I remember you

Author's meeting with Stefania Gardecka around her book about Jerzy Grotowski's Laboratory Theatre

Just in front of the Zaduszki, we invite you to a unique meeting with Stefania Gardecka, who has worked in the Jerzy Grotowski Laboratory Theatre since 1966, and in the 1990s co-created the Jerzy Grotowski Centre for Creative Research. As Kana, we owe Stefania Gardecka the presence of many outstanding artists in Szczecin — thanks to her kindness and contacts Kana developed the Teatry Świata project in the 1990s, hosting artists from different countries and cultures.

In December 2025, the first edition of her book I Remember You (second in May 2026) was published, an extraordinary unique record of everyday cooperation with Jerzy Grotowski and his team.

The author, who for almost two decades oversaw the administrative affairs of the ensemble, gives voice to the “silent heroes” — assistants, trainees and technical workers, who together with actors and actresses created the theater in the difficult realities of the Polish People's Republic. This extremely personal, emotional story reveals the backstage of the functioning of the Theatre directed by Jerzy Grotowski; it shows how great artistic events constantly collided with the prose of everyday life. (from Grotowski Institute materials)

The greatest value of the book is its perspective. This is not another scientific biography of Grotowski, but a story about everyday life, challenges, absurdities of PRL reality as well as interpersonal relationships, loyalty and a sense of community. Stefania Gardecka describes with tenderness and humor both the great artistic events and the prose of life - the struggle for paper to print, the acquisition of a ship's propeller for the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in a forest base, cement for the construction of a bridge and the organization of apartments for the Group. The author does not shy away from difficult topics, writing about illnesses, death, separations, emigration as well as her own doubts and guilt. The passages devoted to the departure of the members of the Team and reflections on the passing away are particularly moving. This book also shows that behind great works there are not only outstanding artists, but also a multitude of silent heroes of everyday life. It is also a valuable chronicle of the artistic environment of Wrocław and Poland in the middle of the 20th century (from the cover of the book “I Remember You”)

Excerpt from Krzysztof Czyżewski's review:

The book “I Remember You” is a passionate reading, introducing to the story of the Laboratory Theater an underground stream of human affairs, everyday trifles and the psychology of the intimate interior of people dedicated to a cause far beyond their own backyard.

It was written by a person who has been familiar with the Grota language for many years — listening to it and talking to it, writing letters and letters with it on a typewriter, leading the “EnduGóra” or “Theater of Sources” — a precise and transparent language, respecting the concrete and the addressee, not avoiding the expression of those dimensions of reality that we often consider inexpressible. of course.

The story of Stefania Gardecka is made up of very many short chapters, real poetic and factual miniatures, appearing in the way of associations caused by the routine of everyday affairs, human dramas or difficult questions in the face of the fate of the theater, the political situation, death...

Among them there are real pearls, even portraits drawn by Stefa of people from the theater circle, famous, such as Stanisław Scierski, or those whom the history of the theater would never immortalize, like Alik Lidtke.

Under the titles of large parts of the book (Theater-People Active-Active-Closing), there are smaller ones (e.g. Adaptation of the Ensemble in Wrocław, Theatre Hall and Performances, Brzezinka, Blessed State or Winter of the Century), and under them even smaller ones — reading them introduces us to the specificity of this story;

here are selected chapters of the section entitled “Working with Grotowski”: Beginnings, Official Walks, Konrad Swinarski, Hotel “Monopol”, Discipline of working with the Grotto, There is no word “no”, Daily work, Contingent of stamps, Eugenio Barba, Grotowski's style of work, Uncertainty of existence, Sciatica, Protective colors, Metamorphosis of the Grotto, Handing out possessions, Human nature is perverse however, Mr Bodzio, Defending workers from the outside world, Going to study language in London.

Stefania Gardecka worked closely with Jerzy Grotowski from 1966 to 1984, going from team secretary to head of the organization department to deputy director. In the last period of the theater's activity, she was responsible for the organizational side of key projects, including “EnduGóra” (1977) and the Teatru Spółki (1979—1982). After the dissolution of Teatr Laboratorium, she worked at the Kalambur Open Theatre Centre in Wrocław, where she headed the foreign department and co-created the International Open Theatre Festival. From 1990, at the invitation of Prof. Zbigniew Osiński, she was the head of the organisation department of the Jerzy Grotowski Centre for Creative Research (now the Jerzy Grotowski Institute) until her retirement. Between 2008 and 2010 she collaborated with Professor Virginie Magnat from the University of British Columbia in Canada on the project “Meetings with extraordinary women”, which was dedicated to Grotowski's collaborators. For her contribution to the development of culture, she was honored, among others, with the Golden Cross of Merit and the Distinguished for Polish Culture badge.

photo: Piotr Gardecki