History
History of Elbląg is extremely rich and complexed just like the history of the Theatre, its roots, begginings and finally creation of professional Theatre. In old times Elbąg stayed undered huge influence (mainly economical) of Polish Republic. After this period dwellers of the town and suburbs became more and more germanised. Theatrical traditions in Żuławy region have their roots in XVI century. In contemporary Elbląg there had been no professional theatre even though school theatre of Elbląg Gymnasium moved vividly in those times. The first play "Acolastus" was presented to the audience in 1536 during General Sejm of Royal Prussia in Elbląg. It was a comedy of the first Rector and playwright Wilhelm Gnapheus. This play was one of the most popular in XVI-century Europe, had 48 different editions and many translations including Polish. Plot contained a story of biblical prodigal son.
One of the following rectors of famous Gymnasium who lived in the beginings of XVIII century, Jerzy Daniel Seyler, had been very talended person, especially in topics connected with music and directory, just like his antecedent. Thanks to his efforts and special invitation one of the most famous contemporary composers George Friedrich Handel visited our town. He shared his experience in preparing and organisation of operas. Sayler wrote a drama called "Herman von Balcke" while maestro Handel composed music to this play, what's more it took him only a few days to do that.Unfortunately, all those actions could not recompensate lack of permanent scene.
The gold age of school theatre had passed ultimately. Certaing groups of English and German comedians started visiting Elbląg more frequently. Before English actors played in front of the Polish King Zygmunt III Waza and the dwellers of Warsaw in Shakespeare's plays they had been guests in Royal Prussia and Dutchy of Prussia. The first visit of English actors took place in Pomerania (Gdańsk, Elbląg, Königsberg) in the summer of 1605. Crew had its constant residence in Halle, where actors came thanks to an invitation of prince Christian Wilhelm von Brandeburg. Since 1603 they had been travelling from one eastern German town to another. In august 1605 actors came to Gdańsk (Danzig) where they played during the St. Dominic's Fair. In september they played in Elbląg october - Koningsberg. Unfortunately it's hard to find any informations about their contemporary repertoire. The only certain thing is that they played in German and English.
Elbląg's shows were probably presented in The Artus Court situated in the Old Town because in this building contained elevated organ-loft, the only one in town, which was indispensable for scenography of the English group. During the play windows of The Artus Court were destroyed due to an enormous preoccupation of dwellers. People crowded, pushed each other just to come as close as possible and watch the show. After that actors were discharged from Elbląg because of introduction "impish" moods. This was a decision of the town council which tended not to allow itinerant troupes to play in the town's area.
Municipal commissioner Andrzej Bartowicz established a cooperation with actors from England via Eastland Company. Itinerant troups came to Elbląg in the wake of English manufacturers and sellers. Groups had been frequently coming to town thanks to the Bartowicz's invitation. It is not sure how he convinced city council to permit troups to play in Elbląg.
Boat from England camer to Elbląg harbour in july 1607. It carried theatre troupe of John Green which was a part of The Globe Theatre. It was the most famous theatre in London founded due to theatre campaign Chamberlains Man led by brothers Richard and Guthrberd Burgab. Citizens of Elbląg watched Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and "Twelfth Night, or What You Will". Shows enjoyed big popularity but some municipal commissioners weren't delighted. Under facade of defending moral values Green's group was forced to leave the town and further shows were banned. The fact that the troupe between 1616 and 1617 played in front of the Polish King Sigismund III Vasa witnessed about high level of their acting skills.
Groups from London which came to town in this period were said to behave scandalous under the moral and political point of view. Actors offended proud members of the City Council from the scene which determined commissioners' attitude towards theatres for many decades. In the scond half of XVII century and at the beggining of XVIII formal bans on plays stayed in vigour. Situation had changed in may 1703 during the Great Northern War when king Augustus II the Strong visited Elbląg and suspended anti-theatrical laws. To the huge joy of the court and Elbląg dwellers he brang with him saxon comedians. Unfortunately, this first "Elbląg's Theatrical Spring" was interrupted by the theatre of war.
XVIII century brang more frequent visits of proffesional troupe from Koningsberg which received from the king of Prussia general privilege allowing to play on the territory of Prussian province in scheduled periods. Hereditary right to possesing this privilige laid on the Schuch family. In this century plays had been taking place in every possible place, for example in the Arsenal, in the room of military practice and in different hovels which were more or less adapted to public theatrical presentations.
After incorporating Elbląg to Prussia in 1772 Polish influences had become to decrease rapidly to almost vanish in the interwar period. Nevertheless Polish and German were clashing almost all the time. History of Elbląg to 1945 has been still not enough discovered and requires many source researches especially in cultural aspect so that this scetch presents only main topics of cultural evolution process through widely understood theatrical culture.
In the XIX century Theatre had its first residence, so-called New Theatre around 1818 and afterward it existed as an institution with own building, principals, crew and local goverment's subsidiary since 1864. Elbląg citizens had to wait for setting up a proffesional thetre up to 1845. Building standed in the place where now we can find Complex of Technical-Informatical Schools on Rycerska street. Ceremonial opening took place on 1st september 1846.
It's interesting that the old theatre had 540 places, but it was possible to contain about 600 viewers - as many as in contemporary theatre. Farces,comedies and dramas of Kotzebube and Iftland had been still played however in time a variety of authors and themes expanded. In the early 40s' plays by Eugene Scribe were on top, inter alia, Le Verre d'eau (The Glass of Water), what's more Shakespeare's plays were introduced: "Hamlet", "Romeo and Juliet" - 1826, "Merchant of Venice" - 1833, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Goethe's "Egmonf" and "Faust" - 1893, Schiller's "Intrigue and Love (Kabale und Liebe)" "The Robbers (Die Räuber)"; less frequently Moliere, Racine and other French writers.Operas were the main point of repertoire. Except ever popular Mozart other composers were introduced: Carl Maria von Weber - "Der Freischütz" and "Oberon" - not long after world premieres; Beethoven - Fidelio".
During the interwar period City's Theatre played huge role in regional cultural life. The Theatre had rich traditions and in 20's, mainly thanks to Marks Spieser reached certain stabilisation. In season 1929/1930 playes introduced by Elbląg's crew had been watched by 65.280 viewers, in the following season this number rised to 70.115 viewers. Even though operas and symphonical concerts took place in Elbląg thaetre had clearly local character and it wasn't able to compete with famous German scenes. Maintance of this establishment had strategical meaning for the German authorities - it was strongly connected with establishing and strengthening German culture in the frontier area. The fact that theatre had been mobile underlined its propaganda role. During one season the crew showed the plays in twenty other towns where a price of single ticket was few times lower than in inner Germany which was one of the facilities dedicated to an average viewers. German-speaking authors dominated in repertoire, sometimes other writers appeared but never Polish ones.
Anti-Polish propaganda strenthened after 1937. In this time only small percentage of population was able to speak Polish. This situation changed when soviet army came to Elbąg. In ruined city almost immediately strong need of connection with art started to shape. In September 1945 famous interwar actor from Lviv, Bronisław Romaniszyn, came to Elbląg. In October amateurs with artistic support of Romaniszyn started to rehearse to the popular "medleys", small plays, sketches which were presented during different official celebrations. On October 10 1945 first placards appeared in the streets of Elbląg and the first premiere took place - "Chłopak z Solca (A Boy From Solec)" on the stage of "Adria" restaurant. This Building was torn down afterwards. Soon after artist from Warsaw Opera, Wiktoria Skwarczewska-Budkiewicz,ballerina Irena Zembrzuska and visual artist Zbigniew Tomanek joined the group. The crew presented its plays and shows also in Pasłęk, Morąg, Tolkmicko and Malbork. The City Theatre (this name was used by its creators) received curtains from The Ministry of Art and Cuture, a few copies of popular plays from ZAiKS and a promise of constant residence in destroyed "Mars" cinema on Teatralna street. The crew of semi-professional passionates met with different vicissitudes. They received many signs of enthousiasm and earned their own audience. Suspension of the crew's activity came in 1950 because actors couldn't stand competition of proffesional Theatre of Stefan Jaracz from Olsztyn, which had staged its plays in Elbląg since the autumn 1949. On September 26 1949 Aleksander Fredro's "Pan Jowialski" directed by Władysław Stoma was played with great acting creation of Ludwik Solski. This play was presented in the school gym on the Agrykola street (now it's Gimnazjum no 5).
Professional Theatre rapidly became popular in Elbląg and opened constant outpost. Seting up a constant scene in Elbląg was mainly success of contemporary manager of Olsztyn Theatre, Władysław Surzyński. He devoted his work to the idea of spreading theatrical culture on Regained Territories. Fortunately he didn't have very hard taks - Elbląg's audience was stage-stucked about theatre, what's more amateur crew was not enough for rapidly developing town. Spontanous reactions of the audience, standing ovations and very high attendance proved that people really needed theatrical shows. Even though they were staged in very bad conditions and setting viewers really enjoyed it and accepted opening of professional stage as a huge nobilitation for Elbląg.
Moment which was one of the most important in the history of modern theatre in Elbląg was opening of new residence in the building of Elbląg House Of Culture on the Kazimierz Jagiellończyk square (July 18 1966). New building thanks to its setting (it was built in the centre of the town) attracted the audience.
In time of introducing new administrative division in Poland, when Elbląg became the capital city of new voivodeship, the crew of Olsztyn-Elbląg Stefan Jaracz Theatre presented an idea of dividing theatre. Local authorities in spring 1975 send a finding to goverment in Gdańsk which contained a demand of creating independent enterprise called Teatr Dramatyczny (Dramatical Theatre).
The decision was confirmed in May 28 1975. We must remember that we speak about the regional institution which from beggining has been struggling with many opposites depending on the administrative circumstances and (up to 1989) political ones. It is also known that the nature of the teatre as an institution contains many stereotypical signs which make many public enterpirses very simillar to each other. Those signs live deeply in the nature of theatre, awareness, sensivity and imagination of people of stage which are under the influence of cultural changes. Artistic managers with their ways of thinking about the functions of a theatre,abilities, experiences, theatrical culture, ambition and making their dreams come ture usually determine the identity of each stage. They're directors, scenographers, musical managers, literature manager but above all artist and performs - certain people with certain skills. Uniqueness is also determined by the means given to the theatre. Important element of theatre's identity is created by the audience as an active determinant of theatrical atmosphere with all its habits and preferences. Another important thing is the localisation of Elbląg, social shape of environent and ability of environmental political and administrative factors to mature cooperation with people that create something for welfare of art and culture. This facture has had huge meaning for shaping and development of theatrical life in Elbląg.
All those Variables create changing reality on the way to develope. The base of theatre's activity is its manager and art director. The first manager and art director of Teatr Dramatyczny in Elbląg was Jacek Gruca (since 1975) and Henryk Majcherek became his deputy.
Jacek Gruca earned a degree from acting and directing studies in Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna in Warsaw and Krakow, afterwards he worked for three years as an assistant of great directors - Erwin Axer and Bohdan Korzeniowski, later - as a director - in theatres in Nowa Huta, Bydgoszcz, Szczecin and Olsztyn. His most important task was finding a crew of actors and technical workers. Only one actress and a few people from Olsztyn's crew stayed in Elbląg. Autumn of 1975 was spend finding a crew, nevertheless the theatre was still active.
Energetic director, Jacek Gruza, invited nearby theatres on guest shows with the most interesting plays. First play of the new crew was "Damy i Huzary" by Aleksander Fredro staged in the Intenational Theatre Day March 27, 1976. Official opening of Teatr Dramatyczny took place on November 13, 1976 inaugurated with play "Balladyna" by Juliusz Słowacki directed by Jacek Gruza.
On November 2 1950 premiere of "Żabusia" of Gabriela Zapolska started constant presence of professional theatrical scene in Elbląg which was still only an affiliate of Olsztyn Theatre.
On the other hand, thanks to this situation it was possible to bring proffesional actors, directors, crew. In this period our plays became famous in the region and the whole country and our faithful audience was shaped.
Theatre's managers were people famous and respected in contemporary theatre and movie: Stanisław Tym, Andrzeh May, Jerzy Sopoćko, Hilary Kurpanik and Jacek Gruca. People such as Krystyna Meissner, Jan Skotnicki, Ernest Bryll, Agnieszka Osiecka, Ewa Kołogórska, Waldemar Wilhelm, Ryszard Major worked here, staging plays from Polish and foreign repertoire.Actors: Jan Machulski, Jerzy Bończak, Bronisław Wrocławski, Jerzy Turek, Piotr Skarga, Zofia Merle, Adam Dzieciniak, Adam Opatowicz, Andrzej Walden and many, many others had their acting debuts in Elbląg.
Our Theatre won many prestigeous trophys on the domestic festivals and competitions showing plays from our own repertoire. In its history (since 1975) Theatre has produced 193 premiers, hosted many famous Polish crews. Our unique idea of Elbląg Theatrical Spring is known in the while country.
Season 2000/2001 was very special time for the Theatre - we celebrated 50 years of existence of theatrical scene and 25th anniversary of creating Teatr Dramatyczny. Anniversary celebration took place between 20 and 22 October 2000.