Rok 1997

Rondo

The first rehearsals and workshops were marked by exploration and learning the language of theatre. At the time, Daniel had only slightly more knowledge than his students, but the general feeling of “doing something important” gave the group strength and a desire to grow. The first performance by Teatr Brama premiered on April 27, 1997, after just eight months of the group’s existence. Based on Rondo by Bogusław Schaeffer, the play won first prize at the regional theatre competition in Nowogard and opened doors to other stages across Poland. It also revealed Brama’s rebellious spirit—at a festival in Przysucha near Radom, the jury penalized the performance with “deduction points” for obscenity.

“I decided to stage this performance for two reasons:

I had met Bogusław Schaeffer in person and had the pleasure of working with him. He sent me his plays and recorded musical pieces on cassette tapes.

The group included six actors (five women and one man). Rondo was the only text I knew at the time that fit such a configuration of actors and genders.”
(Daniel Jacewicz, August 7, 2020)

First performance: March 15, 1997
Last performance: November 7, 1998
Number of performances: 12

Naming the Group: “Teatr Brama”

The name “Teatr Brama” first appeared in April 1998 in press clippings recorded in the theatre’s chronicle. An article in Gazeta Goleniowska mentioned that the group had “recently” adopted this name. It naturally derived from their first theatrical home—the Wolińska Gate, which at the time served as part of the Goleniów Cultural Center. The attic of this sole surviving 15th-century city gate housed the rehearsal space and the venue for the group’s performances.

Over time, the name took on additional meaning. The only person to remain with Brama throughout its history is Daniel Jacewicz himself, while countless others have “passed through” the Gate over nearly 25 years—some returning, others leaving it behind in pursuit of their own happiness and paths in life.

“The name ‘Brama’ felt natural for our theatre. We didn’t even need to think about it for long. From the very beginning, we met at the Wolińska Gate, simply calling it ‘Brama.’ ‘Meeting at Brama,’ ‘At 2:00 PM at Brama,’ ‘I won’t make it to Brama today’… I remember how, years later, Zygmunt Duczyński (founder of Teatr Kana in Szczecin) once stopped me and said:
‘You know, Daniel, Brama is a good name for a theatre. Short. Like Teatr Kana. It bodes well for the longevity of a theatre. I also like the “r” in the middle. It’s strong. Like kurwa. It has good linguistic value.'”
(Daniel Jacewicz, August 7, 2020)

Statistics

Events: 12, including:
Performances: Rondo – 11
Other: 1