Zone: Norway

The Festival crowning international project “Zone: Norway” (22-26 of June 2010)

Fascinated by Scandinavian culture and climate theaters: Polski in Wroclaw and Grusomhetens in Oslo have marked out a new zone in Wroclaw – “Zone: Norway“.

The culture of Norway seen through theater, film, drama. Narrated through lectures, readings of contemporary plays, cooperation of Polish and Norwegian artists. Confirmed by the presence of Norwegians in Wroclaw. Crowned with the festival allowing us to see plays based on dramas by Henrik Ibsen, directed by Norwegian artists.

The unique project of Polski Theater in Wroclaw is composed of a few stages that will last for the whole season 2009/2010. The first stage is going to be held from October to April. Within this period, we are holding a series of meetings devoted to Norwegian dramatic art and theater – part of “Active Mondays” and Academy of Theater, two initiatives regularly organized by Polski Theater and having their loyal audience hungry of any knowledge or news from the theater world. This series includes three lectures conducted by experts in the field – the history of Norwegian theater, issues regarding Ibsen’s plays staged in Poland and Ibsen’s works. Professor Lech Sokol, director of The Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences has already agreed to participate.

We will also arrange open reading of three texts by contemporary Norwegian artists – Cecilie Løveid, Jasper Halle and Ari Behn privately the husband of Princess of Norway, Märta Louise. These will be the world premiers of their latest works, translated specially for the readings by dr Ewa Partyga, with actors of Polski Theater and young polish directors taking part in them. Finally, there are screenings of chosen, recommended by our partner spectacles of various Norwegian theaters and Norwegian-made films.

The next stage of this long-term cooperation between institutions and artists will be the making of shared, Polish-Norwegian workshop-performative project – The Lady from the Sea by Henrik Ibsen. The play is to be directed by Norwegian, Polish-born stage-manager – Piotr Chołodzinski, who works with the scriptwriter Bård Thorbjørnsen on the permanent basis. Polski Theater in Wroclaw is highly respected and considered one of the best theaters in Poland. It also has a remarkable audience. Therefore, all the events within the Project are most certain to be noticed in the press and artistic community as well as gather large number of spectators. We have intended to record the play and issue it in DVD format, which will allow further promotion of the spectacle as well as the idea of international cooperation with particular emphasis on Norway.

The whole project will be crowned by the festival held in June 2010. There will be many Polish and Scandinavian guests with great knowledge of Norwegian culture. Polski Theater in Wroclaw would very much wish for the Princess Märta Louise of Norway to inaugurate our festival. We have already sent her an official invitation.

The Festival crowning international project “Zone: Norway”

22-26 of June 2010

22 of June (Tuesday):
7 pm
Mountain Bird by Henrik Ibsen dir. Lars Øyno Grusomhetens Teater (Świebodzki Train Station Stage)

23 of June (Wenesday):
5 pm
Mountain Bird by Henrik Ibsen dir. Lars Øyno Grusomhetens Teater (Świebodzki Train Station Stage)
7 pm
The stage reading of Treningstime by Ari Behn at the presence of the Author (Small Stage)

24 June (Thursday):
5 pm
Display of the film En folkefiende based on Ibsen’s drama An Enemy of the People, directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg (Small Stage)
6.30 pm
Display of short films by students of The Norwegian Film School (Small Stage)
7.30 pm
Display of the film Kautokeino directed by Nils Gaup (Smal Stage)
Meeting with the director and actor

25 of June (Friday):
5 pm
The stage reading of Varnishing-day by Cecilie Løveid (Small Stage)
7 pm
The Lady from the Sea – the premier of a joint project by Polish and Norwegian artists directed by Piotr Chołodziński (Jerzy Grzegorzewski Stage)

26 of June (Saturday):
5 pm
Presentation of the performance created by Rolf Alme alongside Polish and Norwegian actors, based on A Doll’s House by Ibsen (contemporary adaptation) whose work could be watched since 22^nd of June between 10 am and 2 pm (The Rehearsal Room 205)
7 pm
The Lady from the Sea directed by Piotr Chołodziński (Jerzy Grzegorzewski Stage)
9 pm
Panel debate summing up the project “Zone: Norway” with the participation of Polish and Norwegian artists as well as directors of Polski Theater and Grusomhetens Theater (Jerzy Grzegorzewski Stage)