Freedom Ltd.
Stage readings of contemporary Polish and Lithunian plays
2nd and 3rd May 2012, 8pm
The Submarine Bar, Crumlin Cross, Dublin 12
Tickets: €5.00 per night
Book: 0867757795 or polishtheatre@gmail.com
“These days all our generation has its nastiness and pomposity. We live out our lives and we die never finding out who we are—heroes or cowards? Sacred or profane? And that is why we can’t get enough of talking about freedom of choice. But are the choices when all they amount to is the decision whether to buy a larger or smaller television?” – Gintaras Grajauskas, The Girl Who Feared God
Polish Theatre Ireland together with Lithuanian theatre group Alternatyva Alternativai are bringing one of the most attractive and novel plays from Poland and Lithuania to Dublin and presenting them in English to Irish audiences. Each of the selected dramas poses questions of freedom and identity in modern societies, especially countries who struggled with communism and oppression. These plays also demonstrate how socio-political transformations might change the attitudes, create new definitions of freedom but can add other limitations to our identities, both individually as well as nationally.
The aim of this event is to evoke a discussion on the themes mentioned above and to try relate them to Irish society who, for so long, have also tried to define their national identities in terms of political and economical changes over the last 100 years. These same questions of freedom and identity are none more prevalent than right now, as Ireland faces stark choices regards its future political and economic independence.
“In Ireland there are currently many debates about new writing for stage. We would like to start an open dialogue with Irish theatre audiences regards how Polish and Lithuanian successful writers are describing the reality we live in. The plays are local yet very universal and I hope they will bring many reflections on how much we might be similar in describing our common sense of freedom.” – says Anna Wolf, Artisitic Director of Polish Theatre Ireland and Coordinator of the event.
The plays will be directed and read by Polish Theatre Ireland, Alternativa Alternativai and other Dublin-based artists who will create 2-days long marathon of wonderfully written dramas based on the themes of freedom. First day of readings will bring dramas written by female playwrights: Julia Holewińska (Poland) and Laima Vince (Lithuania) and second day – male playwrights: Radosław Paczocha (Poland) and Gintaras Grajauskas (Lithuania). All writers will also take part in the event and there will be an open Q&A discussion with them after each reading, led by one of the most prominent people of Irish theatre industry.
“Freedom Ltd.” will be held in a unique theatrical space of The Submarine Bar who are strongly supporting the organisers. The event is also kindly subsidised by The Polish Embassy in Dublin and Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw.
