One of Poland's most talented young theatre directors; born in 1968 in the city of Chorzów.

Jarzyna studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and did additional course work at the Papal Theological Academy in the same city. In 1993 he became a student in the Stage Directing Department of the State Higher School of Theatre in Krakow. Since 1998 he has been artistic director of TR Warszawa (formerly the Teatr Rozmaitości / Variety Theatre in Warsaw).

At theatre school, he studied under Krystian Lupa and served as this famed director's assistant on a production of Hermann Broch's "Lunatycy. Esch, czyli anarchia / Lunatics - Esch, or Anarchy" at the Stary Teatr (Old Theatre) in Krakow (1995). This production was simultaneously Grzegorz Jarzyna's thesis project.

Grzegorz Jarzyna's first independently directed project was "Bzik tropikalny / Tropical Madness", based on Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz's dramas titled "Mister Price" and "Nowe wyzwolenie / New Liberation". Jarzyna directed this production at Warsaw's Teatr Rozmaitości (Variety Theatre) in 1997 under the pseudonym Grzegorz Horst d'Albertis. From this moment on, signing each production with a new alias would become a regular practice for the director, who in this way seems to suggest that his creative identity changes with each project. His energetic, dynamic staging of "Tropical Madness" proved to be one of the most celebrated theatre directing debuts in Poland in recent years. The production

"...grants all viewers a glimpse of the absurd and grotesque, simultaneously offering them a bit of real grief and metaphysical angst," wrote Piotr Gruszczyński ("Tygodnik Powszechny" / "Popular Weekly," March 2, 1997).

Jarzyna rendered Witkacy's drama in very contemporary colors, telling a story about the "strangeness of existence" today.

"Horst is not interested in sphere of clearly articulated meanings, but rather in the uncontrollable element of 'pure form' that is capable of generating an ambiguous and disquieting aura," noted Jarosław Kisieliński. "The protagonist of this production is the 'madness' contained in the title - the growing collective insanity, which at first is somewhat less than serious, as if drawn from a variety show or operetta, but ultimately, in the scenes from 'New Liberation' and in the finale, achieves the magnitude of real insanity." ("Teatr" / "Theatre" monthly, 1997, no. 4)

Jarzyna's mentor, Krystian Lupa, stated that the production

"revealed the dark energy of new primitivism, the new crudeness that is embodied in contemporary man." ("Didaskalia" / "Stage Directions" monthly, 1997, no. 18)

In 1997 at the Stary Teatr (Old Theatre) in Krakow, Jarzyna (under the pseudonym Horst Leszczuk) directed a production of Witold Gombrowicz's "Iwona księżniczka Burgunda / Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy", a production that much like the earlier "Tropical Madness" was perceived as an embodiment of monstrosity on stage. Jarzyna

"above all highlights the distinctiveness of his stage reality, which imitates no other, incorporates no realism nor the cheapness of life," wrote Piotr Gruszczyński. "He has his mysteries that he has enclosed in the imperfect cosmos of the stage, much like a the pit of a fruit is enclosed in the undefined structure of its flesh. These mysteries and riddles grant the events on stage direction. The second distinguishing feature of Jarzyna's theatre is his propensity for including signs and symbols of mass culture, its stereotypes, patterns and schemes. Brought together with the terror of the unknowable, they reveal their monstrous faces." (in: Piotr Gruszczyński, "Ojcobójcy. Młodsi zdolniejsi w teatrze polskim" / "Patricides - The More Talented Youth in Polish Theatre," Warsaw, 2003)

Jarzyna also directed a production based on a text by Gombrowicz for Polish Television Theatre (1999), creating a penetrating interpretation of the author's "Historia / A Story" - an unfinished play dating from 1951.

Grzegorz Jarzyna's directing credits also include a contemporary drama by Canadian playwright Brad Fraser. Titled "Niezydentyfikowane szczątki ludzkie i prawdziwa natura miłości / Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love" (Teatr Dramatyczny / Dramatic Theatre in Warsaw, 1998, directed by Brokenhorst), it tells the story of people lost in a consumer society in which inter-personal relations have faded in importance. Of this production, the director has said,

"I discovered something very real in his dialogue, as I did in the dialogue of Witkacy or Gombrowicz, which shows clearly that someone is describing themselves, has no desire to impress anyone, merely wishes to reveal something of themselves. These authors are not intent on creating a form, but on purging themselves of that which causes them pain." (in: Piotr Gruszczyński, "Ojcobójcy. Młodsi zdolniejsi w teatrze polskim" / "Patricides - The More Talented Youth in Polish Theatre," Warsaw, 2003)

With his productions of "Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy" and "A Story", Jarzyna attempted to reinterpret classics in a contemporary spirit. This was also the direction he took in staging "Magnetyzm serca / Magnetism of the Heart", based on a text by Aleksander Fredro, at the Teatr Rozmaitości (Variety Theatre) in Warsaw (1999, directed under the pseudonym Sylwia Torsh). With healthy doses of irony, the play depicted the "nature of love" as subject to new forms and conventions. The production became a voyage through time, with the first act set in the realities of the 19th century and with Jarzyna clearly using the final scenes to express something about contemporary times.

"This is a disquieting and defiant production. It contains a juicy chunk of lively period theatre in which issues of love, their erotic shades clearly highlighted, breach the rhymed dialogue of the era. In spite of costumes from this or the other epoch, the eternity of love relations survives intact, (...)" wrote Janusz R. Kowalczyk. "The person responsible for the staging clearly points out to what extent love has changed in quality. Grzegorz Jarzyna's production is all the more interesting because the fidelity with which he has depicted our age is not always accompanied by blanket approval of its customs and mores. The tide of irritation contained in this production, however, has a cleansing power." ("Rzeczpospolita" daily, March 16, 1999)

Jarzyna's credits also include two stage adaptations of prose works. In 1999 he directed Thomas Mann's "Doctor Faustus" at the Teatr Polski (Polish Theatre) in Wrocław (adapted and directed under the pseudonym Das Gemüse). This was done in cooperation with the Hebbel-Theater in Berlin, as a production created specifically for Berlin's "Theater der Welt" festival. In the year 2000, on the other hand, he mounted a production of "Książe Myszkin / Prince Myshkin" (Teatr Rozmaitości / Variety Theatre in Warsaw, adapted and directed under the alias Mikołaj Warianow), based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Idiota / The Idiot".

Jarzyna has recently reverted to working on contemporary texts. At Warsaw's Variety Theatre he directed "Uroczystość (Festen) / Ceremony (Festen)" by Thomas Vinterberg and Mogens Rukov (2001). The director based his stage adaptation on the screenplay of the film "Festen", produced in 1998 by the Dogma group.

"This story of a family reunion during which a long hidden family secret reveals itself in all its hideousness becomes a bleak and very real vivisection of the human psyche, at the bottom of which lie monsters ready to pounce," wrote Tomasz Mościcki of this Jarzyna production. ("Życie" daily, June 8, 2001)

Jarzyna plays out this story of a lie and of the need to reveal truths that have the power to cleanse, simultaneously highlighting the significance of family ceremonials.

"I think that 'Ceremony' has the opportunity to incite discussion about several important social issues. It is an attack at hypocrisy and hidden evil. It will reveal that there are several large cracks in the concept of the Polish family," said the director. "The other thing that interests me about this text is the ceremony of the title... This ceremony is like a monumental clock... it is a mechanism that cannot be stopped." ("Gazeta Wyborcza" daily, April 21-22, 2001)

Jarzyna's staging of British playwright Sarah Kane's last play, "4.48 Psychosis", was co-produced by Warsaw's Teatr Rozmaitości (Variety Theatre) and the Teatr Polski (Polish Theatre) in Poznań. It tells the harrowing story of a young woman who strives inevitably, consciously and purposely towards death by suicide. Jarzyna's staging of the play was almost ascetic, underlining the poetry of the text.

"This staging is not a game of literary interpretation, it is not about dexterity in acting, shining lights, or the transgression of moral boundaries," noted Roman Pawłowski. "Rather, it is about measuring up to human tragedy, shown without embellishment, almost one to one in scale. At the end of the performance, the actors do not come out for a curtain call, because what could they collect applause for? The pain and unhappiness of others?" ("Gazeta Wyborcza" daily, February 25, 2002)

"Zaryzykuj wszystko / Risk Everything" by contemporary Canadian playwright George F. Walker was Jarzyna's most recent directing project (2003). It was produced under a program known as "Teren Warszawa" / "Terrain Warsaw," which is being pursued by TR Warszawa (Teatr Rozmaitości / Variety Theatre). With this production, Jarzyna has ventured out of the theatre into a new, non-theatrical space. The director refers to the production's raw poetic as "real," and performances take place in the main hall of Central Railway Station in Warsaw.

Significant awards and distinctions:

• 1997 - 8. Miedzynarodowy Festiwal Teatralny "Na granicy" / 8th "On the Border" International Theatre Festival in Cieszyn - Honorable Złamany Szlaban (Broken Barrier) for his direction of "Bzik tropikalny / Tropical Madness", based on the texts of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Teatr Rozmaitości / Variety Theatre in Warsaw; Opole - 21. OKT / 21st Opole Theatre Confrontations - Grand Prix for his stage adaptation and direction of "Tropical Madness", based on the texts of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Variety Theatre in Warsaw
• 1998 - 7. MFT "Imagine" / 7th "Imagine" International Theatre Festival in Satu Mare, Romania - Grand Prix for "Tropical Madness", based on the texts of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Variety Theatre in Warsaw
• 1999 - 2. Festiwal Sztuki Reżyserskiej "Interpretacje" / 2nd "Interpretations" Festival of the Art of Directing in Katowice - Laur Konrada (Conrad's Laurels) for his direction of the plays of Witold Gombrowicz: "Iwona księżniczka Burgunda / Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy" at the w Stary Teatr (Old Theatre) in Krakow and "Historia / A Story" for Polish Television Theatre; "Paszport" / "Passport" award of "Polityka" weekly in the category of theatre; Konrad Swinarski Award (conferred by "Teatr" / "Theatre" monthly) for his direction of Witold Gombrowicz's "Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy" at the Old Theatre in Krakow and Brad Fraser's "Niezydentyfikowane szczątki ludzkie i prawdziwa natura miłości / Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love" at the Teatr Dramatyczny (Dramatic Theatre) in Warsaw; 5. Ogolnopolski Konkurs na Wystawienie Polskiej Sztuki Wspólczesnej / 5th Polish National Competition for Productions of Contemporary Polish Plays in Warsaw - award for his direction of the Polish Television Theatre production of Witold Gombrowicz's "Historia / A Story"
• 2000 - Miedzynarodowy Festiwal Teatralny "Kontakt" / "Contact" International Theatre Festival in Torun - award for Best Director of the Festival and 1st jury prize for his production of "Magnetyzm serca / Magnetism of the Heart" based on the works of Aleksander Fredro, Variety Theatre in Warsaw; 25. Opolskie Konfrontacje Teatralne / 25th Opole Theatre Confrontations in Opole - 1st prize for creative exploration in staging Polish classics for his productions of Witold Gombrowicz's "Yvonne, Princess of Burgundy" at the Old Theatre in Krakow and Aleksander Fredro's "Magnetism of the Heart" at the Variety Theatre in Warsaw; 6. Ogolnopolski Festiwal Sztuk Przyjemnych / 6th Polish National Festival of Pleasant Plays in Łódź - title of "Most Pleasant Play" for his production of Aleksander Fredro's "Magnetism of the Heart", Variety Theatre in Warsaw
• 2002 - Award of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for outstanding achievement in promoting Poland throughout the world

Author: Monika Mokrzycka-Pokora, February 2004.

Browsing history