Katarzyna Figura’s Theatre Experiments

peer-reviewed article

Marta Cebera

marta.cebera@ug.edu.pl
University of Gdańsk (Poland)
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1545-6516

Abstract

This article presents selected aspects of Katarzyna Figura’s theatrical work. Drawing on the key ideas of Linda Nochlin’s essay Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?, the author argues that Figura is a theatrical experimenter and an actress willing to take on unconventional roles. In her essay, the American art historian wrote about the marginalisation of women artists’ work, the social context in which art is created, and the institutional obstacles that prevented women from achieving success. Bold choices and ideas helped Katarzyna Figura overcome these obstacles. The author revisits Figura’s artistic beginnings, examining her work at the Ognisko Teatralne theatre and the Teatr Ochota, as well as her education at the National Higher School of Theatre in Warsaw. The article contains an analysis of theatre roles that demonstrate Figura’s experimental tendencies and which do not conform to the image she created in film.


Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Keywords:

actress, theatre, Katarzyna Figura, theatrical experiment, theatre role, Linda Nochlin

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Published
2026-03-13

Cited by

Cebera, M. (2026) “Katarzyna Figura’s Theatre Experiments”, Pamiętnik Teatralny, 75(1), pp. 171–201. doi: 10.36744/pt.4003.

Authors

Marta Cebera 
marta.cebera@ug.edu.pl
University of Gdańsk Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1545-6516

Marta Cebera – Doctor of Arts, assistant professor at the Department of Drama, Theatre and Performance at the Faculty of Philology, University of Gdańsk. Her research interests focus on 19th and 20th century theatre and drama, acting and its transformations, and the presence of actors in social media.



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