November 4 – 8, 2024
Gingerbread with salt. Torun-Drohobych literary meetings
NAWA program “Promocjajęzykapolskiego”, contract BJP/PJP/2023/1/00030/U
Thursday, November 7
A day with Polish theater
The fourth day of the Week of Polish Literature, Language and Culture in Drohobych was dedicated to Polish theater. The day began with a theater art master class with actress Ziuta Zającówna, who showed the participants exercises to relieve excessive tension in the body, techniques to overcome stage fright sharing her own experience of overcoming tremors. Remarkably, Józefa Zajonc-Jamruz stepped forward in three roles on the day: actress, director and professor at the Academy of Theater Arts in Krakow.
After the break, Józefa Zajonc-Yamruz, now as a professor, gave a lecture on the topic “Voice interpretation of poems and prose”, in which she presented fragments of original performances. In an asynchronous mode, the project participants got acquainted with the directorial works of Zyuta Zayontsuvna, in particular her theatrical interpretation of the works of the Polish writer Deborah Vogel. She invited contemporary Polish writer Dorota Korwin-Piotrowski, creator of a new genre of mini-dramas, to the “Dialogue between a Director and a Writer” presenting Dorta’s works in her own interpretation. At the end, Zyuta Zajonczuvna gave the participants a virtual tour of the Krakow theater where she works.
The next excursion took place in Drohobych itself. The participants of the Week of Polish Literature, Language and Culture were led on a literary and local history trip to the places of Bruno Schulz by Vira Menyok, Assistant professor at the Department of Foreign Literature and Polish Studies, Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University. In the room-museum of Bruno Schulz, visitors saw rare editions of “Cinnamon Shops” by Bruno Schulz, reproductions of his graphics and works dedicated to his creative heritage. The participants looked with interest at the exposition in the museum room, where every detail reminds of the “genius era” in which Bruno Schulz lived and worked, or is related to the interpretation of his work. Vira Menyok spoke about Shultz the teacher, about his colleagues and students, his personal life, about Ukrainian researchers and translators of his works.
Then Vira Menyok led the group through the streets of Drohobych, stopping by the houses which the artist liked to visit or was forced to visit, telling interesting facts about them. The journey ended at the place where Bruno Schultz’s life ended. Vira Menyok told the story of his death, drawing a parallel between the fate of Schultz and his people with contemporary events in the history of the Ukrainian people.
After this excursion, its participants were left with a deep conviction that the city of Drohobych is an ancient and famous multicultural city, a “special province”, a “chosen land”, “the unique city in the world”. All materials of the fourth day’s event are available on the page of the project “Gingerbread with Salt. Torun-Drohobych Literary Meetings” on the following link.
