About the history of the Polish Theatre. The postwar fate of the institution on Swarożyca Street.

In September, Szczecin's Polish Theatre will host events under the common title: "Stettin – Szczecin." The event was inspired by the first theatrical performance in the Polish city of Szczecin, eighty years ago. On September 2, 1945, the Grażyna Theatre presented an artistic program, "Our Debut," at 5 Swarożyca Street. The performance was a medley of songs, recitations, sketches, and dances.

This first performance in the Polish city of Szczecin was directed by actress Hanna Rajkowska. Her son, Bolesław Rajkowski (later editor-in-chief of "Kurier Szczeciński"), designed the set for "Our Debut," obtaining props from the interior of the Municipal Theatre (Stadttheater), which had been bombed during the war. Due to its complete destruction, the curtain was made from several dozen sheets of glued paper. The musical accompaniment for the revue was provided by singer and music teacher Zbigniew Lubas. Ticket prices ranged from 10 to 30 złoty. The artists donated all proceeds from the performance to establish a municipal library in Szczecin.

That spectacle from 1945 was the inspiration for events that will remind us of a breakthrough time in the history of Szczecin.

On September 2nd (Tuesday) at 7:00 PM, a meeting will be held on the Chamber Stage with Artur Daniel Liskowacki, author of the book "Gryf i Melpomena: The History of Szczecin Theatre According to ADL," about the beginnings of theatre in post-war Szczecin between 1945 and 1949. The discussion will be moderated by Professor Andrzej Skrendo. "Gryf i Melpomena" is a story about the people who shaped theatrical life of the time: actresses and actors, directors, stage directors, and critics, as well as about their failures and successes. The book includes, among other things, vivid tales of the ongoing "war" (even though the world war had already ended) over the theatre's location on—of course!—Swarożyca Street. Yes, yes! The building then became a tempting morsel for two visiting acting crews and their directors. The highest-ranking provincial and city authorities, and even the government, were drawn into this "struggle." Politics at the time had a profound impact on the future of the newly established theatre in postwar Szczecin, or rather—as it soon turned out—the Polish Theatre. As ADL writes, operating in the postwar reality was very difficult for the acting companies that arrived. Everything was in short supply—from audience seats, to fabric for costumes and curtains, to money needed to pay fees and the theatre's electricity and gas bills. In his book, the author cites, among other things, a 1946 document that allowed the theatre to purchase 70 meters of plush curtain fabric from a former German warehouse, at a price—warning, warning! – from August 1939, but using a multiplier of 6. In turn, when the Szczecin premiere of the revue "Everything for You" was to take place in 1945, the audience was planned for 230 seats. However, there were not enough chairs… So it was announced that the admission ticket to the performance would be a chair. There are plenty of such fascinating stories and anecdotes. For the Szczecin Polish Theatre, Artur Daniel Liskowacki's book is a unique publication, as the beginnings of dramatic theatre in post-war Szczecin are, after all, primarily the history of the Polish Theatre on Swarożyca Street.

On September 6th and 7th (Saturday-Sunday), the Shakespeare Stage will host theatrical and musical events titled "Stettin – Szczecin," commemorating the historic spectacle "Our Debut." Featuring performances by the Baltic Neopolis Orchestra, Konrad Słoka, and actresses and actors from the Polish Theatre, among others. The script was written by Adam Opatowicz, with music by Emilia Goch Salvador, and film projection by Rafał Bajena.

(K)