Attendees, guests, and audiences enjoyed nine performances at this festival. Young actors from various theatre groups also took part in dedicated workshops, the Way of the Cross on Friday, and a parish Mass on Sunday.
The school’s stage, which has upheld a strong theatrical tradition since the 1920s, hosted several performances by participating theatre groups.
The theatre group “Three Times More Art” (Do Trzech Razy Sztuka) from the high school in Mińsk Mazowiecki presented the plays Exaltation and Memory, directed by literature teacher Diana Gajc-Piątkowska. Additionally, the group worked with alumni to stage Life in Waiting (Życie na poczekaniu).
The Plaudite theatre from the high school in Sokołów Podlaski performed Oh Lord, Benevolently Reigning and the monologue Tobacco is Bad for You by Anton Chekhov. Their Polish literature teacher, Ewa Artych, directed the performances.
The Qui Pro Quo Boarding School Theatre (Internackie Qui Pro Quo), representing Poland’s oldest Salesian school in Oświęcim, staged Accused of Comedy, directed by literature teacher Róża Grzywacz.
The Nameless (BezNazwy) theatre group from the high school in Łódź, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, presented The Little Fish Canero (Rybka Canero), And God Counted the Days (I Bóg policzył dni), and The Show (Przedstawienie). The students were directed by Filip Garmulewicz and Zuzanna Kluszczyńska, both former members of the Salesian theatre group and now professional actors and directors, as well as regular collaborators with the school’s theatre program.
Among the event’s distinguished guests were Fr. Tadeusz Lewicki from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome and Fr. Mariusz Lach from the Catholic University of Lublin. Other notable attendees included Dominika Włodarczyk, Laura Lewandowska (a former student of the Salesian school), and several theatre professionals who shared their insights and advice with the participating groups.
On Saturday morning, participants engaged in theatre workshops. Teachers expanded their expertise with Filip Garmulewicz, while young actors participated in activities led by Adrianna Łakomiak, Aleksandra Błażejczyk, Kinga Senczyk, and Zuzanna Kluszczyńska—students from the Aleksander Zelwerowicz Theatre Academy in Warsaw and the Theatre Pedagogy program at the University of Warsaw.
During the event, the premiere of a special album titled Educated by Theatre was presented, curated by Zuzanna Kluszczyńska, Diana Gajc-Piątkowska, and Fr. Robert Bednarski, founder of the festival and principal of the Salesian School Complex in Łódź. The collection reflects on fifteen years of the festival, featuring photographs and reflections on contemporary Salesian educational theatre.
Fifteen years ago, the idea of bringing together theatre groups from Salesian schools within the Warsaw Province became a reality. Today, the festival continues to bear wonderful fruit.
The Nameless Theatre, as host of the festival, along with other theatre groups, has become an integral part of the educational activities in Salesian schools and a cultural force within their local communities.
https://www.infoans.org/en/sections/news/item/23871-poland-the-16th-theatre-festival-in-lodz#sigProId2948fb3ff9
