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2 September 2010

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Zbigniew Zapsiewicz
languages: Polski  / English 
author: Michał Bujanowicz
 

Zbigniew Zapasiewicz was an actor, director and the head of Teatr Dramatyczny in Warsaw. He was born on 13 September 1934, he died 14 July 2009.

He graduated from the Faculty of Acting of the National Academy of Theatre in Warsaw. He had his debut performance in 1955 in the Theatre of New Warsaw (Teatr Nowej Warszawy). For many years he had worked in the Dramatic Theatre (Teatr Dramatyczny) in Warsaw, he has also been its director. He played there in, among others, Witold Gombrowicz's "Wedding / Ślub", Sławomir Mrożek's "Butchery / Rzeźnia" and in William Shakespeare's "King Lear". His theatrical output includes roles of various emplois: Zbyszko in Gabriela Zapolska's "Mrs. Dulska's Morality / Moralność pani Dulskiej", Andriei Posorov in Anton Chekhov's "Three Sisters", Laurenty in Tadeusz Różewicz's "On All Fours / Na czworakach".

Zapasiewicz has also worked in Teatr Współczesny, where in the 1960s he collaborated with Erwin Axer, his theatrical master. He performed on the stage of this theatre in, among others, Sławomir Mrożek's "Love in the Crimea / Milosc na Krymie" and "Ambassador / Ambasador" and in Gogol's "Dead Souls". However, his mother stage is Teatr Powszechny in Warsaw. In this theatre he has recently returned to King Lear in a staging directed by Piotr Cieplak.

The audience and the reviewers have always stressed the continence, with which Zapasiewicz uses the acting means and indicated his excellent artistic skills, the capability of fresh analysis of a text and the way he applies it in constructing the role. "Zapasiewicz is one of the last actors, who stress the meaning of the theatrical skills this much, and each of his performances is a confirmation of the seriousness of his profession. He realises that he knows almost everything about the theatre and he avoids the occasion for a star show. He remembers that each role is an element of the play and not a solo part." (Jacek Wakar, "Zycie"). Zbigniew Zapasiewicz also performs in the Theatre of Television (Teatr Telewizji), among others in the "Forefather's Day / Dziady" directed by Jan Englert and Slawomir Mrozek's "Tango" directed by Maciej Englert. He is also one of the most outstanding Polish film actors, he played the main roles in, among others, Andrzej Wajda's "No Anaesthesia / Bez znieczulenia", Krzysztof Kieślowski's "Short Film About Killing / Krotki Film o zabijaniu" and Krzysztof Zanussi's "Protective Colours / Barwy ochronne" and "Life as a Sexually Transmitted Deadly Disease / Zycie jako smiertelna choroba przenoszona droga plciowa". For many years he has been a professor at the National Academy of Theatre in Warsaw.

"Old Lear in Teatr Powszechny has the old Zapasiewicz's face, lined with furrows, with narrow half-closed eyes, which sometimes open wide. (...) His Lear is hidden inside of himself. (...) The peremptory father, demanding the love confessions from his daughters as a kind of loyalty confirmation, turns into an invalid old man. But he knows how to mock at his age and play a parody of a toothless old man begging for the favours of his own daughters." wrote Roman Pawłowski ("Gazeta Wyborcza") after the premiere of Cieplak's "King Lear".

Selected awards:
  • 1986 - the Zelwerowicz Award for the title role in Brecht's Baal
  • 1997 - the Minister of Culture and Art Award for achievements in the artistic activity
  • 1998 - the Zelwerowicz Award for the role of Stomil in Mrożek's "Tango" in the Contemporary Theatre in Warsaw

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On Monday, September 20, the first Polish arena for the Euro 2012 Cup will open in Poznań. The official ceremony will be honoured with a concert featuring Sting performing with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Steven Mercurio.
Until September 25 (except for Sundays and holidays), the John the Baptist Archcathedral in Warsaw will host daily organ recitals as part of the 7th edition of the "Grand Organ of the Archicathedral" Festival.
"Dotyk człowieka/Beruehrungen" is the title of the exhibition presenting works of six Polish contemporary artists displayed at the German Embassy in Warsaw (Jazdów street): on view until September 27.
On October 17, the National Museum in Poznań will host the first public presentation of Claude Monet's "Beach in Pourville". The painting was stolen ten years ago. The painting returned to the museum in January 2010 after the folice found the thief.
Jazz pianist Chick Corea will give his only Polish solo concert on November 8 in Zabrze.
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