You Are Approaching My Loneliness

Since January 2022, Teatr Razem, run by Jarek Rebeliński, has been the guest of an artistic residency at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre. During the creation of the production entitled „You Are Approaching My Loneliness”, after William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the Teatr Razem actors read fragments of the play and watched several theatre and film productions. During these investigations, many doubts, needs and ideas appeared. What turned out to be an important thread was talking about the need for love and the difficulties of fulfilling it in the environment of people with intellectual disabilities. The performance will be accompanied by live music created and performed by Jan Elf Czerwiński, three-time Polish beatbox champion, and Zuzanna Bielska. For the premiere, the Remont Pomp group, with which Teatr Razem has cooperated for years, was also invited to participate.

„Working with people with intellectual disabilities requires a different approach to the creative process. […] It is the acting group which imposes the general expression of the production. It is difficult to convince them about scenes which they do not like. They are not attached to classical canons and in fact they believe that they ougjht to be improved. The work is a constant dialogue between us – the implementers – and them – the actors,” says director Dorota Bielska.

Teatr Razem believes in the full equality of the creative process, irrespective of limitations. For the theatre members, actors with intellectual disabilities, it is important to create professional shows under professional conditions. During its eighteen-year-old activity, the team has developed numerous features characteristic of professionals. Until now, however, it has not had the opportunity to realise a fully professional show on a professional stage with professional artists. And they have never been paid for their shows. This will happen for the first time at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre.

Teatr Razem was founded by Jarek Rebeliński in 2004 within the framework of cooperation between the Polish Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities and the Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture (GAC), and its team consists of artists with intellectual disabilities. For 15 years, the theatre resided at the GAC, where it staged over a dozen premieres. It appeared at many festivals for people with disabilities. In 2019, Teatr Razem cooperated with the Miniatura Theatre within the framework of a project linking actors and secondary school pupils from Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia. Since January 2002, the group has been in residence at the Gdańsk Shakespeare Theatre, where it holds regular meetings and rehearsals.

Creators

Writer and director – Dorota Bielska
Designer – Jarek Rebeliński
Live music – Jan Elf Czerwiński
Choreography – Joanna Wolańska
Vocals – Zuzanna Bielska
Team leader – Jarek Rebeliński

Cast

Małgorzata Błaszczak, Jarosław Fryckowski, Łukasz Gawlik, Agata Komorowska, Marysia Krzempek, Michał Milka, Jakub Moszyński, Agata Prud, Michał Tyburski, Sylwia Zarembska

Accompanying band – Remont Pomp conducted by Jarek Marciszewski (PSONI – Polskie Stowarzyszenie na rzecz Osób z Niepełnosprawnością Intelektualną [The Polish Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities].
With – Krzysztof Matuszewski, Cezary Rybiński, Katarzyna Kaźmierczak, Urszula Kowalska, Jadwiga Sankowska

Language – Polish with English surtitles

The production is being presented within the framework of the „Shakespeare for everyone” grant enterprise, financed within the framework of the “Culture without barriers” project.