Shir Hashirim | Song of Songs

In times when it is increasingly difficult to communicate with each other, in times of open conflicts and wars breaking out in the world, only the purity of good emotions and words trying to describe them, turn out to be salvation, protection and strength. Love and poetry. Tenderness and confession.

There is no greater and more important confession than “Song of Songs” (Hebrew Shir ha-shirim), not only an unguessed biblical text, but also a poem about love and longing, a story about the Bridegroom and the Bride. Full of sensual images and symbols, the story of two people. A universal metaphor for love that transcends time and boundaries.

As the director emphasizes, “Song of Songs” is a hymn to human and divine love — a story in which carnal love does not stand in opposition to spirituality, but becomes its language. The show shows the relationship between a woman and a man as a space of openness, mutual gift and trust — without fear, coercion or calculation. It is a love that combines the sensual with the spiritual.

The creators are also inspired by the reflection on the place of love in the religious and human experience. As Prof. Jakub Sławik notes, the presence of the “Song of Songs” in the biblical canon reminds us that it is impossible to separate love from the carnal and emotions — on the contrary, they can lead to a deeper understanding of man's relationship with God.

The play can also be read as an echo of Paradise — a vision of a world in which a woman and a man look at each other with delight, without shame, domination and objectification. It is a story of original, innocent love, based on mutual respect and dignity.

The project combines the Polish language with Yiddish elements, building a multi-layered narrative of closeness, desire and memory. The author's stage form — including directing, choreography, scenography and costumes — is the work of Jakub Lewandowski, created on the initiative of Gołda Tencer.

Jakub Lewandowski is an outstanding choreographer who has choreographed and staged around a hundred performances in Poland and abroad. At the Jewish Theatre, he created the choreography and stage movement “Heritage” by Icchok Baszewis Singer, directed by Robert Talarczyk. In the Jewish Theater “Song of Songs” is interpreted by charismatic young actors Adrianna Kieś and Daniel “Czacza” Antoniewicz.

Duration of the performance: approx. 1 h.

Premiere: May 1 and 2