me, god

DESCRIPTION OF THE PERFORMANCE:

It is an innovative theatrical project which draws on unresearched and barely known works of Jerzy Grotowski. It touches upon his most important and private issues. The play "ja, bóg" is an intimate story about Grotowski's most crucial search within theatre and life. It refers to the most spiritual questions. Tomasz Rodowicz - Joanna Chmielecka duo situates the play in the quest of answering the most important question a human can pose - about the existence, or a lack thereof, of god. How to recognize what is unrecognisable? How to get a glimpse of "the other side"? This acting duo plays these questions on the basic binary oppositions: life/death, man/woman, human/god, health/disease, youthfulness/oldness. 

INFORMATION ABUT THE ARTISTS:

CHOREA Theatre - was founded in 2004 in Lublin, as a result of collaboration between two groups of performers. First group, 'The Ancient Orchestra', was developing musical and rhythmical work. Second group, 'Dances of the Labyrinth', was experimenting on movement and dance. Since 2004, before they found their residence in Lodz in 2007, they have been working in several locations. The company was first based in Naleczow, Srebrna Gora and Warsaw, they cooperated with Erthfall Dance Theatre in Cardiff (Wales). Since 2007 they established a permanent base in the city of Lodz, co-founding with Lodz Art Centre a cultural institution named Fabryka Sztuki (Art Factory) and they own an amazing industrial theatre spaces (for rehearsals, performances and workshops) situated in the 19th Century factories, named Art_Inkubator in Fabryka Sztuki in Lodz.
During 15 years of activity CHOREA Theatre fully developed its educational and artistic work. CHOREA artists organized many international workshop sessions, transnational artistic projects, several editions of their own International Theatre Festival Retroperspektywy and nationwide Theatre Festival Perspektywy, and created more than 40 theatre productions, performances, and concerts. In 2015 CHOREA artists recorded a musical album 'Lullabies' and published actors training handbook 'Actors phisical training. From individual to group actions'. CHOREA group collaborates with artists from all over the world: USA, Great Britain, Israel, Spain, India, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Syria, Japan, Russia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Georgia, Moldova, etc.
During last years CHOREA Theatre presented their performances, concerts and intensive workshop sessions all over the world. In 2009 CHOREA performed on International Meeting on Ancient Drama Festival in Delphi, (Greece). In 2010 we cooperated with Rosanna Gamson Worldwide Theatre in Los Angeles (USA). In 2011 we presented our work in Escena Contemporanea Festival in Madrid (Spain) and in Mayerhold Theatre Centre in Moscow (Russia). In 2012 we visited Stage Centre in Tel Aviv (Israel). In 2011, 2012 and 2013 we performed on Bharat Rang Mahotsav - the biggest international Theatre Festival in India. In 2014 and 2015 we showed our performances in Art Carnuntum Verein für Kunst Geschichte Theater Kultur Festival in Art Carnuntum (Austria). In 2015 we presented our work in Luxembourg (Luxembourg) and in Chisnau (Moldova). In 2015 and 2016 we performed in Tbilisi International Festival of Theatre (Georgia). In 2017 we performed in Berlin (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden) and in St.Petersburg (Russia). In 2018 we visited Baerum Kulturhus and sandvika Teater in Oslo (Norway), we leaded an intensive workshop session, in terms of "Polish Theatre Days” during II International Theatre Festival TheATRIUM 2018 in Drama Theatre in Klaipeda (Lithuania), performed in Danube Bend Theatre in Vac (Hungary) in terms of V4 Festival and Theatre Meeting 2018, and performed on Festivalul International de Teatru Pentru Publicul Tanar in Iasi (Romania).

Tomasz Rodowicz - Artistic Director of CHOREA Theatre. Theatre director, actor, musician, educator, theatre instructor, university lecturer, earlier also a historian of philosophy. Born in 1951 in Warsaw. Graduate of the Faculty of History of Philosophy at the Warsaw Theological Academy. Co-founder of Poland’s first social therapy centre for young drug addicts. He collaborated with Jerzy Grotowski in 1974-1979. Co-founder of the Centre for Theatre Practices 'Gardzienice' and its member in 1977-2003. Co-founder of CHOREA Theatre and its leader since 2004. Artistic director of Fabryka Sztuki in Lodz since 2007. Artistic director of International Theatre Festival Retroperspektywy and Nationwide Theatre Festival Perspektywy. Leader of many international artistic, educational and didactic projects and research expeditions. Innovative musical and physical training expert and theatre workshop specialist. Worldwide authority in leading workshops for actors, dancers, singers, musicians, theatre instructors and culture animators. Author of a handbook 'Actors phisical training. From individual to group actions'.

Joanna Chmielecka - Actress, vocalist, performer. Born in 1985 in Lodz (Poland). In 2000-2004 worked in independent Anilis Theatre, lead by Anna Ciszowska. In 2009 graduated M.A. in Culture and Theatre Studies at the University of Lodz. Since 2008 a member of CHOREA Theatre group, where she works as actress, vocalist, dancer, workshop instructor, coordinator of artistic and educational projects. She cooperated with theatre directors, choreographers and composers: Tomasz Rodowicz (CHOREA Theatre, Poland), Ewgienij Korniag (Korniag Theatre, Belarus), Ruthie Osterman (Israel), Robert Hayden (USA), Jim Ennis and Jessica Cohen (Earthfal Theatre, UK) Konrad Dworakowski (Pinokio Theatre in Lodz, Poland), Tomasz Krzyżanowski (CHOREA Theatre, Poland), Monika Dalach (Music Academy in Lodz, Poland), Maciej Maciaszek (CHOREA Theatre, Poland), Verity Standen (UK), Zorka Wollny (Germany), Waldemar Raźniak (Theatre Academy in Warsaw, Poland). In 2015 she performed and sang in a interdysciplinary outdoor performance 'Dialogus De Passione', performed in 'Concert of Spacial Music' in Lodz Philharmonic, recorded solo vocal parts to a soundtrack for theatre performance 'Hydro-Cosmos' in Pantomime Theatre in Wroclaw, sung in a performance 'Composition for 12 actors and Lido factory' created in cooperation of Nowy Theatre in Lodz and Museum of Art in Lodz, recorded solo vocal parts in a musical album 'Lullabies' published by Universal Music Poland. Since 2015 she sings and plays percussion instruments in performance 'The Jungle Book' in Pinokio Theatre in Lodz. In 2016 she sung in a concert 'L.Story' created by a musical band L.Stadt, she performed in a musical project 'HUG' directed and composed by Verity Standen (UK), and recorded a solo vocal parts to a soundtrack for a performance 'Body' for Theatre O.de.la from Rzeszów. In 2017 she performed in site-specific performance "We live in the City of Revolution" directed by Ewa Otomańska, she recorded vocal parts to a soundtrack for a dance performance "Psyche" directed by Ilona Gumowska, she performed in "Samograj" performance directed by Konrad Dworakowski in Pinokio Theatre in Lodz. In 2018 she sung in Polish-Norway concert "Foretell Livet" in Sandvika Tearer in Oslo, with participation of jazz musicians: Arve Henriksen, Tord Gustavsen, Kenneth Ekornes and Iranian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat. In 2019 she performed in "Urok Tuwima" musical performance and "Don Kichot" performance, both directed by Konrad Dworakowski in Pinkio Theatre in Lodz.

LINKS:

• Teaser - by Rami Shaya
  
  
• Photos - by Rami Shaya
  
  
• www.chorea.com.pl/en/performances/ja-bog-en-us/