“The Rose of Jericho” at the 26th Festival
The 26th edition of International Festival Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant goes on! On Friday 6 March and on Saturday 7 March we presented “The Rose of Jericho” by Diana Meheik. The play directed by Waldemar Zawodziński was produced by the Stefan Jaracz Theatre in Łódź. Thank you for the night!
The debut play of the Croatian young playwright Diana Meheik “The Rose of Jericho” shows how step by step we are able to deprive another man/woman his/her identity – taking away dignity, language, name, independence, even his/her own body. We can always fight and voice objections, but in certain situations our defiance is futile – we are victims and the only thing we are left to is helplessness.
“The Rose of Jericho” is a drama based on the true story of Olena Popik. This twenty-one-year-old prostitute from Ukraine was used by human traffickers for years. It is human trafficking that was an inspiration for the play. But it is also a portrait of man, with all his disabilities. It is a story about humiliation, lack of love, manipulation, human ruthlessness, about getting lost, being uncertain and the need of showing strength.
Although we might think that human trafficking is a marginal phenomenon, this terrible problem exists on an enormous scale. We feel helpless but it is our role, also in the theatre, to talk about problems and difficult matters – it was the opinion of the spectacle’s creators that was presented during the meeting moderated by Łukasz Drewniak. One might think the spectacle about such difficult problems would not be interesting. But people want to see it and want to talk it – said “The Rose of Jericho’s” creators.
We invite you to see other Festival spectacles!
Diana Meheik
“The Rose of Jericho”
Translation: Gabriela Abrasowicz
Director: Waldemar Zawodziński
Set design: Katarzyna Zbłowska
Costumes: Maria Balcerek
Projections: Maciej Piąsta
Director’s assistant/stage manager Ewa Wielgosińska
Cast: Agnieszka Więdłocha, Sambor Czarnota, Ewa Audykowska-Wiśniewska, Krzysztof Wach, Ewa Karasiewicz
