Wanderings

• WARSAW THEATRES FROM STUDIOS TO PALACES

BY GLENN LONEY

From 27 September to 1October1989, the series of operas which were regarded as a Polish branch ofOISTAT, the Interna­ testament to Polish patriotism and culture tional Organisation of Scenographers, during a period of subjugation. During Theatre Architects and Technicians, will the beginning of the 20th century, this host the 1989 OISTAT Congress in Warsaw stage boasted such names as Warsaw. The theme of this congress is singers and Enrico Caruso. "The Preservation of the Arts and Crafts During the siege of Warsaw in 1939 of the Theatre." Among the activities of the building was severely damaged and the colloquium will be exhibitions and was completely destroyed during the demonstrations of specialists in various . The classical fac;:ade theatrical arts and crafts - costume alone survived. After the liberation, the makers, tailors; shoemakers, scenic artists, government of the People's Republic of prop makers, armourers, and milliners. began rebuilding the Wielki. The The five-day conference will include a first stage of the reconstruction was series of visits to Warsaw theatres. With completed in 1949, and comprised the this in mind, Cue International presents a rebuilding of the Right Wing. tour of the theatres of Warsaw. -Editor During the remaining 16 years of re­ construction, every attempt was made by n a country where recent political architect Bohdan Pniewski and technical [1] events read like grand drama - with designer Arnold Szyfman to make the the daring challenge of the worker's Wielki the most advanced theatre of its rebellion in 1980, the imposition of martial time for its reopening in 1965. law 16 months later, the parliamentary The Teatr Wielki boasts some impres­ elections, and President Bush's recent visit sive technology. It's six mainstage to the capital - Poland, and particularly hydraulic elevators (23 x 3 meters) easily Warsaw, has remained one of the cultural carry heavy settings on two levels. There is centers of Eastern Europe. Live theatre, a revolving stage, 21.5 meters in diameter; music, and dance abound in spaces grand 56 hydraulic-powered scenery hoists and and not-so-grand. 48 manual ones; two elevators for the or­ And in the heart of Warsaw is the chestra and two backstage. grandest space of them all - the Teatr Besides the 2,000 seat art-deco Wielki. With a seating capacity of 2,000 auditorium, the Wielki houses the The­ and a 1,159 square meter stage, it is to atre Museum - two halls on either side of Warsaw what the Bolshoi is to Moscow, the first floor foyer totalling 855 square both in size and in standards of produc­ meters, with year-round exhibits on the tion and performance. history of Polish drama, opera, and ballet; The Teatr Wielki was built in 1825, the Mlynarski Room, a 250-seat theatre; according to the design of Italian architect rehearsal rooms; dressing rooms; work­ Antonio Corazzi. A center for the Warsaw shops (flat scene-painting is done in a Opera and the Polish National Ballet, the rotunda atop the theatre); and storage theatre quickly became a major perform­ lofts. General and artistic director Robert ing arts institution. It was home to the Satanowski says, "I have here a theatre of "father of the National Opera" - Stanis­ 2,000 rooms, of which the stage, the law Moniuszko - who, in an era of auditorium, and foyer are only three." In Czarist censorship, wrote and directed a addition, the Wielki normally houses the

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