From 11 November to 14 December, Polish theatre will take centre stage at the DramaFest International Festival of Contemporary Drama in Mexico. This will be made possible through “Polish Focus” – a special programme of events co-organised by the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute, Cero Varo in Mexico City, and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

DramaFest in Mexico City is a leading festival dedicated to contemporary theatre and drama. It serves as a platform for cultural exchange and collaboration between Mexican and international artists. Every two years, artists from Mexico meet their counterparts from a selected partner country, not only to explore existing works but also to create new ones together.

This year’s edition will spotlight Poland – renowned for its contemporary theatre tradition, marked by political and social engagement that strongly resonated in Mexico in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Thanks to the cooperation initiated by the Theatre Institute, the Jan Kochanowski Theatre in Opole, and DramaFest co-founders the participation of Polish artists in the festival has become possible. The partner of this year’s edition of DramaFest is the Jan Kochanowski Theatre in Opole, and the co-organizer is the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Festival is co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the implementation of the Polish program during the international festival dedicated to contemporary drama, DramaFest, in Mexico.

Audiences in Mexico City and Monterrey will see the premiere of “Między nami dobrze jest” (“No Matter How Hard We Try”) by Dorota Masłowska, produced during the festival, directed by Diego del Río, and translated by Pau Freixa Terradas. The programme will also feature guest performances of “Każdego dnia jest mi żal” (“Every Day I Feel Sorry”) by Artur Pałyga, presented by the Opole Puppet and Actor Theatre, directed by Katarzyna Dudzic-Grabińska and Karolina Gorzkowska, and translated by Kamila Łapicka.

In addition, there will be readings of two contemporary Polish plays: “Czuję wstyd, żyjąc w takim świecie” (“I am Ashamed to Live in Such a World”) by Jolanta Janiczak and “Cerber z Beaubourg” (“Cerberus of Beaubourg”) by Tadeusz Słobodzianek. Both texts were translated by the renowned Catalan translator Pau Freixa Terradas. The programme will also include the premiere of a Mexican play directed by a Polish artist – Norbert Rakowski will stage “Arde todo mientras canta” (loosely translated as Everything Burns When He Sings), written by Verónica Villicaña, winner of a local competition for the best dramatic text.

The festival’s accompanying events will feature workshops in playwriting, led by Artur Pałyga, and in theatre pedagogy, conducted by Maria Babicka-Janiszewska and Krystyna Mogilnicka.

The event is held in partnership with the Jan Kochanowski Theatre in Opole and co-organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

The Adam Mickiewicz Institute (AMI) brings Polish culture to people around the world. Being a state institution, it creates lasting interest in Polish culture and art through strengthening the presence of Polish artists on the global stage. It initiates innovative projects, supports international cooperation and cultural exchanges. It promotes the work of both established and promising artists, showing the diversity and richness of our culture. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is also responsible for the Culture.pl website, a comprehensive source of knowledge about Polish culture. More information: https://iam.pl/en.

Founded in 2003, the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute is a state cultural institution dedicated to documenting, promoting, and supporting Polish theatre life. The Institute organises public debates on Polish theatre, seeks to broaden research perspectives, and carries out educational and promotional activities. It also runs the largest website devoted entirely to contemporary Polish theatre – www.e-teatr.pl – as well as the online Encyclopaedia of Polish Theatre at www.encyklopediateatru.pl, the specialist PROSPERO bookshop at www.prospero.e-teatr.pl, and its own publishing house at www.wydawnictwo.instytut-teatralny.pl.

The Theatre Institute houses Poland’s largest thematic archive devoted to contemporary theatre. Its extensive collection includes press articles, reviews, photographs, theatre programmes, posters, and documents related to the activities of individual theatres. Many digitised documents are available on the ETP website. More information: www.instytut-teatralny.pl

Co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the Polish programme during the international festival of contemporary drama, DramaFest, in Mexico.

FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Premieres

Mexican production of “Między nami dobrze jest” (“No Matter How Hard We Try”) by Dorota Masłowska, directed by Diego del Río (Mexico City) | 12 performances will take place in Mexico City at Teatro El Galeón: 11 November – 4 December, and 1 performance in Monterrey at Teatro del Centro de las Artes: 10 December

Staging of the Mexican play “Everything Burns When He Sings” (Arde todo mientras canta) by Verónica Villicaña, directed by Norbert Rakowski (Poland) | 12 performances will take place in Mexico City at Teatro El Galeón: 14 November – 7 December, and 1 performance in Monterrey at Teatro del Centro de las Artes: 14 December

Guest performances of “Każdego dnia jest mi żal” (“Every Day I Feel Sorry”) by Artur Pałyga, directed by Katarzyna Dudzic-Grabińska and Karolina Gorzkowska, translated by Kamila Łapicka | 1 performance will take place in Mexico City at Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris: 7 December, and 1 in Monterrey at Teatro de la Ciudad: 9 December

Stage readings

“Culebras de agua” by Lizet Norzagaray, directed by Rocío Carrillo | 18 November at Teatro Benito Juárez in Mexico City and 13 December at Sala Experimental in Monterrey.

“Cerberus of Beaubourg” by Tadeusz Słobodzianek, directed by Ana Graham | 19 November at Teatro Benito Juárez in Mexico City and 11 December at Sala Experimental in Monterrey.

“Czuję wstyd, żyjąc w takim świecie” (“I am Ashamed to Live in Such a World”) by Jolanta Janiczak, directed by Alberto Ontiveros | 25 November at Teatro Benito Juárez in Mexico City and 12 December at Sala Experimental in Monterrey

“Todas somos Scherezada” by Luis Guerrero, directed by Víctor Hernández | 26 November at Teatro Benito Juárez in Mexico City and on 8 December at Sala Experimental in Monterrey

Workshops

Workshops on theatre pedagogy with Maria Babicka-Janiszewska and Krystyna Mogilnicka (Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute) | 1–5 December, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., at Foro Cosmos in Mexico City, and 8–12 December, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., at Teatro de la Ciudad in Monterrey

Dramaturgy workshops with Artur Pałyga | 1–5 December, 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., at Centro Cultural El Rule in Mexico City, and 8–12 December, 2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m., at Teatro de la Ciudad in Monterrey

More information: www.dramafestmx.com