Descent

Performance of the Dzikorosty collective As part of the Perform [ing] Poland 2026 review

Grotowski Institute Laboratory Theatre Hall Mon 22.11.2026, 16:00

Duration: 120 min Free admission

Sensory stimuli: soft light, enveloping atmosphere, soothing scents of moss, apples, labdanum

I like to think that fallen leaves are tender leaves that circle between the living and the dead. When they fall, we pause for a moment at our own mortality and return our thoughts to those we loved (Joanna Tarnowska, “Polish Folk Magic”, Illuminatio, 2026).

November is the time of falling leaves. In Old Polish, “leaves” and “letters” meant the same thing — that's why we have November, not leaf fall. This is a month that is conducive to slowing down. The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and the summer energy is slowly giving way to quieter.

Wild animals invite you to a performance — a joint immersion in a winter dream and a journey into the depths of oneself. It is a gentle entry into the silence of long nights and an encounter with darkness, where you can find light, rest and solace.

On this journey we will be accompanied by chrysanthemums, apples, heathers, mountain ash and - of course - the leaves of trees, connecting what lives with what goes away.

Have you ever wondered what plants say? This time we will try to listen to them and see what they can teach us about rest, letting go and surviving...