Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre

The Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre in Krakow is one of the oldest public stages in Poland. The theatre's patron is a famous 19th-century actress, a brilliant interpreter of Shakespearean roles on the stages of Europe and America. In the 19th century, the Stary Theatre owes its development to such directors as Hilary Meciszewski, and especially Stanisław Koźmian, who initiated vital reforms in the art of acting and directing, leading to the creation of the famous “Krakow school” – a method of acting and an ensemble approach to theatre, which was then taken by the actors to other Polish stages. The Krakow theatre was fortified by such outstanding actors and actresses as: Helena Modrzejewska, Antonina Hoffman, Bolesław Ładnowski, Feliks Benda, Bolesław Leszczyński, and Ludwik Solski. The next “golden era” for the Stary Theatre came after World War II, with remarkable directors who saw to the high artistic standard of Krakow’s stages, introducing compelling repertoires, both classical and contemporary. The legend and artistic renown of the Stary Theatre was created for years by such great artists as: Tadeusz Kantor, Lidia Zamkow, Jerzy Grotowski, Zygmunt Hübner, Konrad Swinarski, Jerzy Jarocki, Andrzej Wajda, Krystyna Zachwatowicz, Jerzy Grzegorzewski, Stanisław Radwan, Zygmunt Konieczny, Zofia and Jerzy Skarżyński, Jerzy Juk-Kowarski, Wojciech Krakowski, Kazimierz Wiśniak, Krystian Lupa, Paweł Miskiewicz, Mikołaj Grabowski, and many others. Grzegorz Jarzyna and Krzysztof Warlikowski made their debut productions here. Since October 2020 Waldemar Raźniak has been the artistic director of Helena Modrzejewska National Stary Theatre.