“Witkacy” celebrates 23rd Anniversary in Zakopane
It was a really sumptuous three-day celebration. From Thursday till Saturday, “Witkacy” – The Theater of Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz in Shakopee – celebrated its 23rd anniversary.
The celebrations began with an exhibition of Marek Zulawski’s (1908-1985) paintings.
“Zulawski grew up in Zakopane. This town and the Tatra mountains all around were his inspiration,” the theater’s Agata Balverowska Calka told the Polish News Agency (PAP). “That’s why we thought it would be great if his works were honored on the 23rd anniversary of the theater and the 123rd birthday of our patron, Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz.”
Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz (1885-1939) was a novelist, playwright, painter, philosopher and photographer. He committed suicide shortly after the invasions of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
The first day of the celebration featured the traditional “Evening of Surprises” prepared by the entire team of “Witkacy.” This year it included two spectacles. One was entitled “Makabreska,” a recital of Andrzej Bienias’ songs. The other was a contemporary interpretation of the antique tragedy “Medea. Situations by Euripides directed by Bartlomiej Wyszomirski.”
On Friday, a mystery based on the drama “Barabas” was staged. “Barabas” was written by contemporary Swedish Noble Prize laureate Per Lagerkvist, and the mystery was directed by Andrzej Dziuk.
On Saturday, the last day of the celebrations, Witkacy’s team presented the spectacle “Czlapowki – Zakopane,” directed by Andrzej Dziuk. “It is a satirical show inspired by Andrzej Strug’s novel ‘The Great Day,'” Jacek Zieba Jasinski, who plays the role of a master of ceremonies, told PAP. The show blends in the tradition of satirical cabaret while showing how Zakopane changes people who decide to stay here for a while.
“In my opinion, this year’s show is the most sharp-tongued yet. But the audience will judge it,” Zieba Jasinski told PAP. As part of the celebration, organizers also presented two books recently issued by the National Publishing Institute: the second volume of the “Letters to My Wife” by Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz and Krzysztof Pisera’s “How One Used to Walk in Tatra.” The latter book is a colorful description of mountain climbing and of the development of Zakopane. The climax of the celebrations on Saturday was a birthday cake and a guest appearance of the Stage of Contemporary Dance from Krakow, entitled “A Veil Chased Me.”