Poznańska dyrekcja Janusza Wiśniewskiego albo Czas na klasyków
Janusz Wiśniewski’s Time at the Helm in Poznań: The Days of the Classics

Author(s): Tomasz Milkowski
Subject(s): Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Cultural history, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Studies of Literature, Philology, Theory of Literature, British Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Janusz Wiśniewski; Poznań; Teatr Nowy; Shakespeare
Summary/Abstract: Janusz Wiśniewski’s auteur theatre project was born in Poznań in the early 1980s, catalysed by the production of Balladyna by Juliusz Słowacki in Teatr Nowy and followed by several more productions of original plays (including Koniec Europy [The End of Europe]). From the outset, Wiśniewski’s project provoked extreme reactions, enthusiastic or otherwise, with Andrzej Żurowski acting as a major advocate. Following the collapse of communism in the early 1990s, Wiśniewski tried to start a theatre company in Warsaw. When the project foundered after two premieres, he spent several years in Germany before coming back to Poznań, first as a director in Teatr Nowy, and later as theatre principal in 2003–2011. Wiśniewski successfully combined the roles of director and auteur. His Teatr Nowy tackled a number of dramatic forms ranging from traditional dramatic theatre (Romeo and Juliet) to metaphysical comedy (Richard III) and visual narrative theatre (The Tempest). Notably, Wiśniewski explored Polish and world classics at the time. This basic outline attempts to recreate Janusz Wiśniewski’s years at the helm in Poznań, and looks at his auteur productions which enjoyed good critical reception in Europe.

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