The public is invited to a video and discussion with Allen Kuharski, Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Scholar in Theater at Swarthmore College, PA, of the methods used and the Polish content, and a general discussion of the history, theory, practices of devised ensemble physical theater in Poland, the US, and globally.
Video screening of Part 1 of Withoutlands/Bezkresy, a two-part devised dance theater piece, was directed by Allen Kuharski as a diploma project with seven MFA students from the newly established Dance Department of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland. Following a 10-week/150-hour rehearsal process, Withoutlands is the product of a laboratory experiment focused on unifying the expressive use of movement with dramatic poetry, both spoken and sung.
The goal of the work is a balanced hybrid of theater and dance, where there is no meaningful distinction between actor and dancer, or between director and choreographer. The classic Polish dramatic poetry given voice by the performers here replaces the traditional role of music and sound in dance. While rarely attempted in contemporary performance, this expressive combination was a universal practice in the choruses of classical Greek theater.
Bezkresy, the Polish title of Withoutlands, refers to the classic poem Przez kresy by 20th-century poet Józef Czechowicz. His poem, never previously translated into English, provided a keynote for the group’s work, and is repeated twice in Polish in the performance. Lillian Vallee eventually translated the title of Czechowicz’s poem as edgelands, along with Withoutlands as the English title of this piece.
Video in Polish with English subtitles with texts by: Mickiewicz, Słowacki, Gombrowicz, and Józef Czechowicz for dancers/actors to combine movement/acting/voice/music. Performed by MFA Dance Theater students of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice.
Open to the public. Polish pastries provided. Doors open 9:30.
Share on:
