“We Could Have Ventured in the Opposite Direction”: Exploring the Legacy of Polish Theatre on the Festival Map of Independent Ukraine

Abstract

This article examines the representation of Polish theatre on the Ukrainian festival map. This study includes key stages, events, and trends, and aims to uncover both positive developments and underlying problems. The research is based on sources such as published material, information resources, and my experience as a theatre critic. The periods of individual “breakthroughs” (1992–2000), “local encounters” (2001–2011), and “dramaturgical and performative landing forces” (from 2011) are identified and briefly characterized. The article outlines a broad geographical and genre-specific range of festivals in which Polish theatres participate and highlights their contribution. It also discusses the reception of individual performances by Polish theatres in Ukrainian criticism. The author focuses on the absence of iconic plays of Polish theatre on the posters of Ukrainian festivals (the exception is Bzik tropikalny (The Tropical Craze) by Witkacy, directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna, 1998). This resulted in the fact that the most important achievements of Polish theatre remained unknown to the Ukrainian audiences, and the professional community gravitated more towards Russia than towards the West. Given the more than four-hundred-year history of Polish–Ukrainian relations, it is essential that steps be taken to restore Polish–Ukrainian theatrical communication in order to ensure that Ukrainian theatre is connected to the European cultural space.