Mating life

Premiere: March 26, 2011

“Mating life” (Gody życia) by Stanisław Przybyszewski
Direction, set and text development: Iwona Kempa
Costumes: Anna Sekuła
Music: Bartosz Chajdecki

“Mating life” by Stanisław Przybyszewski is another proposal in the great Polish season. Iwona Kempa recalls a little-known play by the spiritual leader of the Young Poland bohema. Przybyszewski is remembered today mainly as a legend, a controversial figure, moral taboo-breaking provocateur, but forgotten as an artist and thinker – novelist, essayist, playwright and theorist of art. The drama “Mating life”, written in 1910, is the story of a young woman – Hanka Bielska, who left her husband and daughter to share life with her beloved man. According to contemporary social rights, by abandoning the family, she lost the right to the child. Unaware of the consequences of her actions, Hanka suffers. Longing for a child and guilt destroy her life with Wacław. The story of the play is merely a pretext to analyze the spiritual condition of the characters, their violent passions, the fight against social schemes and inner demons. Is the conscience able to destroy the desire for happiness? Is it possible to be happy, hurting others? Is it better for the good of the family to live a lie with unloved man or fight for the right to own happiness? Must going beyond the traditional order be severely punished? Przybyszewski’s text raises questions that remain valid despite the changes in customs and law.

Starring: Małgorzata Abramowicz, Aleksandra Bednarz (guest), Karina Krzywicka, Ewa Pietras, Anna Romanowicz-Kozanecka, Mirosława Sobik, Jolanta Teska, Jarosław Felczykowski, Sławomir Maciejewski, Tomasz Mycan, Paweł Tchórzelski.
Duration: 1 hour 15 min. (without a break)