The Postwar Theatre in Poland
Eugenio Barba
(Denmark)
Abstract
The essay published in Vinduet in 1963 characterises what the author takes to be the most notable features of the phenomenon of Polish theatre life. By way of introduction, Barba outlines some historical background and then goes on to recount the work of selected theatre directors (Axer, Dejmek, Skuszanka, Swinarski, and most of all, Grotowski) and stage designers (paying most of his attention to Szajna). He is also interested in the teaching of acting and directing at Polish theatre schools, in how the companies are organised, in the amateur and student theatre life, and the development of Polish drama (Broszkiewicz, Mrożek, and Gombrowicz). The portrayal of a blooming theatre life and its multifarious development in Poland was meant to be a challenge and inspiration for the Norwegian artists and intellectuals.
Keywords:
Eugenio Barba, Polish theater, Polish-Norwegian cultural contacts
Authors
Eugenio BarbaDenmark
Eugenio Barba - born in 1936, director, founder and leader of Odin Teatret, performance researcher, founder of Theatre Anthropology. Having left his native Italy in 1954, he was initially employed as a sailor and then as a worker in Oslo where he also began university studies. In 1961, he came to Poland on a UNESCO grant and took up a degree in directing at the State Academy of Theatre (PWST) in Warsaw. In June 1961 he began collaborating with the Theatre of 13 Rows in Opole and quickly became one of Grotowski’s closest collaborators during this time. He has presented his views and experiences in numerous books (Beyond the Floating Islands, 1985; The Paper Canoe, 1995; On Directing and Dramaturgy: Burning the House, 2010). He is also the co-author of a fundamental work, A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: The Secret Art of the Performer (1991). He has described his years in Poland and collaboration with Grotowski in the book Land of Ashes and Diamonds: My Apprenticeship in Poland (1999). In 2003, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Warsaw, while in 2009 he received the Polish Gloria Artis Medal.
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