Do Poland and Romania share common spectres of the past? We will reflect on this question in October.
The festival, curated by the renowned Romanian theatre scholar and critic Cristina Modreanu, will showcase the two-way fascinations running between Romanian theatre and Kantor’s art. On the one hand, it aims to present the reception of the Cricot 2 Theatre in Romania and the influence of Kantor’s aesthetics and ideas on Romanian theatre. On the other, it highlights and brings closer to the Polish audience the impact that Romania—particularly in its strategies for working through national traumas and in the development of experimental artistic movements (theatre of the absurd, magical realism)—had on the creator of the Theatre of Death.
The festival program includes both performances by the most important Romanian directors (Mary Stuart directed by Andrei Șerban from the National Theatre in Bucharest) and experimental works by the younger generation of artists (Ada Milea’s musical manifesto Songs that Scare Away Fear and Leta Popescu’s choreographic DUAL. A performance about friendship). Playing with Kantor will also feature exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, meetings, and lectures by Polish and Romanian theatre scholars.
Playing with Kantor is an artistic-research project carried out since 2018—since 2023 as a festival. It explores the reception of Tadeusz Kantor’s work and presents it as a living source of inspiration for new generations of experimental artists from around the world. Playing with Kantor demonstrates the tangible impact of Cricot 2 on the contemporary shape of theatre and visual arts. This year’s edition, organized with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw, will conclude the Poland–Romania Cultural Season 2024–2025.
The Poland–Romania Cultural Season 2024–2025 is organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Romanian Cultural Institute, through its branch in Warsaw, for the Romanian side, and by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, with the support of the Polish Institute in Bucharest, for the Polish side.
MAIN PROGRAMME
Tuesday 14.10 / 15:00
Department of Theatre and Drama, Jagiellonian University, Gołębia 16, room no 42
Kantor’s multiplied spectres. Influences, methods, interpretations – academic session
The scholarly session opening this year’s festival serves as an introduction to both the work of Tadeusz Kantor and contemporary theatrical productions from Romania.
Katarzyna Fazan – Kantor’s Costume: a Shell for an Actor’s Metamorphosis
Anna Róża Burzyńska – Tadeusz Kantor’s Influence on World Theatre
Anca Măniuțiu – Mirroring Perspectives: a Comparative Study on Kantor and Craig
Ionuț Sociu – Kantor and the Archetypal Father
Eugen Wohl – Articulating the Unformed. Tadeusz Kantor’s Contribution to Reinventing the Stage
Lia Perjovschi – Kantor/Perjovschi. Common Points
Moderator: Anna Oczko
Co-organizer: Department of Theatre and Drama, Jagiellonian University, Chair of Romanian Philology, Jagiellonian University
Event in English
Free admission
Wednesday 15.10 / 19:00
Kielce Cultural Centre, plac Moniuszki 2B, Kielce
“Mary Stuart” – performance
director: Andrei Şerban
adaptation by Robert Icke after Friedrich Schiller
A veteran of the Romanian theatre and a globally recognised Romanian-American director Andrei Şerban met Kantor in late 70’s and early 80’s at La MaMa Experimental Theatre in New York. Looking back, Şerban remembers: “I watched Kantor with fascination as he moved among the actors and directed them. He was truly a possessed conductor – more of a medium channelling secret energy.“
“Mary Stuart” tells the story of two women who dominate the history of their times: the exiled Queen of Scotland and Elizabeth I, Queen of England. Coagulated around the concept of duality, the action of this historical thriller seems drawn from the reality of our present: manipulation and backroom games for political and religious supremacy have written history.
A production of National Theatre in Bucharest (2024)
Co-organizers: Kielce International Theatre Festival, Stefan Żeromski Theatre in Kielce
Performance in Romanian, with Polish subtitles, 160’
Tickets at a price of PLN 70/50 and 40/30 can be purchased online at: teatrzeromskiego.bilety24.pl.
Coach transport to and from Kielce will be provided – more information and registration at rezerwacje@cricoteka.pl
Thursday 16.10 / 18:30
Cricoteka, theatre hall
“Songs that Scare Away Fear” – performance
Photo by Nicu Cherciu
directed by Ada Milea, after ideas by Herta Müller
“Songs that Scare Away Fear” is a theatrical concert conceived by Ada Milea, inspired by the writings of internationally acclaimed Romanian-born author and Nobel Prize winner Herta Müller. Drawing on Müller’s evocative texts, Milea crafts a poignant narrative exploring exile, distorted love and survival under the oppressive weight of history – where personal stories are often overshadowed by grand historical forces.
A production of National Theatre in Cluj-Napoca (2024)
Performance in Romanian, with Polish subtitles, 60’
Tickets at a price of PLN 70 and 50 can be purchased at the box office and online at bilety.cricoteka.pl
Post-performance discussion with the creators, hosted by Cristina Modreanu, in Romanian, translated into Polish
Friday 17.10 / 18:00
International Cultural Centre in Kraków, Rynek Główny 25
Shadows of the Past, Lights of Words – meeting with Herta Müller
The starting point for the conversation will be the performance “Songs that Scare Away Fear” (dir. Ada Milea), based on the texts of Herta Müller, presented on October 16.
Herta Müller’s work, rooted in the experience of life in the Romanian Banat and in confrontation with the dictatorship regime, is literature about memory, freedom, and the price an individual pays for remaining true to their identity. The conversation in Kraków will be an opportunity to reflect on the history and culture of Romania, as well as on the ways in which literature can preserve a world of experiences that politics seeks to erase.
In the context of the exhibition at the International Cultural Centre dedicated to the art of Constantin Brâncuși, the meeting with Müller will open a broader perspective on contemporary Romanian culture – from visual art to literature.
Co-organizer: ICC
Duration: 90’
Conversation hosted by Paulina Małochleb, held in German and Polish, with translation into Polish
Free admission
Sunday 19.10 / 18:30
Cricoteka, theatre hall
“Millenial Echoes” – audio/video performance
The Mad Haterpillars
The Mad Hatterpillars collective presents a live performing arts event that challenges the very notion of an exhibition. Blending theatre, performance art, contemporary music and sound installation – infused with a generous dose of absurdity – they offer a glimpse into how the newest generation of artists envisions avant-garde art today.
Non-verbal performance, 90’
Tickets at a price of PLN 50 and 30 can be purchased at the box office and online at bilety.cricoteka.pl
Post-performance discussion with the creators, hosted by Cristina Modreanu, in Romanian, with translation into Polish
Tuesday 21.10 / 18:30
Cricoteka, theatre hall
“Silviu Purcǎrete – Romanian Theatrical Landmarks” – exhibition opening & “The Tempest” – screening
Exhibition curated by Adriana Moca. The performance adapted and directed by: Silviu Purcǎrete, after William Shakespeare. A production of The National Theatre “Marin Sorescu” Craiova (2012)
The screening of the performance (organized with the support from Romanian Public Television and film director Laurentiu Damian) will be introduced by a lecture about his work presented by the exhibition’s curator and Purcărete’s long-time collaborator, Adriana Moca.
Performance in Romanian, with Polish subtitles, 110’
Lecture in Romanian, translated into Polish
Free admission
Thursday 23.10 / 18:30
Cricoteka, theatre hall
“DUAL. A performance about friendship” – performance
Photo by Gogdan Botofei
Concept: Leta Popescu, Bogdan Spătaru, Florin Fieroiu
Three close friends gather to prepare something sweet – a dessert. What begins as a seemingly calm and natural encounter soon reveals deeper tensions beneath the surface. DUAL is a non-verbal performance that uses a simple story as a springboard for the artists’ deeper explorations.
A production of Teatrelli (2022)
Non-verbal performance, 70’
Tickets at a price of PLN 70 and 50 can be purchased at the box office and online at bilety.cricoteka.pl
Post-performance discussion with the creators, in Romanian, translated into Polish
Saturday 25.10 / 18:30
Cricoteka, theatre hall
“Diamond-like Lucidity” – performance
Concept, choreography and performance: Andrea Gavriliu
video: Andrei Cozlac, music: Mihai Dobre
New, commissioned for Playing with Kantor Festival, project by a renowned Romanian director and choreographer, Andrea Gavriliu. This solo performance, composed of selected fragments from choreographies created by Gavriliu for productions directed by Mihai Măniuțiu, complements the video presentation showcasing the famous Romanian director’s work.
Non-verbal performance
Tickets at a price of PLN 50 and 30 can be purchased at the box office and online at bilety.cricoteka.pl
EXHIBITIONS
14.10–25.10.2025
Opening: 21.10, 18:30
Cricoteka, Szatnia Gallery
“Silviu Purcărete – Romanian theatrical landmarks”
Curator: Adriana Moca
Co-organizer: Vis-a-Vis Association
In 2024, renowned Romanian director Silviu Purcărete celebrated 50 years of a remarkable theatrical career, encompassing over 122 productions across theatre, opera, film, and puppet theatre. As both collaborator and admirer of his work, Adriana Moca (Cultural Association Vis-à-Vis) curated an exhibition dedicated to his amazing artistic journey.
Free admission
10–26.10.2025
MICET, ul. Jagiellońska 1
“Rhinoceros Skins”
Concept and production: Aldona Mikulska, Andrea Nikolov
In 1961, director Piotr Pawłowski staged Rhinoceros of Eugène Ionesco at the National Stary Theatre in Kraków, with set and costume design by Tadeusz Kantor. It is the production’s striking visual aesthetic that remains most vividly remembered – and it continues to shape how Ionesco’s work is received and interpreted. This exhibition – presented in the Stary Theatre’s showcase – features the documentation of the performance, Kantor’s drawings and costumes preserved in Cricoteka collection.
Co-organizer: Interactive Museum and Theatre Education Centre MICET
Free admission
ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMME
Thursday 16.10 / 17:00
Cricoteka, temporary exhibitions hall
Romanian-language guided tour of the exhibition “The (Un)Dead Class”
Guided by Eugen Wohl
Co-organizer: Chair of Romanian Philology, Jagiellonian University
A guided tour in Romanian by the prominent scholar allows audiences from Romania (or Romanian-speaking audiences) to better understand Kantor through references to their own history and culture, parallels between the traumas present in The Dead Class and Romania’s collective memory – such as experiences of communism, emigration, or cultural alienation.
Duration: 45’
Admission included with exhibition ticket. Tickets available at the box office and online at bilety.cricoteka.pl
Saturday 18.10 / 20:00
Lokator Bookshop, ul. Mostowa 1
Buturuga Band concert
Buturuga is a project by Olga Bartosiewicz-Nikolaev and Karolina Czerska, born out of love for sound, a belief in the power of literary translation, and a deep tenderness for what exists outside the mainstream. This edition centres on texts by Charles Baudelaire, primarily in Romanian translation.
Co-organizer: Lokator
Concert in Romanian, meeting in Polish, 90’
Free admission
Saturday 25.10 / 13:00
Cricoteka
Performative lecture by Bogdan Achimescu
Bogdan Achimescu is a Romanian-born visual artist, draftsman, and storyteller who creates drawings, installations, and texts, often combining performative lectures with live drawing. At Cricoteka, he will present a narrative that tells the story of the 1990 riots in Bucharest, which coincided with the premiere of Andrea Şerban’s Ancient Trilogy.
Event in Polish, 60’
Free admission
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
Tuesday – Friday 14–17.10 / 10:00 and 12:00
MICET, ul. Jagiellońska 1
RHINOCEROS INVASION, or Under the Shell I’m Still Myself
A theatre workshop based on the 1961 staging of Eugene Ionesco’s play at the Stary Theatre in Kraków. The scenography and unforgettable costumes were created by Tadeusz Kantor. We invite organised groups of all ages (schoolchildren, youth, students, adults, seniors) to collaborative, exploratory theatrical activities.
Workshops leaders: Daniel Arbaczewski, Katarzyna Peplińska-Pietrzak, Łukasz Zaleski Co-organizer: Interactive Museum and Theatre Education Centre MICET
Workshops in Polish, 90’
Tickets at a price of PLN 15
Registration and information: daniel.arbaczewski@stary.pl / tel. 735 597 182
Saturday 18.10
Cricoteka, educational hall
10:30-11:30
Masks from the Planet of Rhinoceros – workshops for children aged 2–3
When Tadeusz Kantor designed the costumes for Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco, directed by Piotr Pawłowski at the Stary Theatre in Kraków, he drew inspiration from painting. One costume was even covered with a thick layer of paint applied in a spontaneous gesture. We will do the same!
12.00–13.00
Procession of the Absurd: Masks Set Out into the World – workshops for children aged 4–8
We will explore costumes for the productions of Romanian director Silviu Purcărete, as well as those designed by Tadeusz Kantor for Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco. During the workshop, we will create absurdly large masks, don golden cloaks, unroll paper scrolls, and put on hundreds of gloves – then set off in a parade of the incredible!
Workshops in Polish, 60’
Tickets are priced at PLN 30 per child; admission for parents is free. Tickets can be purchased at the box office and online at bilety.cricoteka.pl.
Workshop leader: Justyna Droń
Saturday 18.10 / 15:00
Cricoteka, educational hall
Creative Workshop – workshops for adults
Geta Brătescu and Tadeusz Kantor. A Romanian visual artist and a Polish avant-garde theatre creator. Both possessed exceptional imagination and a deep sensitivity to fabric. Shaped by the weight of socio-political transformations, both approached fabric as a pliable, living tissue for performative actions. This workshop attempts to juxtapose the sensibilities of these two remarkable artists, while also engaging participants in collaborative creation.
All necessary materials will be provided.
Workshops in Polish, 3 h
Tickets priced at 40 PLN – available at the box office and online at bilety.cricoteka.pl
Workshop leaders: Justyna Droń and Małgorzata Samborska
Playing with Kantor: Romania – Spectres of the Past
Curator: Cristina Modreanu
Concept of the cycle Playing with Kantor: Anna R. Burzyńska
Producer: Wiktor Bury (co-producers: Aldona Mikulska, Octavia Cornea)
Visual identity: Kuba Sowiński
Project team: Justyna Droń, Mariusz Gąsior, Małgorzata Kmita-Fugiel, Kamil Kuitkowski, Zofia Mikołajska, Andrea Nikolov, Anna Rejowska, Tomasz Stefaniak, Aleksandra Treder, Krzysztof Warmus, Michał Warmusz
Main Partner: Romanian Cultural Institute in Warsaw
Partners: Department of Theatre and Drama at Jagiellonian University, MICET, International Cultural Centre in Kraków, Stefan Żeromski Theatre in Kielce, LOKATOR Bookstore, Polish-Romanian Society in Kraków, Kazimierz Hotels, Chair of Romanian Philology, Jagiellonian University
Media Patrons: Radio Kraków, Radio Kraków Kultura, TVP 3 Kraków, Tygodnik Powszechny, e-teatr, Didaskalia
The year 2025 marks a jubilee year at Cricoteka, celebrating the 110th anniversary of Tadeusz Kantor’s birth, the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Cricot 2 Theatre, the 50th anniversary of the premiere of The Dead Class, and the 35th anniversary of Tadeusz Kantor’s death.
The jubilee year “110/70/50/35 – Tadeusz Kantor’s Anniversary Year” is held under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
The Poland–Romania Cultural Season 2024–2025 is organized by the Romanian Ministry of Culture and the Romanian Cultural Institute on the Romanian side, and by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, in cooperation with the Polish Institute in Bucharest, on the Polish side.
Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU
