Helena

Helena Academy of Theatre named after A. Zelwerowicz in Warsaw Branch in Białystok The play “Helena” presents the true story of the director's grandparents, told in the voice of her ninety-three-year-old grandmother. The journey on which the heroine takes the viewer is authentic, funny and touching. Very intimate and at the same time surprisingly universal. The surroundings of Białystok become a whole world here, the “once” is intertwined with the “now” in a tender continuum. In this story, love allows you to preserve the joy of life despite the borderline experiences — war, illness, death of loved ones.

“This is a story full of pain, sadness and hardship. It's a story where love isn't candy, but it's the greatest wealth we have. This is the story of Helena Olimpija Dąbrowska (1926-2022) — my beloved grandmother. I referred to her interview recorded in 2019 — 3 years before her death. We move into the world of Helena, the main character of the show, who with her voice tells about life with distance and humor.

We look at her perspective of childhood, youth and virginity, and over time we get to know her future husband — Wladze. We witness their marriage, their life together, but also the tragedies that affect them. For me, as the granddaughter of the main character and director, this show has a very intimate, sentimental, painful dimension, touching with great longing. At the same time, together with the actors, we tell this story so that the viewer gets to know Helena Olympia as she told about herself, as she wanted to be remembered. My grandmother's dream has always been to keep her memory alive — and that dream is coming true.” (director, Magdalena Dąbrowska)

The performance was created during the class “Working with an actor in a puppet plan” conducted by Helena Radzikowska, MSc, for the second year of directing at the Aleksander Zelwerowicz Theater Academy in Warsaw Branch in Białystok.

Directed by: Magdalena Dąbrowska

Music: Magdalena Gładkowska

The song “Pusciła po mesa” to the words of Bolesław Leśnian — Adam Strug

Dolls: Nastia Magdziak and Katarzyna Mystkowska (TTL)

Lights: Nastia Magdziak

Audio: Magdalena Dabrowska and Magdalena Gładkowska

Set design: Magdalena Dąbrowska and Nastia Magdziak

art studio: Róża Turlińska and Magdalena Dąbrowska*

Pedagogical supervision: Helena Radzikowska, MSc

Cast: Lesia Pasichnyk, Tymoteusz Jucha

Duration: 40 min. without interruption

The recordings come from the collection of Oral History of the Ludwik Zamenhof Centre in Białystok.