„Uncle Vanya” at the 28th Festival

On Saturday, 7 May, we invited our viewers to „Uncle Vanya” by Anton Chekhov. The spectacle on our Small Stage, directed by Małgorzata Bogajewska, was presented at the 28th International Festival of Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant. Tonight we invite you to the second production of the play by Ludowy Theatre in Cracow. Thank you for your presence, thank you for standing ovation!

The „Uncle Vanya” characters live their illusions – a „parallel” life. The pretend to live real life with everyday rituals, feelings and emotions included. But they are overwhelmed by the awareness of emptiness and blaming others for the current state becomes a form of escape. Longing for past life is depressing. Postponed dreams, unaccomplished love and permanent anticipation of better times… The characters are not able to become involved, to feel, to build relations with other people. Everyday life brings them many painful blows and dramas.  But the fact that they stopped to know how to live seems to have been the most overwhemling drama of their situation.

After the spectacle Łukasz Drewniak moderated meeting with its creators. They talked about construction of their roles and „Unle Vanya’s” topicality – the spectacle presents human mentality with all its baggage of evil towards other people, with longtime blame search in others and not in ourseleves and with devastating strenght     of self-destruction.

Anton Chekhov
„Uncle Vanya”
Translated by Agnieszka Lubomira Piotrowska
Direction: Małgorzata Bogajewska
Stage design: Anna Maria Karczmarska
Music: Bartłomiej Woźniak
Light: Dariusz Pawelec
Cast: Kajetan Wolniewicz, Roksana Lewak, Anna Pijanowska, Maja Pankiewicz, Barbara Szałapak, Piotr Pilitowski, Piotr Franasowicz, Tadeusz Łomnicki, Jadwiga Lesiak, Piotr Piecha, Gabriela Sarbiewska

Photographs:  Maciej Zakrzewski