Reduta dzisiaj
The Reduta Today

Summary/Abstract: The Reduta Company and Institute under Juliusz Osterwa and Mieczysław Limanowski was one of the first Polish cultural centres (in the present-day meaning of the term), which acted as a theatre; its status was a source of inspiration both for the Centre and others. Throughout the Cracow conference I intensively experienced the presence of the now defunct Laboratory Theatre of Jerzy Grotowski, which in 1966 took over the Reduta emblem; the same year also marked the inauguration of its live tradition. In recent years, Polish researchers have frequently identified and replaced the ecumenism of the Reduta, comprehended as widely as possible, with Catholicism. I am firmly convinced that this approach is the consequence of cognitive reductionism. Otherwise, how are we to explain the presence in the Reduta Company and Institute people of other dominations and non-practising Catholics? The Reduta was an ideological theatre due to its premises and conscious choice. Its founding fathers consistently stressed that the company’s activity was based on the idea of the inimitable ”Reduta quality”. Tadeusz Kornaś, the author of a review of my book: Pamięć Reduty. Osterwa, Limanowski, Grotowski (Memories of the Reduta. Osterwa, Limanowski, Grotowski), wrote: “ [...] My avid attention was drawn to a list of the names of the representatives of the Reduta [...]. Since the Reduta posters did not mention names, many actors and apprentices would have remained totally unknown. Numerous young Reduta actors died during the war. I read the list as if it was a roll call, a recollection of those who have passed away, in other words, in a highly personal manner”. I have taken the liberty of enjoying the hospitality of the editors of “Konteksty” and have supplemented, and in several places, amended the list.

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