Zoltán Balázs directs in Poland!

On the 6th of October in 2022, the Jaracz Theater in Olsztyn will present Part II of Adam Mickiewicz's dramatic poem Forefathers’ Eve directed by Zoltán Balázs. The premiere of the performance, realized in a special concept, will be the opening event of the Via Carpatia All-Arts Festival held annually by the theater. The topicality of the premiere is enhanced by the 200th anniversary of the first two parts of the work of art, published in 1823, which the Polish literary and theatrical community will celebrate next year.

About the work and the director:

Mickiewicz's "reconstructional" work, consisting of fragments written in several parts, which received a truly definitive form through theatrical traditions, is constantly being rewritten. The poem, which is an inexhaustible source of inspiration, has already become an example of the truth inherent in art for many artists and a source of inspiration for expanding the boundaries of art. The Forefathers’ Eve is the actual starting point of the "mythology of the Polish theater". Wyspiański, Schiller, Kotlarczyk, Swinarski, Kantor, Grotowski, Warlikowski and Nekrošius also set the goal of integrating the content-form unity of the romantic work on stage. During the creation of their directorial vision, the biggest challenge for all of them was finding the right way to express themselves on stage. Grotowski concentrated on the moments of the rite, the possibilities inherent in Mickiewicz's text helped him to perfect the form of the avant-garde theatre. Schiller tried to bring to the surface the hidden mysticism of the dramatic text, and his monumental staging was characterized by the synthesis of various art forms. Kotlarczyk was interested in the image of a nation confessing its sins, Polish martyrology, Swinarski in the relationship between national history and myth. Three women dressed in folk costumes entered Warlikowski's Plexiglas and chrome stage...

Zoltán Balázs's direction is devoid of the messianic myth and the political thread, his adaptation of Forefathers’ Eve is another attempt to expand the stage and blur the boundaries between theater and reality. The head of the Maladype Theatre is interested in universal cosmology. His collective artwork focuses on the ceremonial motifs of the Forefathers, the creative energies of "untouched cultures", and the negative processes of the declining relationship between the living and the dead. His vision as a director emphasizes the values ​​of completeness through fragmentation and the "dance of death tailored to its phases". One of the main goals of the stage production, which stirs extraordinary energy, is to bring the "primordial theatricality" and the ancient imagination closer to today's spectators.

Zoltán Balázs has already directed in America, France, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania. The Hungarian artist is a regular guest of various festivals and theaters around the world, not only as a director, but also with his own troupe. In Poland, his innovative works in theater are also well known. In 2011, Maladype was invited to the DIALOG (Wroclaw) and DEMOLUDY (Olsztyn) International Theater Festivals with the performances Leonce and Lena and Egg(s)hell. In 2015, the Polish audience could see Egg(s)hell again at Teatr Baza in Warsaw. In 2017, the performance Great sound in the Rush was presented at the Służewski Cultural Center (Warsaw) and the Shakespeare Theater (Gdansk). In 2020, the ensemble won the Jury's Grand Prize for their performance entitled Yvonne at the XIV. International Gombrowicz Festival (Radom). In 2021, they gained succes at XXX. Without Borders Festival (Cieszyn) and Via Carpatia International Festival (Olsztyn) with their performances of Yvonne and August.

About the city, the theater:

The city of Olsztyn, best known as the birthplace of Copernicus, is today the cultural center of the Warminsko-Mazury region. Its history is linked to countless ethnic and religious traditions. Its most significant cultural institution is the Stefan Jaracz Theater, which also hosts the city's art events: the Olsztyn Spring Theater Meeting, the Summer Games and the successor to the long-established "DEMOLUDY" International Theater Festival, the Via Carpatia International Festival.

The Stefan Jaracz Theater, founded in 1925, initially performed plays, operas and operettas in German. It was only after 1945 that it built up its repertoire in Polish and adopted its current name. The theater's namesake, actor Stefan Jaracz, became known as the founder and director of the famous Atheneum Theater in Warsaw. At the end of his life, the Polish actor wrote the so-called "Jaracz Testament", in which he testified about the actor's profession, the essence of art, the important ethical and aesthetic issues of the profession, and the social mission of creators. True to the spirit and memory of Stefan Jaracz, who was called a "rebel and dreamer", the Olsztyn theater considers the implementation of demanding and progressive theater to be authoritative.

Adam Mickiewicz: Forefathers’ eve part II.

Concept and direction: Zoltán Balázs

Players:

Olga Borys, Joanna Fertacz, Agnieszka Giza-Gradowska, Jakub Gola (m.v.), Radoslaw Hebal, Cezary Ilczyna, Marcin Kiszluk, Alicja Kochańska, Marta Markowicz, Ewa Pałuska-Szozda, Barbara Prokopowicz, Kamil Rodek, Wojciech Rydzio, Agata Zielińska.