„Republic” directed by Jan Klata at the 30th Festival

Plato’s „Republic” directed by Jan Klata drew crowds on Sunday, 14 April 2024. It was yet another presentation at International Festival of Plays Pleasant And Unpleasant when the house more than full. This time the occassion was to reach ancient philosophical deliberations, definition of justice and face Plato’s text given in Ancient Greek.    

The spectacle was performed in Ancient Greek as well as German and Polish with simultaneous translation (with the use of headphones for every viewer). It was not a coincidence that the text was given by the actors in Ancient Greek – it built many meanings in the context of Plato’s philosophical conception. Both the creators and the viewers noticed that during an emotional discussion after the spectacle which was moderated by Jacek Cieślak and Jacek Wakar. Karolina Kazań, actress of the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Cracow said it was the best meeting with the audience she had ever taken part in. Similar opinions were expressed by other participants of yesterday’s spectacle and meeting. 

Klata’s „Republic” operates on many levels. When we hear from the stage the text given in a dead language which is known only to classical philologists, at the same time we hear its Polish translation in the headphones. We are torn, we are in a dualistic dilemma: which text should we concentrate on? On the sound of the original or on the sense of the translation? Why is our attention distracted by Ancient Greeek since we do not understand it? Why do the creators not let us concentrate on what is said and disturb us on how it is said? What is this dualism for?   

Professor Ryszard Kluszczyński said during the meeting that the spectacle would not have had any sense had it not been dualistic. Dualism is the heart of the spectacle because it fully refers to Plato’s dualism. If we reach to the allegory of the cave or to the conception of the idea (we are able to recognize and experience only their reflkection), then it is recognition dualism we are faced with. If you take into consideration relations between Socrates and Plato then you have to remember that Socratic conceptions are known thanks to Plato (they are mediated so are they relayed in a reliable way?); hence we have to deal with a dualism of the authorship and of thought transfer. These levels of interpretation may be multiplied. Since Plato wanted to exclude actors from an ideal state (because while playing they pretend to be others who they are not and in this way they walk away from the conception) then who are Klata’s actors who speak the language which is not comprehensible for them? They are at two poles at the same time: the pole of the truth (giving Plato’s text) and the pole of its negation (using incomprehensible language)… It it crucial that Jan Klata succeeded in translating into theatrical laguage in its emotional and aesthetic form things that Plato had put in explicite expressed thoughts. Things that were rationally formulated by Plato we may receive in a circulatory and intuitive way. Hardly can you imagine a stronger startling theatrical dualism. 

During the meeting the creators told about a very hard process of learning the language for the purpose of the spectacle. Dramatist Olga Śmiechowicz told about her work on the text, on the choice of the fragments and their translation so as to they were comprehensive in the simultaneous translation. The viewers thanked The Słowacki Theatre members and the spectacle creators and they emphasized their gratitude to director Ewa Pilawska for her success in making Łódź the Polish theatre capital once a year.

Thank you for the evening and for very inspiring discussion due to which you became co-creators of the festival event!

 

„Republic”
Co-production of The Juliusz Słowacki Theatre in Cracow and Nationaltheater Mannheim
Author: Plato
Adaptation, direction, music arrangement: Jan Klata
Adaptation, dramaturgy, translation, teaching of Ancient Greek: Olga Śmiechowicz
Stage design, costumes, light: Mirek Kaczmarek
Stage movement: Maciej Prusak
Video: Natan Berkowicz
Ancient Greek language consultations: Danai Chondrokouki
Cast: Dominika Bednarczyk, Karolina Kazoń, Mateusz Bieryt, Wojciech Dolatowski, Marcin Kalisz, Marcin Sianko, Jacek Strama, Linda Pöppel

 

Photos Joanna Głodek