), involving an uncommon series of tours across Poland; and the second Warsaw period (1931 – 1939), with its focus on educational, social and promotional work.

     Seventy years after Reduta ceased to exist, the Lowers Silesian Chapter of ZASP and the Grotowski Institute will hold a panel on the relevance of Reduta and Osterwa’s fundamental ideas in the practice and theory of contemporary Polish theatre. According to the organizers, these ideas include the ensemble as a value and theatre teamwork, the actor’s craft and awareness as the central facets of his/her work on stage, and theatre’s social mission. Invitations to join the discussion have been extended to Ignacy Gogolewski, Jacek Głomb, Prof. Dariusz Kosinski, Pawel Passini, Piotr Tomaszuk, Maciej Pacula, a lawyer specializing in European Theatre Law, and Dr. Leszek Mullibruda, a business psychologist who also focuses on the art community. Ireneusz Guszpit, a Juliusz Osterwa scholar and editor, will serve as moderator.

     The panel will be held at the Grotowski Institute in the same room that once hosted performances of the most celebrated productions of Grotowski’s Laboratory Theatre, Akropolis, The Constant Prince and Apocalypsis Cum Figuris.