concept and direction: Norbert Rakowski
When, at the age of 104, Dr. David Goodall said outright that he had no desire to live, he immediately became a media hero, and his words were interpreted around the world. The scientist wanted to undergo euthanasia because, he asserted, he no longer wanted to live.
“At my age, I get up in the morning, eat breakfast. And then I sit until lunch. Then I eat some lunch and sit again. What’s the use of that? (…) The process of dying can be unpleasant, but it doesn’t have to be. I wish it wasn’t for me.” – confessed Goodall to a CNN reporter.
Who should decide our lives? The law? Medical advances? The courts? The church? We ourselves? Are we responsible enough to make irreversible decisions?
„“I’m Nowhere/Desvanecimiento”, an international co-production played in three languages simultaneously – Polish, Spanish and English, in many ways continues the director’s earlier direction: whether in terms of the way he creates stage reality or sets it in a particular aesthetic.”
Kamil Bujny, teatrologia.info
concept and direction: Norbert Rakowski
Has the thought of completely changing your life ever crossed your mind?
And what, did it work?
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, Albert Einstein once said. Norbert Rakowski, in his performance, reminds us that we only have one life, with a limited number of mornings and sunrises. A finite number of days and opportunities to appreciate every single day. Why are we so often stuck in places where we cannot develop our potential? Where does the fear of change come from?
Do we really need to look for reasons to leave all of this behind?
„This is not theatre that races against anyone, anything. It’s theatre that makes you stop, but doesn’t really tell you anything until the end.”
Jacek Wakar, jacekwakar.pl
direction: Radek Stępień
A masterpiece of contemporary drama tells the story of one night, during which the masks suddenly drop and all the lies and prejudices, secrets and suspicions that have hitherto held the family together become palpable. And then, instead of a beautiful idyll, the family picture begins to show the fear of admitting one’s sexual orientation, the closing of eyes to a child’s alcoholism, the hatred and grief that rolls down all the branches of this genealogical tree.
The play is a vivisection of the process of inheriting traumas, lies, (co)addictions and all the things we can get as a family inheritance, even if no one bequeaths it to us in their will.
“This text in the Opole staging shines like a diamond, disturbingly draws you in, narcotic even addictive from the fumes of that sultry air from the Mississippi River and from those unspoken words, which are here perhaps more important than those shouted, those vulgar, those thrown in passion or –
those spoken out of helplessness.”
Rafał Turowski, rafalturow.ski
direction: Olga Ciężkowska
“A Manual For Cleaning Women” is the first theatrical adaptation in Poland of a collection of short stories by the legendary American writer Lucia Berlin. The author bravuraly creates portraits of the women of her life – teachers, nurses, receptionists and neighbours, whose spontaneous encounters in self-service laundries and bus stops ignite passions and moments of disintegration.
Berlin writes from experience and observation, over the years with her four sons, changing professions, places of residence and men.
This will be the newest repertoire production from JK Opole Theatre.
The premiere is scheduled for the 2nd of February 2024.
direction: Jędrzej Wielecki
The performance was created within the framework of the ACTORS’ INITIATIVES STAGE.
The Actors’ Initiatives Stage is a project that gives actors from the JK Opole Theatre the opportunity to create a performance based on their own ideas. The Theatre enables the development of the submitted project from the initial concept to the premiere realisation by making its resources available and sharing its substantive, production and promotional support. Selected Initiatives enter the Theatre’s permanent repertoire and can be seen on the Bunker Stage.
The idea for the play ‘Institute’ was submitted by Magdalena Maścianica, and Jędrzej Wielecki is responsible for its direction. The staging is an adaptation of a novel by Jakub Żulczyk, who is currently one of the most sought-after Polish writers whose titles are eagerly screened by Netflix.
“(…) has the ability to make you laugh and at times to make you think.
It works as a well-tailored genre cinema with solutions which,
in my opinion, the theatre could experiment with more often.”
Henryk Mazurkiewicz, teatralny.pl
