„Tsarina Kathetrine”

The empress of Russia and the last king of Poland – both without their regalia and court ceremonial but with human features, frustrations and weaknesses. This was the main subject of “Tsarina Katherine”, produced by the Żeromski Theatre in Kielce and directed by Wiktor Rubin. The play was shown on Thursday, 3 April, during the XX International Festival of Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant.

Like “Joanna the Mad. The Queen” which was also produced by the theatre from Kielce, “Tsarina Katherine” was based on a biography. The authors however do not reconstruct the history of the Russian empress. They show a strong and despotic monarch who has found her place in history thanks to gossips on her erotic life. Gossips that not only complete the picture of the past but also create it. Quasi-historic narrative of the play is connected with the present day. The characters are historic but at the same time modern. The facts not necessarily should be true, the division for yesterday and today is also not important. Lust for power, political ambitions, frustrations, sorrow – they are all above history. The true story is only a background for the empress’s “body” composed of remnants of her biography – the body that looks like a mass culture product.

 

A meeting with the director and actors followed the show. The meeting was moderated by Łukasz Drewniak. Wiktor Rubin said that “Tsarina Katherine” – like “Das Passagen-Werk” by Walter Benjamin – is a compilation of different fragments, quotes, borrowings that are not to create a synthetic and plain narrative. This is a fragmentary and having many plots collage which can develop in many directions – it depends on the interpretation. Marta Ścisłowicz, the main character actress told about the actor’s interaction with the spectators which may be quite a challenge (during the show she leaves the stage and goes to the audience). – On the stage the actor is safe, in the direct contact with the spectator he is not – she said. 

Thank you for your visit and we invite you to the last show of the Festival – “Constellations” directed by Adam Sajnuk.