Events
Aleksandra JakubczakWhy Spoil the Atmosphere Even More
Aleksandra Jakubczak
Text and dramaturgy by:Krzysztof Szekalski
Set design:Monika Nyckowska
Music:Daniel Pigoński
cast:Anna Kłos-Kleszczewska, Michał Czachor, Mateusz Łasowski, Sebastian Perdek
The project was created during the Sopot Non Fiction residency in September 2014. At that time it was entitled „Poznań: Open City” and was an attempt to create a portrait of Poznań, with its political, business and cultural elites. The authors used documentary materials and tried to present the choir of elites and residents who pat each other on the backs and produce a language and a manner of discussion that prevents all changes in the city and its community.
The next phase of the project, entitled „Why spoil the atmosphere even more,” was devoted to the case of Wojciech Krolopp and his choir, which has the potential to become a lens that focuses all our problems. The multi-layered conspiracy of silence surrounding the case, the related mechanisms of denial, excuses, constructing superficial peace in the name of personal interests or the so-called higher values constitute a starting point for questions about the categories of guilt and responsibility, about the real and symbolic consequences of hiding inconvenient truths, and, finally, about the processes that create and support the closed system of protection around openly evil acts.
The events the play is based on happened in a specific place and time. But can we be certain that they will not repeat somewhere else?
Aleksandra Jakubczak, director, graduate of theatre studies at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and of literary translation studies at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow. She is currently a third year student of direction at the National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. She cooperates with the Lubuski Theatre in Zielona Góra, Teatr na Woli in Warsaw and the Polish Theatre in Bydgoszcz, where she directed Zachem. Interwencja (dir. by Jakubczak / Wdowik), a documentary play in October 2013.
Krzysztof Szekalski, actor, playwright. He graduated from the acting department at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Cracow. Between 2000 and 2006 he was an actor at the Dramatic Theatre in Warsaw. He performed in Prorok Ilia by Mikołaj Grabowski; Wymazywanie i Mewa by Krystian Lupa; The Show Must Go On by Jerome Bel. He is also an author of plays. Three of them were selected for the semi-finals of the Gdynia Dramatic Award. His monodrama, Samospalenie [Self-immolation] (premiere in Warsaw, 2013), was awarded during the Art of Monologue competition organized by the Laboratory of Drama. He is also the winner of the 11th Jan Kulka poetry contest organized by Dom Środowisk Twórczych in Łomża.
Michael Wybieralski, editor-in-chief of „Gazeta Wyborcza”, earlier a journalist and editor of Wyborcza.pl. He worked in „Gazeta Wyborcza Poznań” for five years, and between 2004-2008 he was a journalist of „Echo Miasta.” An activist and trade unionist.
Anna Kłos-Kleszczewska, a graduate of the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Cracow (2006). A theatre, film and television actress. Since 2010 she has been working at the Dramatic Theatre in Warsaw. She has appeared in many Polish productions, such as Sinobrody by A. Tworus, Kapelusz pełen deszczu by K. Globisz, Wesele by A. Augustynowicz. She participated in a directing workshop „Monologues” conducted by K. Lupa (2008), during which she directed the monologue Jak Paulę poniosło based on the book Amatorki by E. Jelinek, where she played the main role. She took part in a video installation Communitas by Aernout Mik during the International Theatre Festival WARSZAWA CENTRALNA 2010. At the Łaźnia Nowa Theatre she performed in Supernova. Rekonstrukcja (premiere: 16.05.2008) directed by M. Wierzchowski and in M. Strzępka’s W imię Jakuba S. (premiere: 8.12.2011), as well as in a theatre series Klątwa, odcinki z czasu beznadziei (2014). For her role in the latter she received the award for the best supporting actress at the Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival 2014 for „a unique and intelligent sense of humour when faced with political and demonic possession which is a source of anxiety.”
Michał Czachor graduated from the Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Cracow in 2004 and made his debut at the Old Theatre (in the play Pieszo directed by Kazimierz Kuc). He has worked with numerous theatres in Poland, such as the Łaźnia Nowa Theatre (Cracow), the Laboratory of Drama, TR, the National Theatre (Warsaw).
Since 2007 he has been working at the Polish Theatre in Bydgoszcz, where he performed in plays by Maja Kleczewska, Paweł Łysak, Wiktor Rubin, Jan Klata, Michał Zadara, Paweł Wodziński. He won several major theatre awards, including the prize for the leading male role at the 35th Theatre Confrontations in Opole (2010) and the best actor award at the Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival (2012).
Since January 2015 he has been a member of the Powszechny Theatre team.
Mateusz Łasowski graduated from the acting department of the National Higher School of Film, Television and Theatre in Łódź in 2007.
Since then he has been a full-time actor at the Hieronim Koneiczka Polish Theatre in Bydgoszcz, where he debuted in Przebudzenie wiosny directed by Wiktor Rubin. He has performed in plays by Paweł Łysak, Jan Klata, Maja Kleczewska, Michał Zadara and Paweł Wodziński. He was awarded for his role in Mickiewicz. Dziady. Performance at the 38th Theatre Confrontations in Opole and has won several prizes during the Festival of Premieres in Bydgoszcz. He regularly acts in TV series.
He debuted at the Powszechny Theatre in Szczury directed by Maja Kleczewska.
Sebastian Perdek, a fifth-year student of acting at the Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Wrocław. He debuted in 2013 in a short film Olena directed by Elżbieta Benkowska, which was nominated for the Golden Palm at the International Cannes Film Festival. His first theatre performance was in Most nad doliną directed by Joanna Grabowiecka staged at the Fredro Theatre in Gniezno in 2014. Since 2015 he has been cooperating with the Ochota Theatre in Warsaw, where he performed in 33 powieści, które każdy powinien znać by Igor Gorzkowski. He also collaborated with Paweł Passini on Britanie Brysiu at the Theatre Institute in Warsaw.