Anna Burzyńska. Philosopher in (energetic) theatre
The article presents a synthetic overview of the philosophical theories and views of Jean-François Lyotard who provided the theoretical basis for what came to be known as the “performative turn”. The author of The Postmodern Condition saw theatre as a space of free flow of energy (especially libidinal energy). He believed that theatre should be liberated from the traditional models of representation, communication and semiosis which belonged to the core of the Western thought. In his view, theatre was able to go beyond the traditional models of thinking based on dialectics and dichotomy. It is possible to find similarities between Lyotard’s ideas and some theories developed by Sigmund Freud and Jacques Derrida and at the same time prove how productive some of their ideas turned out to be for contemporary theatre.

Jean François Lyotard. Jewish Oedipus
Lyotard uses two concepts which he borrows from Freud: the „language of knowledge” and “the truth-work”. He employs them to art and particularly to theatre which he considers to be “an hallucination giving rise to identification”. Lyotard suggests that both Oedipus and Hamlet can be read as Freudian figures, and then he refers them to the Hebraic ethics. He also points out a certain similarity between these two protagonists. He stresses the importance of the doubling (or the figure of the double) which in his opinion remains crucial for the structure of both Hamlet and King Oedipus. He analyses the concept of “unfulfillment” as a key factor in shaping not only Hamlet’s actions but also the activities of other characters in Shakespeare’s play.

Jean François Lyotard. The Tooth, the Palm
Lyotard develops his theory of theatre of energy which is founded on a Freudian concept of the mechanism of shifting the libidinal impulses. To explain the difference between his own concept of theatre and its traditional definition he refers to an example used by Hans Bellmer who described the connection between an aching tooth and the clenched fist – a natural reaction to pain. While in the traditional theatre the palm clenched into a fist remains merely a semantic representation of the aching tooth, in Lyotard’s model of theatre the flow of energy turns into an “unarticulated affect” which exists beyond the communicative process and refers only to itself. Theatrical signs are deconstructed and liberated from their mimetic functions.

Anna R. Burzyńska. The principle of theatrical entropy
Anna R. Burzyńska presents an account of some of the projects she took part in as a viewer or active participant during Impulse Theater Biennale (27.06.-6.07.2013). The main theme of the Biennale’s projects and events was entropy seen as a connecting principle in the relation between the artist and the viewer. In this context, entropy could be defined as a spontaneously generated energy which allows one to change roles and perspectives from that of a viewer to that of a participant. In every project the participants were offered some methods of engaging with the theatrical reality which allowed them to start a creative co-operation with the artists responsible for the given task. Anna R. Burzyńska considers this form of active participation as a great advantage and achievement of the festival which is commonly seen as the most important presentation of the postmodern theatre.

Weronika Szczawińska, Piotr Wawer Jr. About the audience, artists, academics and about what they see
Weronika Szczawińska and Piotr Wawer, who created Artyści prowincjonalni (The Provincial Artists) for Teatr Powszechny in Lodz, reply to some of the opinions expressed in the conversation “Od odbiorcy do uczestnika” (“Between the Viewer and the Participant”) published in “Didaskalia” number 117 (2013). Part of the debate concerned their production in Lodz. Szczawińska and Wawer disagree with the way their production was described and in particular with the presentation of the figure of the “spectator” discussed by some of the participants. They suggest that instead of analyzing the incident with the spectator as a single, isolated instance of disrupting the show, it is necessary to apply to it the “thick description”. That means the spectator who disrupts the production, Szczawińska and Wawer claim, should be approached with the concepts developed by cultural anthropology and analysed as an event located within a multilayered network of cultural factors.

Katarzyna Markham. Life under the same roof or the portrait of the Royal Court audiences
The article presents a historical outline of the British post-war theatre. A particular attention is devoted to the history of the Royal Court between 1957 and 207 as well as to the work of Dominic Cook, one of its artistic directors. The article suggests that the most innovative element of his leadership in the theatre was to present the way of life of the British liberal middle-class and to suggest that their life does not reflect the values they believe in. The presence of this new theme is the result of the change in the social and class composition of the theatre audience which visits the Royal Court. The article also presents the most important productions from the Royal Court and attempts to assess their social impact. 

Patrycja Cembrzyńska. Let’s play, let’s work – urban provocation
The article offers an illuminating analysis of the social and economic conditions of today’s twenty somethings. The point of departure for the author is the artistic creativity of Tworzywo – a group of contemporary urban artists. Urban art is viewed as a strategy to negotiate the meaning and power of cultural discourses as well as a way of inventing a new language fit for the expression of the state of rejection for those who believe they live in a pseudo-democratic state. The author of the article sees the urban art as a field to negate and dispute the oppressive political and economic reality we live in. The intension of the author is to show the way of representing the human condition in the age of postmodern era verging on economic crisis and nearing another wave of unemployment.

Ágnes Bakk, Eszter Vági. National theatre and national identity
Ágnes Bakk and Eszter Vági analyse the appointment of the new director of the Hungarian National Theatre (2012/13). The arrival of the new director, Attila Vidnyánszky, triggered a variety of social and political activities involving theatre audience. Scandal and animosity were the talk of the day. Digging back into the history of the national theatre and its development over the years the authors of the article explain the strong relation between the concept of the national theatre and the idea of national identity. The article also attempts to question the strong bonding of the two ideas.

Agata Łuksza. National theatre as a European fantasy
The report from the 2013 edition of the National Theatres’ Meeting (3-15.06.2013) leads to a debate about the nature and significance of the idea of national theatre in Europe (an institution with a regular repertoire, with actors holding permanent contracts and staging artistically accomplished productions of the national canon). The recent edition of the festival proves that the idea of national theatre still holds a strong position among theatre practitioners and audiences. The author of the article criticises the institutional criteria present at the selection of the potential candidates for the festival presentations. This situation seems particularly inappropriate if we take into account the diversity of national theatrical traditions in Europe.

Joanna Derkaczew, Michał Lachman. Dublin Theatre Festival in the service of the nation
The authors present a report from the 2013 Dublin Theatre Festival, the most important and the oldest theatrical festival in Ireland. The festival presentations are analysed as examples of a carefully designed programme to construct a sense of ethnicity and belonging which the Irish consider very important in the age of globalized culture. Most of the productions and projects reflect a particular concept of locality and a feeling for the local place. At the same time a lot of presentations disappoint, as they do not offer a reliable and verifiable view of current problems which contemporary Ireland needs to face. The article presents the analyses of individual productions, artistic creeds of their creators as well as wider cultural mechanisms which determine the development of the Irish national stage.

Dariusz Kosiński. Scenes of failure
Dariusz Kosiński replies to a critical review of his book Teatra polskie (Polish Theatrics) written by Joanna Tokarska-Bakir  (published in “Didaskalia” 2013 no. 117). The reply aims at exposing what Kosiński considers the unfair and untrue criticism voiced in Bakir’s review. What is more, Kosiński explains a number of theoretical points which were debated by his reviewer, presents in detail his research methods and finally elaborates on his own understanding of the practical ways of applying performance studies to the analysis of spectacles. He also hopes that it will be possible to find clear and verifiable methods of communicating research results and thus of ensuring that academic debates are more productive and fruitful.

Grzegorz Niziołek. Belated Afterword, Hasty Foreward
The article should be treated as an addendum to Warlikowski. Extra ecclesiam (Krakow 2008) – the book written by Grzegorz Niziołek in which Krzysztof Warlikowski’s theatre is analysed through the perspective of Victor Truner’s concept of social drama. Now, as the author claims, Warlikowski’s theatre enters a new phase. It can no longer be adequately described using the anthropological tools. A new set of concepts is derived from the philosophy of “late modernism”.

Katarzyna Fazan. Speaking Arcades of Solidified Theatre
Katarzyna Fazan reports from the exhibition presenting Małgorzata Szczęśniak stage design (National Theatre, Warsaw). The exhibition designed as a walk through a variety of arcades and labyrinths of static stage design was accompanied with a specially designed audiobook presenting the recorded commentary by Szczęśniak together with fragments of Krzysztof Warlikowski’s productions. The article describes in detail the exhibition walkthrough, paying particular attention to the multiple interpretations and meanings of the presented spaces reflecting the styles and motifs characteristic for Szczęśniak’s artistic design.

Marcin Kościelniak. Young without talent – falling into incompetence
The key thesis pursued in the article is that the artistic work of a number of young Polish theatre directors (Michał Borczuch, Krzysztof Garbaczewski, Marcin Cecko, Wiktor Rubin,  Jolanta Janiczak, Monika Strzępka, Pawł Demirski and Michał Zadara) develops in more or less overt relation to Krzysztof Warlikowski’s theatrical style. “He is the one who established a sort of benchmark for the younger generation of theatre artists in Poland. The young upcoming artists either are very critical of Warlikowski’s contribution to theatre aesthetics, or openly resent his achievement feeling what Harold Bloom called the “anxiety of influence”. Consequently, they may not have the abilities to emulate the achievements of the more experienced college or simply chose not to do it, but in either case his presence gives them a sense of unfulfillment.” Niziołek describes a new territory on the theatrical map of Poland occupied by the young generation of artists who are likely to be characterised by a new set of categories: weakness, abortive theatre, performance of disappointment, emancipated viewer, overpowering disgrace.

Monika Kwaśniewska. An Acute Sense of Alienation
Monika Kwaśniewska in her review of Zachodnie wybrzeże. Powrót na pustynię (Quay West/Return to the Desert, dir. M. Borczuch, Teatr Polski, Wroclaw, 4.10.2014) shows how the production’s acting and directing strategies represent the key sense of alienation and marginalization so characteristic for Koltès’s drama. The particular method of building characters, constructing stage space and establishing the relation between the stage and the audience manifests an acute sense of strangeness and alienation and ultimately leaves the audience both lost and deeply touched.

Małgorzata Dziewulska. Two theatres, same show?
The comparative review of two versions of the same production staged in two theatres on two different occasions. Kamienne niebo zamiast gwiazd (Stone Heaven with no Stars) directed by Krzysztof Garbaczewski was staged for the first time at the commemorative celebration of the outbreak of the Warsaw Rising in the Warsaw Rising Museum (01.08.2013), then it was presented at the Nowy Teatr in Warsaw (26-7.10.2013). The review analyses the differences between the two spectacles and shows how moving the show out of the venue with a historically charged past resulted in a new distribution of senses and a different pattern of audience response. While the reviewer elaborates on the disadvantages of staging shows solely meant to commemorate historical occasions, she also appreciates courageous attempts of the director to disarm the cultural archetype of the Rising by using new media.

Jakub Papuczys. Facing Swinarski
The review provides a description of two productions directed by Jan Klata for the Stary Theatre in Krakow. The first one, To Damascus (5.10.2013) by Strindberg, opens the Swinarski commemorative season at the Stary Theatre; the second could be read as Klata’s aesthetic manifesto as a new director. The reviewer claims that King Oedipus directed by Klata proves that he is determined and bold enough to creatively pursue theatrical experiment – although this strategy may be risky and dangerous, it is likely to open new ways of exploring contemporary theatre.

Weronika Łucyk. Beware of…
The review of Diabeł (Devil, Teatr Współczesny, Szczecin, 6.10.2013, dir. Radosław Rychcik), a production based on philosophical writings of Jean Baudrillard, Slavoj Žižek and referring to the concept of evil in the films by David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick and William Friedkin. The bigger portion of the production is devoted to the deconstruction of the filmic world (together with some aspects of its creation) through the philosophical and cultural context. The reviewer claims that the production is chaotic and that its elements are not connected with any unifying concept, which leaves the viewer unable to understand them.

Klaudia Laś. The Castle of mental stupor
A review of the production of The Castle directed by Marek Fiedor (Teatr Współczesny, Wrocław, 22.06.2013). Although the production has a number of interesting and creative ideas, for instance setting Kafka’s novel in a small American town, clear references to the tradition of road movies and highlighting K’s relations with women, they do not produce particularly interesting results. Contrary to what the director promised in pre-production interviews his stage vision of Kafka’s world is full of stereotypical platitudes and has no power to move the viewer in any deeper way.

Piotr Dobrowolski. The Poor ask for Heaven
A review of Ödön von Horváth’s Kazimierz i Karolina (Kasimir and Karoline) directed by Wojciech Klemm (Lubuski Teatr in Zielona Góra, 21.09.2013). The reviewer analyses the social dimension of the dystopic vision of the world presented in the play. A special attention is devoted to the characters who suffer from poverty and from the “death of the soul” but who in spite of all crave for happiness. The reviewer claims that although the production presents the original play in a clear and concise way and despite the fact that the action is successfully set in Polish realities, the director does not manage to tap into the full political potential of the play.

Joanna Tomaszewska. The Message from the Past in Retro Style
The review of Znikające szkoły (Disappearing Schools) directed by Tomasz Świątek (Teatr Dramatyczny in Wałbrzych, 6.09.2013). The production’s main motif is the presentation of a school celebration. It shows the world of the future in which schools no longer exist and debates problems facing the educational system today. The reviewer is critical of the production’s script by Tomasz Jękot which is a collage of opinions taken from popular media. They do not present any constructive arguments and do not lead to any interesting conclusion. However, the acting is the real merit of the production.

Jakub Papuczys. Do we need to look into cosmos?
The review of Sferia based on a script written by Magdalena Kupryjanowicz and directed by Katarzyna Szyngiera (Centrum Sztuki Kontrast, Teatr Polski in Bielsk-Biała with PWST im. Ludwika Solskiego in Krakow, 14.06.2013). The production debates the possibility of the global conspiracy. Its premiere coincided with the leaks revealed by Edward Snowden and concerning the possible bugging of Angela Merkel’s mobile phone by the US National Security Agency. The reviewer appreciates the lively story full of unexpected turns of action and the use of the thriller convention combined with elements of fantasy.

Dorota Jarząbek-Wasyl. That’s Life – Says Death
The review of two productions for children: Gęś, Śmierć i Tulipan (Goose, Death, A Tulip) directed by Marcin Jarnuszkiewicz (Teatr Baj in Warsaw, 12.10.2013) and Mglisty Billy (Billy Fog) based on a comic book by Guillaume Bianco directed by Mateusz Przyłęcki (Teatr Figur Krakow, 14.06.2013). The main purpose of the two productions is to talk about death to young audiences. The reviewer praises the elaborate and creative stage design as well as the philosophical dimension of the stories.

inspirowany „krytycznymi stanowiskami posthumanizmu”.

Mateusz Szymanówka. Landscapes with no emotions
The review of low pieces directed by Xavier Le Roy which was presented at the Festiwal Konfrontacje in Lublin (12-19.10.2013). The reviewer analyses the performance in which a group of naked actors construct a number of body landscapes and in this way attempt to “redefine the border between human and non-human”. The review also offers a brief history of contemporary dance based on the movement of non-human elements. Low pieces is considered to be inspired by the post-humanist philosophy.

Karolina Wycisk. Attention, we are using motion capture cameras
Karolina Wycisk reports from the Body/Mind Contemporary Dance Festival in Warsaw (20-27.09.2013). Its main theme was “yes, I do like watching” and most of the festival presentations were chosen to reflect on the relative character of looking/watching dichotomy. Two productions with which the festival began are analysed in particular detail: Beep by Karol Tymański and Disabled Theatre directed by Jérôme Bel. In both cases the audiences perception skills were tested. Wycisk also reviews Agensy by Ziemilski and Szpieg. Albo Człowiek, który słuchał (A Spy or a Man who knew how to Listen) by Grzegorz Laszuk and Michał Libera – these two productions used elaborate technology designed to follow movement. 

Magdalena Zamorska. Engineering Emotions. Cognitive Improvisation and Ivar Hagendoorn’s Emergent Choreography
Magdalena Zamorska disagrees with some points made in Gabriela Karolczak’s article O choreografowaniu empatii i neuronach lustrzanych (A Few Arguments on Choreographing Empathy and on Mirror Neurons, “Didaskalia” 2012, no. 112). Zamorska argues that Karolczak misinterprets the basic assumptions of neuroesthetics. She refers to the theories of a Dutch choreographer, photographer and scientist, Ivar Hagendoorn, who carried out research on the neurological aspects of aesthetic experience in a specific environment of the reception of dance performance. The article summarises the theories concerning cognitive improvisation techniques inspired by the analytical method of dance improvisation created by William Forsythe. To this theory of the shaping of the dance patterns dynamics Hagendoorn adds some new principles which can prove useful in creating the emergent choreography – that is the system in which the synchronisation emerges as a result of the interaction of the individual dancing agents.

Anna R. Burzyńska. Bitter Music
The review of Delusion of The Fury directed by Heiner Goebbels (premiered at the Ruhrtriennale in Bochum, 23.08.2013). The article draws a portrait of Harry Partch, a legendary visionary sound artist and composer who created among others the opera Delusion of The Fury and invented new musical instruments to play the music in a new musical scale also invented by him. Heiner Goebbels, who has been the director of the Ruhrtriennale Festival for three consecutive years, preparing this year’s European premiere of Delusion of The Fury, decided to rebuild the whole 27 instruments which were originally designed to be used at the premiere of the show. The reviewer stresses a double function of the performance which on the one hand is a parody of the traditional opera form, and on the other hand expresses the longing for the ritualistic and magical aspect of art.

Olga Katafiasz. Words can kill
A report from and an assassement of this year’s edition of Krakow Theatrical Reminiscences Festival (16-20.10.2013). The reviewer is very critical of the 100% Krakow, a project prepared by the Rimini Protokoll. The review analyses the very few performances and events which actually referred to the theme of the festival, that is “parallel worlds”. The project which merits the most praise is Hate Radio about the genocide in Rwanda produced by the International Institute of Political Murder.

Dorota Krzywicka-Kaindel. Breathing in stench, cold air and death
The reviewer describes in detail two Austrian productions concerning the outbreak of the first world war: Thalerhof by Andrzej Stasiuk directed by Anna Badora (Schauspielhaus Gratz, 27.09.2013) and Princip (ten grób mi jest za mały) (Princip, this grave is not big enough for me) by Biljans Srbljanović directed by Michał Zadara (Schauspielhaus Wien, 16.10.2013). It is important to note that in both cases foreign, non-Austrian directors were employed to prepare the productions, the fact which the reviewer sees as significant especially if one takes into account the nationalistic Austrian culture. The foreign, Polish directors were able to tell familiar stories in a new way and from the perspective which in Austria is definitely seen as a minority view.      

Mateusz Chaberski. Still Life with Birds
The review of Perturbation from Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne (10.09.2013). After a long break, Krystian Lupa directs Thomas Bernhard again. The reviewer pays particular attention to the painterly aspects of the production (the symmetry of the set design, the composition inspired by the tradition of the still life painting) which are used as effective means to control the literary dynamics of the novel. The enhanced visuality of the production leads to the question of whether art is able to adequately represent reality. The reviewer also pays attention to the concept of the “weak director” which appears in the production as a figure of the Prince – the character who pushes the possibility of director’s failure to the limit.

Grzegorz Stępniak. Growing up as a stranger or memoirs of a lesbo from furth grade
The review of Tales of a Fourth Grade Lesbo directed by Giny Young (Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica, California, 12.06.2012). To adequately analyse the production the reviewer uses the concept of “growing sideways” developed by Kathryn Bond Stockton. Gina Young and her female cast dismantle cultural stereotypes, telling autobiographical stories about growing up. They concentrate on the lives of girls alienated from the rest of the society in the last decade of the previous century. Lesbian culture offers an ironic background to their narratives. 

Wojciech Dudzik. Theatre and liturgy. A few remarks on Tadeusz Kornaś’s book
Reviewing the recent book by Tadeusz Kornaś (Schola teatru Węgajty. Dramat liturgiczny/The Choir at Węgajty and Liturgical Theatre, Krakow 2012), Wojciech Dudzik regrets that the book written by Kornaś – an expert in the field of alternative theatre – does not offer a comprehensive, monographic account of the topic. Instead, he focuses narrowly on the complex topic of the relation between the liturgy and theatre as well as on drama in relation to dramatized reconstructions of liturgy prepared by the Węgajty choir. The reviewer appreciates the archival and historical work which has been done to prepare to book, but stresses the obvious omissions and suggests the topics or motifs worth pursuing.

Marta Uszyńska. Anthropologyst in the Lab
The review of Krystyna Duniec’s Ciało w teatrze. Perspektywa antropologiczna  (Body on Stage –the Anthropological Perspective, Warsaw 2012). The book is an attempt to describe the function and meaning of the body on contemporary stages. Analyses of individual productions lead to a number of important questions about the role of the body on stage as well as about the definition of the theatrical event. Duniec connects these themes with the topic of identity and the ways artists use to (de)construct their own image. The reviewer points out that the book consists of two parts with two different approaches to the discussed topics: the first, research part is meant to be tested in the second part presenting a number of interviews. The reviewer questions the choice of the interviewees.

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