Laznia Nowa Theatre
Encyclopedia
Łaźnia Nowa Theatre is the youngest dramatic
theatre
in Kraków
, Poland
. It is located in the district of Nowa Huta
which was built from the ground up during the 1950s' Communist policy of Socialist realism
. Appropriately, the theatre is residing in post-industrial halls.
Łaźnia Nowa Theatre was preceded by Łaźnia Theatre, located in Kazimierz
(former Jewish district of Kraków). The theatre was originally located in a cellar which used to serve as a Jewish mikvah
http://www.laznianowa.pl/laznia/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=74, hence the name łaźnia (public bath in Polish
). After the theatre was moved to the district of Nowa Huta
(literally New Steelworks), the word Nowa (New) was added to its name.
s. Its objective is to reflect that neighborhood including people who live and work there.
District of Nowa Huta
, built as a satellite industrial town by the communist government, always used to evoke strong emotions. Planned as a huge centre of heavy industry, Nowa Huta was to become also an ideal town for the communist propaganda. It was the litmus paper of political and social climate in Poland. The inhabitants of Nowa Huta were strongly affected by its history up to the end of communism
. Once one of Pope John Paul II
's favorite places and the heart of the Solidarity resistance movement, Nowa Huta witnessed the downfall of its industrial prominence and became stereotyped by mass media in a negative fashion. Łaźnia Nowa Theatre aims to challenge such stereotypes.
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It is located in the district of Nowa Huta
Nowa Huta
Nowa Huta - is the easternmost district of Kraków, Poland, . With more than 200,000 inhabitants it is one of the most populous areas of the city.- History :...
which was built from the ground up during the 1950s' Communist policy of Socialist realism
Socialist realism in Poland
Socialist realism in Poland was an official Communist doctrine used by the pro-Soviet government in the process of forcible Stalinization of the postwar People's Republic of Poland. The policy was introduced in 1949 by a decree of the Polish United Workers' Party Minister Włodzimierz Sokorski...
. Appropriately, the theatre is residing in post-industrial halls.
Łaźnia Nowa Theatre was preceded by Łaźnia Theatre, located in Kazimierz
Kazimierz
Kazimierz is a historical district of Kraków , best known for being home to a Jewish community from the 14th century until the Second World War.-Early history:...
(former Jewish district of Kraków). The theatre was originally located in a cellar which used to serve as a Jewish mikvah
Mikvah
Mikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
http://www.laznianowa.pl/laznia/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=74, hence the name łaźnia (public bath in Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
). After the theatre was moved to the district of Nowa Huta
Nowa Huta
Nowa Huta - is the easternmost district of Kraków, Poland, . With more than 200,000 inhabitants it is one of the most populous areas of the city.- History :...
(literally New Steelworks), the word Nowa (New) was added to its name.
Artistic philosophy
The creators of the theatre assert that all art conveys a positive message, resulting from the very act of creation. In their productions they spread the same message about their district. The theatre is surrounded by blocks of flats, green spaces, churches and supermarketSupermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s. Its objective is to reflect that neighborhood including people who live and work there.
District of Nowa Huta
Nowa Huta
Nowa Huta - is the easternmost district of Kraków, Poland, . With more than 200,000 inhabitants it is one of the most populous areas of the city.- History :...
, built as a satellite industrial town by the communist government, always used to evoke strong emotions. Planned as a huge centre of heavy industry, Nowa Huta was to become also an ideal town for the communist propaganda. It was the litmus paper of political and social climate in Poland. The inhabitants of Nowa Huta were strongly affected by its history up to the end of communism
Revolutions of 1989
The Revolutions of 1989 were the revolutions which overthrew the communist regimes in various Central and Eastern European countries.The events began in Poland in 1989, and continued in Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and...
. Once one of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
's favorite places and the heart of the Solidarity resistance movement, Nowa Huta witnessed the downfall of its industrial prominence and became stereotyped by mass media in a negative fashion. Łaźnia Nowa Theatre aims to challenge such stereotypes.
Recent shows
- Cukier w normie, premiered in April 2005
- Mieszkam tu, May 2005
- Oedipus - drama from Nowa Huta, November 2005
- From Poland with love, March 2006