1999
Rehearsals – January 9, 1999
The story of this performance dates back to 1997. At that time, Daniel was performing with the MEDA Theater in Szczecin. In April, during the Kontrapunkt Festival, Bogusław Schaeffer visited Szczecin. Since the MEDA actors were working on Rehearsals at the time, they asked him for a meeting, which resulted in several days of collaboration on the play in a hotel room rented by Schaeffer. The performance was showcased at the Short Theater Forms Review and, as part of the award, presented in October during the OKNO Festival, organized by Teatr Kana.
At OKNO, Daniel Jacewicz met Zygmunt Duczyński, then the leader of Teatr Kana. The version of Rehearsals staged by Teatr Brama differed from the one Daniel performed with MEDA. The script included original elements, such as a sequence where Daniel walked on stage mid-performance to scold the actors for their mistakes. Despite a brief four-month rehearsal period, the performance was a resounding success. It entertained audiences across the region and won the grand prize at the regional review in Świdwin—Teatr Brama’s first significant achievement.
For the first time, the production credits listed Jacek Gałkiewicz, a close friend of Teatr Brama. For over 20 years, he has supported both major and minor events, lending his analytical mind, craftsmanship, or sound design magic.
- First performance date: January 9, 1999
- Last performance date: November 13, 1999
- Number of performances: 13
I BRAMAT – June 4–6, 1999
Daniel was invited to judge a Scout Song Review. Observing the scouts and their camaraderie, he wondered how this could be translated into a theatrical setting, which led to the creation of a new festival’s guidelines.
The first BRAMAT was entirely driven by the energy of Brama’s youth. The goal was to “infect Goleniów with theater.” Despite having no experience organizing a major cultural event, they quickly understood how to achieve this—with the support of the local community. Organizing the festival was a turning point for Brama. Daniel realized the importance of building good relationships with the people of the town where art is created. Art in small towns should primarily be made for the town and its residents.
From its inception, BRAMAT was a celebration of the city, not an exclusive gathering of elite cultural representatives. Although the festival’s format has evolved over the years, one thing has remained constant: BRAMAT is an outstretched hand to the ordinary resident of a small town, capable of sweeping them into a world of ecstatic joy, profound despair, and the cathartic power of the stage. (Wojciech Rosiński, March 10, 2020)
Actor’s Song Evening – November 20, 1999
Inspired by BRAMAT’s success, Daniel decided to take it further. If they could create a beautiful theater festival with so many people, could they also create a theater performance with them? Thus, the concept for the Actor’s Song Evening was born—the first truly intergenerational community event.
Forty people performed during the evening, many of whom had never stepped onto a stage before, while ten times as many came to watch. The event was such a success that the concert had to be repeated for those who couldn’t fit into the packed Goleniów House of Culture (which at the time operated in the former officers’ club of a disbanded air regiment in Goleniów).
During this period, new figures appeared in Teatr Brama, many of whom remain associated with it today. These include Marek Kościółek, then a journalist for Gmina Pomorska and now director of Teatr Krzyk in Maszewo, and Paweł Danilewicz, who still performs in The Party by Sławomir Mrożek, staged the following year.
Actor’s Song Evenings were held three more times: in 2003 (Love Forgives All), 2004 (Poets Do Not Appear by Chance), and 2007 (The Death of Ophelia).
Statistics:
- Events: 29, including:
- Performances: Rehearsals – 13, The Soldier of the Queen of Madagascar – 9
- Concerts: Actor’s Song Evening – 2
- Other: 5