Śmietnisko kultury i wieczna kobiecość
The Refuse of Culture and Eternal Womanhood

Theatre Reception of "The Old Woman Broods" Drama

Summary/Abstract: The article traces out the origins of The Old Woman Broods, emphasising the significance of the visual dimension of the text – “a tachist drama”,to use Szajna’s expression – where an important role is played by the opposition between open and closed space. Major productions of the drama are then examined, starting with the acclaimed premiere of the play directed by Jerzy Jarocki at the Współczesny Theatre in Wrocław in 1969, followed by other notable attempts to translate the intricate structure of the drama into the language of the stage: at the Schauspielhaus in Cologne in 1971, directed by Aleksander Bardini; at the Jaracz Theatre in Łódź in 1974, staged by Ewa Bułhak and Jerzy Grzegorzewski; at the Narodowy Theatre in Warsaw in 1978, directed by Helmut Kajzar; and at the Studio Stage of the Norwid Theatre in Jelenia Górain 1995, directed by Andrzej Bubień. Additionally, the overview includes two productions where fragments of the drama and its title character constitute an essential part of the performances: the monodrama Stara kobieta ("The Old Woman") featuring Irena Jun at the Studio Theatre in Warsaw in 1988, and Jaim jeszcze pokażę. Hommage à Różewicz ("I’m Gonna Show Them Yet. Hommage à Różewicz") put on by Piotr Lachmann at the Poza Video-theatre in Warsaw in 2012.

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