Konrad Swinarski

Konrad Ksawery Swinarski (4 July 1929, Warszawa[1] - 19 August 1975 near Damascus) – Polish theatrical, television, film and opera director and stage designer.

Konrad Swinarski
Konrad Swinarski commemorative plaque on Cracow Stary Theatre building
Born4 July 1929
Warszawa
Died19 August 1975
Damascus
Occupation(s)theatrical, television, film and opera director, stage designer, lecturer/instructor
Years active1955–1975
EmployerNational Stary Theatre
SpouseBarbara Witek
AwardsSecond Degree Award of the Minister of Culture and Art, City of Kraków Award, First Degree State Award, „Drożdże” (Yeast) award of Polityka
HonoursKnights Cross Order of Polonia Restituta, Golden Cross of Merit
Swinarski's grave at Powązki Military Cemetery, 23 July 2008

He has created his own style, thanks to which he is considered one of the most original and outstanding artists in the history of Polish theatre.[2][3] He influenced many polish directors, such as Jerzy Grzegorzewski, Krystian Lupa, Jerzy Jarocki, Maciej Prus,[4] Grzegorz Jarzyna and Krzysztof Warlikowski.

Life

His father was lieutenant colonel Karol Świnarski, and his mother was Irmgarda Liczbińska, who came from a Polish-German Silesian family.[2][5] He studied at Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice and Sopot, faculty of scenic visuals of Academy of Fine Arts In Łódź and Drama Direction Faculty of National Academy of Dramatic Art in Warsaw. During Warsaw studies he was an assistant to directors Bohdan Korzeniewski and Erwin Axer. He finished studying in 1955, but graduated in 1972 based on A Midsummer Night's Dream production in National Stary Theatre. In 1973–1975 he was a lecturer of National Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków.[6]

During studies he became fascinated with Bertolt Brecht work. In 1954, together with Przemysław Zieliński he realized Señora Carrar's Rifles for New Warsaw's theatre.

He debuted solo by directing Żeglarz (The Sailor) by Jerzy Szaniawski, premiering 14 May 1955 in Wojciech Bogusławski Theatre in Kalisz. In 1955–1957 he interned for Berliner Ensemble as Brecht's assistant. Together with other assistants he took part in finishing inscenization of Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, started by Brecht before his death on 14 August 1956.

Returning to Poland, Swinarski directed plays in Warsaw theatres: Dramatyczny, Współczesny, Ateneum and National Theatre and Gdańsk Wybrzeże Theatre. He also directed plays abroad, eg in West Germany.

In 1960 he got Leon Schiller award, granted to young theatrical directors. In 1966 he was a laureate of Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński Award for an inscenization of The Undivine Comedy in Stary Theatre and for A Dangerous Game in Teatr Telewizji teleplay, and West German Theatre Critics Award in 1964 for Marat/Sade by Peter Weiss and Mayakovsky's The Bedbug.[6]

In 1965 he started his longtime cooperaion with Stary Theatre in Cracow, where some of his most famous works were produced. Those included his most famous work, novel and innovative inscenization of Dziady (Forefathers Eve)[7] by Adam Mickiewicz, premiering 18 February 1973. 30 May 1974 premiered his inscenization of Wyzwolenie (Liberation) by Stanisław Wyspiański, his last work for Stary Theatre. 1975 Swinarski began preparations to direct Hamlet, interrupted by his sudden death.

Death

19 August 1975 Swinarski died in ČSA Flight 540 accident of Ilyushin Il-62 that crashed during attempted landing near Damascus. Swinarski was invited by empress of Iran Farah Pahlavi to take part in Shiraz Arts Festival. There were plans for Swinarski to show his Dziady during next years festival.[8] Swinarski was buried in Powązki Military Cemetery (quartier A37-4-4).[9]

After his death, Teatr magazine established yearly Konrad Swinarski Award, awarded to theatrical directors for best work of the season. The laureates include Henryk Tomaszewski, Jerzy Jarocki, Maciej Prus, Jerzy Grzegorzewski, Janusz Wiśniewski.[10]

Private life

In 1955 Swinarski married Barbara Witek.[11] His homosexuality was a well-known fact in artistic circles, but it wasn't publicly mentioned (or in any biographical work) until 2003.[12]

Awards and honors

References
  1. Konrad Swinarski, [w:] Słownik biograficzny teatru polskiego, t. II: 1900-1980, Warszawa: PWN, 1994, s. 683.
  2. "Konrad Swinarski" (in Polish). culture.pl. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
  3. "Swinarski Konrad | encyklopedia | grotowski.net" (in Polish). www.grotowski.net. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
  4. "Maciej Prus | Życie i twórczość | Artysta". Culture.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  5. Gajewski, Grzegorz, Sanok - pamiętam. (in Polish), retrieved 2022-12-31
  6. "Konrad Swinarski". Encyklopedia teatru polskiego (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  7. Targoń, Joanna (2003-02-15). "30-lecie premiery "Dziadów" w reżyserii Konrada Swinarskiego" (in Polish). teatry.art.pl. Archived from the original on 2011-08-23.
  8. Agnieszka Malatyńska-Stankiewicz (2010-08-20). "Chłopiec o migdałowych oczach" (in Polish). Dziennik Polski. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  9. Wyszukiwarka cmentarna - Warszawskie cmentarze
  10. "Laureaci Nagrody im. Konrada Swinarskiego" (in Polish). Miesięcznik „Teatr”. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
  11. Grochowska, Magdalena (2003-08-16). "Coraz wyżej i wyżej (Konrad Swinarski)". Gazeta Wyborcza. Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  12. Niziołek, Grzegorz. "Homoseksualiści w spektaklach Konrada Swinarskiego". Dialog – Miesięcznik poświęcony dramaturgii współczesnej (in Polish). Retrieved 2022-12-31.
  13. „Dziennik Polski”, s. 1, nr 109, 9 maja 1973
  14. "Konrad Swinarski. Nekrologi". Dziennik Polski. Nr 184: 1–2. August 24, 1975.
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