THE FILES

THE FILES

FEBRUARY 20–22

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FEBRUARY 20–22, 2014

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE James Bundy, Artistic Director Victoria Nolan, Managing Director

PRESENTS

THE FILES

BY THEATRE OF THE EIGHTH DAY (TEATR ÓSMEGO DNIA)

Written by EWA WÓJCIAK and KATARZYNA MADON-MITZNER Directed by THEATRE OF THE EIGHTH DAY Performed by ADAM BOROWSKI TADEUSZ JANISZEWSKI MARCIN KE¸SZYCKI EWA WÓJCIAK Visual design by JACEK CHMAJ THE FILES IS PERFORMED WITHOUT AN INTERMISSION. PLEASE JOIN US AFTER THE PERFORMANCE FOR A TALK BACK WITH THE ARTISTS.

Presented as part of the Poland-U.S. Campus Arts Project, a program organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw, Poland.

This presentation is also funded in part by The Root Boy Slim Fund, Connecticut Humanities, and the Wielkopolska Region.

ABOUT THEATRE OF THE EIGHTH DAY Founded in 1964, Theatre of the Eighth Day quickly became the most famous and internationally recognized Polish underground theatre. Inspired and influenced by the work of revolutionary theatre artist Jerzy Grotowski, the company developed its own acting method, creating performances through improvisation. For the first twenty-five years of its existence, and despite constant police surveillance and government censorship, Theatre of the Eighth Day managed to create some of the most important works for the Polish stage: In One Breath (1971); Discounts for All (1977); Oh, How Nobly We Lived (1979); Auto Da Fe (1985), and Wormwood (1985).

Since the collapse of the Communist regime in Poland, the company, currently based in Poznan´, continues to be recognized as a leader among Polish alternative theatres.

Taking its name from a line by Polish poet Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyn´ski, “On the seventh day, the Lord God rested, and on the eighth, He created theatre,” Theatre of the Eighth Day was originally founded as a student group that performed poetry and drama. After studying Grotowski’s techniques and witnessing the civil unrest and student protests of 1968, their performance style became more physical and less verbal, and the company resolved to remain in dialogue with both the artistic and political movements in society. However, they always rejected the label “political theatre.” Former artistic director Lech Raczak said, “In a monopolized system such as Poland everything becomes political. If you make any gesture different from what the authorities want, that gesture immediately carries political weight. So the term ‘political’ results from the distortion and unnaturalness of social life here.”

Theatre of the Eighth Day was subjected to years of censorship and government oppression as it continued to produce theatre behind the Iron Curtain. The Polish government eventually withdrew all subsidies and issued an official announcement that the group had disbanded. However, Theatre of the Eighth Day continued to produce work underground and was invited to the Edinburgh Festival to perform their piece Wormwood in 1985. Only half of the company was granted visas by Polish authorities, and a new piece, Auto Da Fe, was devised and performed in its place.

Auto Da Fe won the “Fringe First” prize, an achievement denounced by the Polish government because, according to them, the group “did not exist.”

For more information about the company, please visit osmego.art.pl/t8d.

ABOUT THE FILES The Files, created in 2007, chronicles Theatre of the Eighth Day’s transformation from university players to serious enemies of the Communist regime of the 1970s and ’80s as they face surveillance, blacklisting, and arrests. In The Files this acclaimed Polish troupe has created a sardonic docudrama on their art as seen through the eyes of a totalitarian regime.

The Files has been described as “a fiercely imaginative piece of testimonial theatre: testimony to Theatre of the Eighth Day’s existence, and to the continued surveillance of artists and dissidents around the world” (The Brooklyn Rail, November 2008). In a manifesto written about the play, Wójciak explains the concept and intention behind the work: “We want to portray young people, dreaming arduous artists, who are looking for a form and limits of expression…and who truly suffer in the face of evil of this world…. We look at it all from a distance now. It seems that we have found a way out of the totalitarian maze, but its memories still terrify us, even if they amuse us sometimes, and at other times sound like a warning.” The Files brings into the open worlds that had been hidden: secrets of the state that were not meant to be seen by the citizens or any other public audience.

When reading their personal files, members of Theatre of the Eighth Day discovered that the secret police had regularly attended their performances and then had written up critiques of the work. Like critics, the secret police came to “review” the show.

Virtually the entire text of The Files is taken from the police reports, which serve as a meticulous archive of the company’s history, dissident activity, and theatrical work during those dark decades.

ADAM BOROWSKI, TADEUSZ JANISZEWSKI, MARCIN KE¸SZYCKI, AND EWA WÓJCIAK. PHOTO BY PRZEMYSŁAW GRAF.

BIOGRAPHIES ADAM BOROWSKI A Graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan´, Adam joined Theatre of the Eighth Day in 1974 and made his debut a year later in We Have to Confine Ourselves to What Has been Called Paradise on Earth. He has co-created and performed in all of Theatre of the Eighth Day’s pieces since then, including Discounts for All (1977); Oh, How Nobly We Lived (1979); More Than One Life (1981); A Fable (1982); Ascent (1982); Report from the Besieged City (1983); Miracles and Meat (1984); Wormwood (1985); Auto Da Fe (1985); If One Day in a Happy Town… (1986); No Man’s Land (1991); The Sabbath (1993); Dance as Long as You Can (1994); The Summit (1998); The Ark (2000); Porter’s Lodge (2003); The Time of Mothers (2006); The Files (2007); Paranoids and Beekeepers (2009); Prisoners. Mlynska Str 1 (2011); To Grand and Just Authority (2012); and The Factory (2013). Adam is also the company’s co-graphic designer.

JACEK CHMAJ joined Theatre of the Eighth Day in 1990 and designs scenery and lighting for the company. He is co-author of many of the company’s productions, including The Sabbath (1993), The Summit (1998), The Ark (2000), Porter’s Lodge (2003), The Time of Mothers (2006), The Files (2007), Paranoids and Beekeepers (2009), Prisoners. Mlynska Str 1 (2011), To Grand and Just Authority (2012), and The Factory (2013).

TADEUSZ JANISZEWSKI began his work with Theatre of the Eighth Day in 1970, performing in Relay Race and In One Breath. Since 1973, he has participated in all of the group’s productions, including Discounts for All (1977); Oh, How Nobly We Lived (1979); More Than One Life (1981); A Fable (1982); Ascent (1982); Report from the Besieged City (1983); Miracles and Meat (1984); Wormwood (1985); Auto Da Fe (1985); If One Day in a Happy Town… (1986); No Man’s Land (1991); The Sabbath (1993); Dance as Long as You Can (1994); The Summit (1998); The Ark (2000); Porter’s Lodge (2003); The Time of Mothers (2006); The Files (2007); Paranoids and Beekeepers (2009); Prisoners. Mlynska Str 1 (2011); To Grand and Just Authority (2012); and The Factory (2013). The recipient of numerous prizes and distinctions, he served as Director of Theatre of the Eighth Day from 1993–2000 and has run theatre workshops in Poland and throughout Europe.

MARCIN KE¸SZYCKI joined Theatre of the Eighth Day in 1973 and made his debut with the company in Inspection of the Scene of Crime. He has participated in the creation and performed in all of the company’s productions since, including Discounts for All (1977); Oh, How Nobly We Lived (1979); More Than One Life (1981); A Fable (1982); Ascent (1982); Report from the Besieged City (1983); Miracles and

Meat (1984); Wormwood (1985); Auto Da Fe (1985); If One Day in a Happy Town…

(1986); No Man’s Land (1991); The Sabbath (1993); Dance as Long as You Can (1994); The Summit (1998); The Ark (2000); Porter’s Lodge (2003); The Time of Mothers (2006); The Files (2007); Paranoids and Beekeepers (2009); Prisoners.

Mlynska Str 1 (2011); To Grand and Just Authority (2012); and The Factory (2013).

He was politically active in the 1970s and 80s and co-founded NSZZ Solidarity.

Forced to emigrate, he stayed abroad with the Theatre beginning in 1986. A leading documentary filmmaker, he has photographed and filmed the company’s performances and other international activities.

EWA WÓJCIAK joined Theatre of the Eighth Day in the 1970s and serves as its Director. She is an actress and the co-author of many plays, including Discounts for All; Oh, How Nobly We Lived; Wormwood; No Man’s Land; Porter’s Lodge; The Files; Paranoids and Beekeepers; Prisoners. Mlynska Str 1; To Grand and Just Authority; and The Factory. She has written numerous program manifestos, as well as fundamental artistic and ideological credo of the Theatre. She was a keen supporter of Theatre of the Eighth Day “entering” the street and co-wrote its outdoor shows The Sabbath, The Summit, The Ark, The Time of Mothers, and The Factory. Her musical repertoire includes Requiem, in which she sings a series of poems by Anna Akhmatova.

She has always been convinced that creating art is a form of global empathy and responsibility for the fate of others. She has performed with Theatre of the Eighth Day across Europe and around the world, has directed acting workshops, and remains active socially and politically.

ABOUT NO BOUNDARIES NO BOUNDARIES, presented by Yale Repertory Theatre, celebrates the diversity of voices and experiences in today’s world. Now in its seventh year, NO BOUNDARIES explores the frontiers of theatrical invention through cutting-edge, thought-provoking performance. Past NO BOUNDARIES seasons have included theatre, dance, and performance art from Burkina Faso, Chile, the Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Peru, Poland, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE STAFF James Bundy, Artistic Director Victoria Nolan, Managing Director Jennifer Kiger, Associate Artistic Director Director of New Play Programs

ARTISTIC

Resident Artists Paula Vogel, Playwright-in-Residence Liz Diamond, Evan Yionoulis, Resident Directors Catherine Sheehy, Resident Dramaturg Michael Yeargan, Set Design Advisor, Resident Set Designer Ilona Somogyi, Costume Design Advisor Jess Goldstein, Resident Costume Designer Jennifer Tipton, Lighting Design Advisor Stephen Strawbridge, Resident Lighting Designer David Budries, Sound Design Advisor Walton Wilson, Voice and Speech Advisor Rick Sordelet, Fight Advisor Mary Hunter, Stage Management Advisor Associate Artists 52nd Street Project, Kama Ginkas, Mark Lamos, MTYZ Theatre/Moscow New Generations Theatre, Bill Rauch, Sarah Ruhl, Henrietta Yanovskaya Artistic Administration Amy Boratko, Literary Manager Ruth M. Feldman, Director of Education and Accessibility Services Kay Perdue Meadows, Artistic Associate Benjamin Fainstein, Artistic Coordinator Dana Tanner-Kennedy, Literary Associate Tara Rubin, C.S.A.; and Scott Anderson; Lindsay Levine, C.S.A.; Kaitlin Shaw, Eric Woodall, C.S.A.; Merri Sugarman, C.S.A, Casting Lindsay King, Teresa Mensz, Library Services Josie Brown, Senior Administrative Assistant to the Artistic Director and Associate Artistic Director Laurie Coppola, Senior Administrative Assistant for the Directing, Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism, Playwriting, and Stage Management Departments Mary Volk, Senior Administrative Assistant for the Design, Sound Design, and Projection Departments

ADMINISTRATION

Caitie Hannon, Lauren Wainwright, Associate Managing Directors Molly Hennighausen, Assistant Managing Director Chiara Klein, Management Assistant Emalie Mayo, Senior Administrative Assistant to the Managing Director Sarah Williams, Company Manager Gretchen Wright, Assistant Company Manager Development and Alumni Affairs Deborah S. Berman, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Janice Muirhead, Senior Associate Director of Development Alyssa Simmons, Associate Director of Development Barry Kaplan, Senior Staff Writer Susan C. Clark, Development and Alumni Affairs Officer Jane Youngberg, Development Associate Belene Day, Senior Administrative Assistant to Development and Marketing & Communications Finance and Information Technology Katherine D. BurgueĂąo, Director of Finance and Human Resources Cristal Coleman, Joanna Romberg, Business Office Specialists

Giana Cusanelli, Ashlie Russell, Business Office Assistants Sarah Stevens-Morling, Interim Director of Information and Communication Systems Daryl Brereton, Associate Information Technology Director Janna J. Ellis, Director, Yale Tessitura Consortium Toni Ann Simiola, Senior Administrative Assistant to Business Office, Information Technology, Operations, and Tessitura Marketing, Communications, and Audience Services Anne Trites, Director of Marketing and Communications Steven Padla, Senior Associate Director of Communications Daniel Cress, Senior Associate Director of Marketing Rachel Smith, Associate Director of Marketing Brittany Behrens, Associate Director of Marketing Marguerite Elliott, Publications Manager Kathleen Martin, Online Communications Assistant Libby Peterson, Marketing Assistant Fraver, Graphic Designer Joan Marcus, Production Photographer Laura Kirk, Associate Director of Audience Services Shane Quinn, Interim Assistant Director of Audience Services Tracy Baldini, Subscriptions Coordinator Evan Beck, Paul Cook, Anthony Jasper, Katie Metcalf, Andrew Moore, Sophie Nethercut, Emily Sanna, Peter Schattauer, Elena Sokol, Box Office Assistants Operations Diane Galt, Director of Facility Operations Ian Dunn, Operations Associate Joe Proto, Arts and Drama Zone Superintendent VonDeen Ricks, Sherry Stanley, Team Leaders Marcia Riley, Facility Steward Lucille Bochert, Kathy Langston, Warren Lyde, Patrick Martin, Louis Moore, Mark Roy, Garland Short, Custodians Theater Safety and Occupational Health William J. Reynolds, Director of Theater Safety and Occupational Health Jacob Thompson, Security Officer Ed Jooss, Audience Safety Officer Kevin Delaney, Fred Geier, Patrick Grant, John Marquez, Customer Service and Safety Officers

PRODUCTION

Bronislaw J. Sammler, Head of Production James Mountcastle, Production Stage Manager Jonathan Reed, Production Manager Steven Schmidt, Associate Head of Production and Work-Study Supervisor Grace O’Brien, Senior Administrative Assistant to the Production and Theater Safety and Occupational Health Departments Scenery Neil Mulligan, Matt Welander, Technical Directors Alan Hendrickson, Electro Mechanical Laboratory Supervisor Eric Sparks, Shop Foreman Matt Gaffney, Ryan Gardner, Sharon Reinhart, Master Shop Carpenters Brandon Fuller, Shop Carpenter Kelly Rae Fayton, Alexandra Reynolds, Assistants to the Technical Director

Painting Ru-Jun Wang, Scenic Charge Lia Akkerhuis, Nathan Jasunas, Assistant Scenic Artists Kevin Klakouski, Assistant to the Painting Supervisor Properties Brian Cookson, Properties Master David P. Schrader, Properties Craftsperson Jennifer McClure, Interim Properties Master Bill Batschelet, Properties Stock Manager Elizabeth Zevin, Assistant to the Properties Manager Costumes Tom McAlister, Costume Shop Manager Robin Hirsch, Associate Costume Shop Manager Clarissa Wylie Youngberg, Mary Zihal, Senior Drapers Deborah Bloch, Harry Johnson, Senior First Hands Linda Kelley-Dodd, Costume Project Coordinator Denise O’Brien, Wig and Hair Design Barbara Bodine, Company Hairdresser Linda Wingerter, Costume Stock Manager Electrics Donald W. Titus, Lighting Supervisor Linda-Cristal Young, Senior Head Electrician Brian Quiricone, Head Electrician Daniel Hutchinson, Assistant to the Lighting Supervisor

Sound Mike Backhaus, Sound Supervisor Monica Avila, Staff Sound Engineer Gahyae Ryu, Stephanie Smith, Assistants to the Sound Supervisor Projections Erich Bolton, Projection Supervisor Stage Operations Janet Cunningham, Stage Carpenter Kate Begley Baker, Head Properties Runner Elizabeth Bolster, Wardrobe Supervisor Jacob Riley, FOH Mix Engineer

FOR THIS PRODUCTION Shannon Gaughf, Andrew Griffin, Gahyae Ryu, Sean Walters, Katherine Wepler, Elizabeth Zevin, Crew Sally Shen, House Manager Special Thanks Margaret Araneo-Reddy, Kevin Bitterman, Parker Emerson, Michael Gibbons, Krystyna Lipinska Illakowicz, Peter Jensen, Padraic Kenney, Jessica Lewis, Carol Martin, Agata Podemska, Meghan Pressman, Adrian Saldana, Sarah Solarski, Tim Vasen, Szymon Wróblewski Cover photo by Przemysław Graf.

The Files February 20–22, 2014 Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel Street

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