Staniewski Centre for Theatre Practices “Gardzienice”

For the last thirty years the Staniewski Centre for Theatre Practices “Gardzienice” has based itself in a tiny village in rural eastern Poland, but performances and workshops have taken it abroad to theaters and festivals all around the world.

“The achievements of Gardzienice come as a wonderful gift… Under the inspired leadership of Włodzimierz Staniewski, the Gardzienice group are, in my view, one of few essential theatre companies working anywhere in the world today.” – Susan Sontag

The company has become well-known for its rigorous investigation of indigenous and ancient musical traditions, its powerful physical and vocal techniques, its commitment to the creation of theatre in a natural environment, and its emphasis on principles of mutuality and musicality. Staniewski’s method of acting, known as the ecology of theatre, has been numbered among the most important of the 20th century. In recent years, the company is focused on Ancient Greece. The newest performances created by Włodzimierz Staniewski are Euripides’ tragedies (Iphigenia in Tauris, Iphigenia at A…, Elektra) Work is currently taking place to renovate many of the buildings on the Gardzienice estate, which it is hoped will be complete by the end of this year. The company is currently working on developing the latest performance, Iphigenia in T…, as well as continuing to perform Iphigenia at A…. The academy is showing a new performance entitled Supermarket and the National VooDoo, based on text by Andrzej Stasiuk. Znak Kaina (The Mark of Cain) is a new work of theatre directed for Gardzienice OPT by Australian director and Gardzienice ensemble member since 2010, James Brennan.