Sad comedy about slavery enticement

Cultural program I, CULTURE is a large-scale international project. Over 400 various cultural events presenting Polish culture will be held within its framework in 10 capitals (these are: Kyiv, Brussels, Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, Moscow, Minsk, and Tokyo). The program launched on July 1 together with Poland’s presidency in the EU Council, and Ukraine joined it in September. Poland is the first country to introduce such an extensive cultural program as a part of its presidency at the EU Council. The program events in Ukraine are implemented by Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Warsaw, in cooperation with the Polish Institute in Kyiv. In fact, the performance of the Polish street theater Biuro Podrozy in St. Sophia Square was the first of its kind ever held in Kyiv.

Theater Biuro Podrozy was founded in 1988 by director Pawel Szkotak. In two decades of artistic search the theater has formed its original manner and style in work with plays. The theater’s repertoire includes 14 original plays, 8 of which are performed outdoors. In 1989 the newly created troupe won the first place at the Polish National Festival of Young Theaters Start. Street performances are the Biuro’s strongest side, in particular, Carmen Funebre was awarded the first prize and the Critics Prize in Edinburgh in 1995, and also Grand Prix of the theater festival in Athens; Macbeth won the Fadjir Prize at the Theatre Festival, Teheran for the best director’s production; in 2001 the theater was awarded the prize for the best scenography at the Experimental Theater Festival in Cairo. In 2002 Biuro Podrozy was honored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for outstanding contribution to the promotion of Poland in the world and by the Ministry of Culture – for theatrical achievements. In 2005 Pawel Szkotak received the prestigious Passport award from Polityka magazine and in 2008 Pawel Szkotak, Marta Strzalka, and Jaroslaw Siejkowski were awarded medals of artistic glory from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The geography of the theater performances includes 46 countries on five continents, among which are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Palestine, Singapore, Taiwan, the US and European countries. Creative activity of the theater is not only limited to performances – some write and present drama works here, others are engaged in art projects, organize educational events, working with amateurs, actors, and theater groups in the US, England, Ireland, Russia, Lebanon, Iran, and other countries.

The performance presented in Kyiv is called Planet Lem. It was created based on works by Stanislaw Lem.

The central figures are the characters from novels and short storied written by Lem: Ijon Tichy, Professor Tarantoga, Lepniak community, supercomputer, and robots. Plot is a theatrical improvisation on the theme of author’s novels. Open air performance lasts for one hour. Music, which combines symphonic motifs and themes of most interesting post-industrial rock bands, was mixed especially for the performance by Krzysztof Novikov.

The following passage from the story of Polish classic Futurological Congress might be used as an epigraph to Planet Lem: “I keep this civilization narcotized, for otherwise it could not endure itself. That is why its sleep must not be disturbed… I hold in precarious balance without which we would plunge into the throes of universal agony. I am the last Atlas of this world.”

The main character receives a letter asking for help and decides to go to another planet. There he encounters strange creatures Lepniaks, whose life is subject of enjoying the pleasures provided by robots. Attempt to make contact fails, but the man understands that people depend entirely on machines. With help of the local ally, free from the existing system, the newcomer raises the uprising. Supercomputer, surprisingly, refuses to resist and predicts: “I will be your sorrow.” Released natives quickly get bored with the taste of freedom and rebel against their liberators, and then they get the robots back. Thoughtless existence for sake of their own pleasure turns out to be of higher priority for them. The main character after being defeated returns to Earth.

Biuro Podrozy, just like most outdoor theaters, has a little naive, infantile aesthetics. It is noticeable, that most of their futurological exotic is made of plastic, tin, or plexiglass. The greatest success of the costume designer (Agnieszka Zawadowska) are the works: actors, dressed in dazzling white or black armor with numerous accessories in style of 1980s science fiction film, look and move very convincingly, and cyborgs duo on stilts, passionately dancing tango, caused madness among the audience.

Another success of Zawadowska is the construction that resembles a giant mechanical spider with one round central screen and four additional elliptical screens. A bizarre creation serves as both an interstellar ship and as the machine for pleasure that Lepniaks work for. The indifferent face of the supercomputer or images from the main character’s subconsciousness appear on the central screen.

The rest of the scenery is traditional for open air performances: fake weapons, pyrotechnics, lots of illumination, loud music, and accompanying video. But the fantastic coloring, technical tricks and acting are not the main, as it often happens with less talented street performers. Entourage does not burden the show; it plays merely an accompanying role in this mostly ridiculous performance. Director and performers build the world of travesty fiction by means of many funny details and well picked gestures.

The hopeless ending is especially impressive. The smart creations, for what it seems, need very little to make their choice in favor of slavery. This truly tragic farce has been played by the humanity for thousands years.