Plays about life in Belarus after 2020, motherhood, and refugees — what else awaits audiences at the international theater festival in Poznań?
On September 11, the international theater festival «Second Attempt» («Druga Próba. Teatr ponad granicami») will kick off in Poznań, featuring productions by creators from Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland.
Among the important announcements is the production «Bee in the Throat» by director Natalia Liavanava, based on a play by an anonymous author from within the country, which frankly reveals the theme of life in Belarus after 2020.
Spectators will also be able to see the monodrama «LUBA» directed by Maria Bruni, which addresses the complex theme of motherhood and moral responsibility; and the choreographic performance «Tsundoku» by Volha Kebas, focused on the internal monologues of a modern woman.
A special place in the program is occupied by performative readings of plays by contemporary female authors, which will take place on September 18 and 19 at the Raczyński Library. Belarusian creators are represented here by playwright Zhenia Davidzenka and director Yulia Shauchuk with their production «How to Get Rid of Shame».
Spectators will also be able to see the production «Refugees 1915» by Belarusian director and actor Andrei Novik. Among the interesting features of the performance is its multilingualism. Polish, Belarusian, Russian, and the Podlachian dialect will be heard on stage.
Additionally, within the framework of the festival, there will be a discussion «Theater as a Reflection of Socio-Political Processes: Belarus, Ukraine, Poland».
The educational component is also expanded through intensive three-day laboratory work within the framework of documentary theater, where joint international groups will work on personal biographies.
The history of the «Second Attempt» festival began as a natural response to the wave of forced emigration of creators who left their homes after the dramatic events of 2020 in Belarus and the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Many professional actors, directors, and playwrights, finding themselves in a foreign country without knowledge of the language and professional connections, faced the phenomenon of «professional invisibility», when recognized masters of the stage and cultural figures were forced to work on construction sites or in clothing warehouses.
The symbolic name «Second Attempt» became a real chance for them to return to professional theater, restore lost subjectivity, and regain their voice in the public space.
More information about the festival and its program — at the link.
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