Actor, personality, process of creation 3001-A731EL3

The programme of the seminar combines the elements of knowledge of the history of theatre and the theory of art of acting, and also the practice of describing chosen performances. The aim is to get to know biography, achievements, and methods of creating the world of the stage by three great actors of the Polish post war theatre.
I. The starting point for the analysis is the presentation of some film records of the chosen stage adaptations: "Kariera Artura Ui directed" by E. Axer in T. Współczesny (Modern Theatre) with Tadeusz Łomnicki, "Trąd w pałacu sprawiedliwości" directed by M. Wiercińska in Teatr Polski (Polish Theatre) with Gustaw Holoubek, and "Kubuś Fatalista" directed by W. Zatorski in Teatr Dramatyczny (Dramatic Theatre) with Zbigniew Zapasiewicz as the lead actor.
II. Transition from the description of artistic experience to the attempts of interpratation is enabled through the review of theory of art of acting. From classical hints and recipes of Francesco Riccoboni, the philosophy of acting of Denis Diderot contained in "Paradox about the actor", through concepts of "experiencing" of Konstanty Stanisławski and "performing" with distance of Bertold Brecht, to new concepts of structuralists and poststructuralists.
III. Defining key concepts for understanding theatre and art of acting leads to common search for the answers to questions such as: what is art of acting? how to explain the opposition of the terms:
1. Artist and medium
2. Subject, object
3. Distance, closeness
4. Being oneself, being someoneelse
5. Transformation and transgression
The interpretation of the terms with reference to semiology and anthropology of culture seems crucial for the attempts of description and analysis of the iconographic and documentary materials presented in the class.
IV. Tadeusz Łomnicki - transformational acting. A description of the role of Arthur Ui: the process of preparations, historical documentation, composition, grotesque, overdrawing and caricature. The analysis of records of preparation for playing the part in the book "Spotkania teatralne" (Theatre meetings). Two categories that can be used to describe Łomnicki's acting: fury and composed realism.
V. Gustaw Holoubek - acting with a distance. Presentation of two parts of film documentary directed by the lecturer. The analysis of the part of judge Cust in "Trąd w pałacu sprawiedliwości," a famous Warsaw debut of Holoubek. A change of actor's attitude towards the rule of stage character construction. The part of Konrad in "Dziady" directed by Kazimierz Dejmek and the events of 1968. Comeback to the part of Konrad in "Lawa" by Tadeusz Konwicki. The conception of theatre as the mechanism shifting the viewer to different metaphorical dimension of existence, and the actor presenting his view on reality and his philosophy of art through the part creation. Playing outside psychologism and characteristicality.
VI. Zbigniew Zapasiewicz - acting in search of a mask. Presentation of parts of "Rzeźnia i Ślub" directed by Jerzy Jarocki, and parts of TV interviews. Rational acting, workshop acting, acting composed in every detail, characteristic and impersonating acting. A breakthrough in 1976 due to vivacious performance of Kubuś in "Kubuś Fatalista" directed by Witold Zatorski and the part of Rzeźnik in Rzeźnia by Paganini in 1977. Discovery of the meaning of improvising, emotional contact with a partner, making a dialogue with the audience. A breakthrough in acting method. Improvised composition, the role of craft, craftsmenship, precise logics analysis of drama. Aiming at free blending and combination of techniques, copying, reporting, impersonating and distance creating.
VII. King Lear as a script for the actor. A history of the most interesting stage adaptations of "King Lear." Reflecting on Jan Kot's words from "Płeć Rozalindy": "each epoch has a Shakespeare that it deserves and yet most of all each theatre has a Shakespeare that it deserves". Two historical perspectiv