Author of the monograph recalled Juliusz Osterwa's famous sentence that "theatre was created by God for those who are not satisfied with the church", and then explained that the book is devoted to artists who cross the boundaries of theatre and enter the "domain of the liturgy", "referring to the broadly understood sphere of the sacred, to the ultimate matters". From the very beginning, the volume takes on the character of a very personal work, which the author does not hide, drawing attention to the fact that the texts included in the book are "a gesture of remembrance towards my friends". (from the review by Patryk Kencki, PhD)
Tadeusz Kornaś has unique knowledge that allows him to recognize liturgical codes in a theatrical work, creating an original "code of transcendence". Due to the rapid secularization of Western culture, for most viewers (but also theater scholars) this code is not only difficult to read, but even notice. The author reminds us of texts and performances written in the 20th century, which cannot be understood without knowledge of the liturgy. This applies to the writings of Limanowski and Osterwa, the productions of Schiller, Grotowski, Białoszewski, the works of Nowosielski (as the author of the theatre set design) and Robert Pożarski. Kornaś also has an exceptional sensitivity to the metaphysical dimension of art, in particular issues related to the death of man and the end of the world (the so-called "Last Things"), thanks to which he is able to penetrate the works of Mikulski, Kajzar and Jarnuszkiewicz. The eschatological perspective appears even in the mention of Zbigniew Osiński's theatrical activity." (from the review by Jacek Kopciński, PhD)
About Author
Tadeusz Kornaś, PhD, Professor of the Jagiellonian University, works at the Department of Theatre and Drama at the Faculty of Polish Studies. He has published, among others, the following books: Włodzimierz Staniewski and the Centre for Theatre Practices "Gardzienice" (2004), We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings (2009), Schola of the Węgajty Theatre. Liturgical Drama (2012), Apologies. Essays on Theatre and Religion (2017). In the years 1997-2009 he was the editor of the Theatre Magazin "Didaskalia" (in the years 2004-2008 the editor-in-chief). Since 2016, he has been a member of the editorial board of the quarterly "Teatr Lalek".
LanguageEnglish
Title in EnglishTheatre alone is not enough. Reduta, Białoszewski, Nowosielski, Kajzar, Jarnuszkiewicz…