The idea of ​​”Back to Beckett” is based on the preparation and implementation of a performative event, evoking – in the context of the Polish theater and dramaturgical tradition – the works of one of the world’s most eminent dramatists, Samuel Beckett, emphasizing existential issues, ethical and cognitive problems that are important to him.
Beckett’s work, available in Poland mainly thanks to Antoni Libera’s translation work, was of great importance for the shaping of contemporary theater codes. The Irish master’s special, prismatic, and at the same time exceptionally crystalline and structuring look at human existence seemed to reflect in a special way the feelings of Polish viewers and readers. Beckett himself was very active socially and politically – he fiercely opposed the political persecution in the world, he also protested against the imposition of martial law in Poland. More than 30 years after the peak of popularity of this extraordinary artist in Poland, it seems to us that the time has come to recall his works, especially those less known – experimenting with form and media.
During three unique evenings we will explore the sources of the theater and the multi-media character of Beckett’s texts.
Three evenings under the common slogan “Back to Beckett” is an attempt to look at the works of the author of Waiting for Godot from a modern human perspective of the early 1920s. Turning to Beckett’s vision at a time of trial for culture and seeking reflection on the human condition in the era of significant changes and crises in today’s world.
Side event: meeting / two-voice: “Beckett returns” with the participation of Tomasz Wiśniewski and Jarosław Fret (online on the teatrzar.net platform). Translation for PJM: Aleksandra Szalek-Palmowska