MonoFest Day 3

DAY 3

19:00 Nikola Palej - MP4|Gone in format

20:00 Karol Wnuk — The Different Faces of Masculinity

MP4|Disappeared in format

MP4 | Disappeared in Format is the story of Laura — the protagonist of one of Tennessee Williams' most famous dramas — who is voiceless. As a Woman, Daughter, Sister or any other figure of femininity, Laura tries to find her presence and regain her narrative agency. The show shows the struggle of two voices — the character and the author — who enter into dialogue with each other, argue, blame, try to understand and communicate. It is a theatrical journey in search of what has been received, silenced or never given, an attempt to restore what is hidden and lost.

Producers of the monodrama:

Nikola Palej — theater creator, actress and director, this year's recipient of a scholarship from the Marshal of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. A graduate of the Academy of Arts in Szczecin and actress of Teatr Krzyk, where she gained recognition thanks to her role in the award-winning play “Hey, Ty”. The play has been presented at numerous international theatre festivals, including in Canada, Nepal, Italy, Spain, Georgia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, winning awards for performance and acting creations. He currently continues his education at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City.

Zuzanna Marczak — a visual artist working on the borderline of scenography, mapping and light direction. Graduate of Graphic Design at the Academy of Arts in Szczecin and Postgraduate Studies in Theatre Pedagogy at the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute in Warsaw. Her artistic practice focuses on combining visual media with the performative space. Her films and visual projects have been presented at international festivals, including in Rotterdam, Berlin and Rosario, Argentina.

Aleksandra Czubińska — set designer and interdisciplinary artist, graduate of the Academy of Arts in Szczecin with a degree in interior architecture, scenography and virtual space. In her work, she combines performative activities with modern scenographic solutions, creating immersive stage environments. She co-created performances presented at international festivals, including the award-winning play “Hey, You”.

The Different Faces of Masculinity

“The Different Faces of Masculinity” is a theatrical and musical performance analyzing the contemporary crisis of masculinity in the context of changing social, cultural and emotional realities.

The viewer gets acquainted with the story of four men: Władysław, Caesar, Kamil and Charles. Each of them faces a crisis, but they are at a different stage in their lives and have a different value system.

An integral part of the performance are interpretations of works of Polish entertainment and poetic music, which acquire new meanings in conjunction with the theatrical narrative.

The guide through the world of the performance is Andy — a puppet acting as the artist's alter ego. In pre-prepared film screenings, Andy comments, analyzes and interprets selected phenomena related to masculinity, introducing the viewer to the next parts of the performance. The show aims to create a space for dialogue around the themes of emotionality and sensitivity of men, while breaking stereotypes associated with masculinity.

Producers of the monodrama:

Written, directed and performed by: Karol Wnuk

Accompaniment: Konrad Struzik

Technical support: Luca Seminara

Choreography for the song “Mamona”: Zbigniew Zibi Karbowski

Costume for the song “In the closet”: Michał Duraj

Costumes for doll: Małgorzata Bekalarska

Camera operator — screenings: Paweł Zielińs

photo: Rafał Chojnacki

The National Festival of the Theater of One Actor MonoFest is one of the most important events that the Sewing House has been creating for years.

It is an event that has its own brand and rich history, presenting to the Łódź audience artistically diverse performances of the theater of one actor selected in the selection process.

MonoFest has the form of a review, promoting and investigating the phenomenon of monodrama, which is also a space for conversations in a warm and friendly atmosphere, during which we also learn to talk about theater without running away from any issues.