TOM IN THE VILLAGE directing Wojciech Rodak

Premiere on April 24, 2022. TR WARSAW

Polish premiere of Canadian playwright Michel Marc Bouchard's text Tom à la Ferme.

Before the premiere of Tom in the Countryside at TR Warsaw, I spoke to its director Wojciech Rodak.

Tomasz Ostrowski: Let's start from the beginning. Last year you were awarded the TR Warsaw Prize at the 10th Forum of Young Directors in Krakow.

Wojciech Rodak: Yes, I was indeed awarded the prize: debut of TR Warsaw last year during the Forum of Young Directors. I am a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Drama Direction at the Academy of Theatre Arts in Krakow.

Let's go back to the events of the previous year. Which of your plays was appreciated by the jury of the Young Directors' Forum?

The exam I prepared earlier in my studies "Birds. Instruction' was shown at the Forum. This review of young directors, students takes place every year in Krakow and then representatives of TR Warszawa award their prize, which is a debut right here on the stage of TR Warszawa. The performance shown then was my interim exam.

Perhaps you can tell us more about this show, which has attracted the interest of TR Warsaw?

The performance was inspired by the film 'How to be a bird. Instruction' by Greek director Babis Makridis and Aristophanes' text 'The Birds'. It is a story about the search for utopia, peace and happiness in today's world. The play was prepared with two actresses and one actor. From the Stary Theatre, the actors were Małgorzata Gałkowska and Łukasz Stawarczyk, and from the Academy of Theatre Arts, the student Weronika Janosz. It was an examination that had a very essayistic form. It was appreciated by the programme board of TR Warszawa and rewarded with the opportunity to make a performance here. After choosing the text, it turned out that it was going to be 'Tom in the Countryside'.

The performance 'Birds. Instructions' was appreciated not only by the jury of the Young Directors' Forum, but also by journalists. Marta Zielonka in the Kraków-based Dziennik Teatralny wrote: "The performance "BIRDS. Instruction' captivates both with the topicality of the themes taken up and with the formula in which it was presented on stage. (...) It is actually difficult to find any weak points in the performance. Wojciech Rodak has created an extraordinary show, artistically mature and full of creative flair. As a keen observer of social reality, the director aptly describes the fears, anxieties and uncertainties constantly accompanying us, fuelled by growing conflicts and crises. The search for an alternative to the surrounding reality seems to be a natural defensive tactic.". And what was it like later, how did you come to choose the text for your debut on the TR Warszawa stage? It was my proposal accepted by the theatre management. What fascinated you about this text?

I first became aware of him 10 years ago when I saw a film by Canadian director, writer and actor Xavier Dolan. The film's title in Polish is 'Tom', in French 'Tom à la Ferme'. The film is based on a play by Canadian playwright Michel Marc Bouchard. It was then that I thought I would like to tackle this play in the theatre one day. When I got the opportunity to prepare a production here, it came back to me. Especially since I can somehow relate to my personal experiences of living in the countryside, moving to the big city and at times complicated family relationships. It seems to me that this is very much reflected in this drama. It is the kind of text that quite a lot of people will be able to see through. That was very important to me when I was deciding on the text. How does it resonate with today's reality?

As a young director just entering the milieu, how did you find working with professional actors?

This is actually my third professional theatre job, as I had my debut two years ago at the Dramatic Theatre in Wałbrzych. I directed Jerzy Szaniawski's The Sailor there. There I met six actresses and actors. Last year, I did a collective project with two female and two male students of the Faculty of Drama Direction of the Krakow Academy of Theatre Arts at the New Theatre in Łódź. It was a performance of 'He who has nothing, can do everything'. The play 'Tom in the Countryside' is my third work. I am gathering this experience working with professional actors. I was very curious about what I would encounter here. Each time the work looks different and is a huge learning experience for me. That's also how I think about working on the play Tom in the Countryside, that I'm just still learning and will probably continue to learn for a long time to come. These experiences I'm still gaining. I think this current experience is very fruitful for me. The actors are very open and patient. I learn a lot from them, but at the same time I also leave them something. So I think it is a mutual benefit. I see that they are very open to young artists, to female directors. In TR Warszawa's Debuts programme, it's always some other energy and other fresh blood they can deal with.

How did the actors become convinced of the theme of the work itself?

From the very beginning, they were very open. They very warmly received the proposal of this play. You could even say that they were thrilled. In fact, this text is quite classic in some ways. This is a return to a well-written drama that is only a few years old and has been shown on many stages around the world. In our case, this is Poland. This is a good piece of literature that we might have encountered. It wasn't easy. It was also an interesting journey for us, because here, indeed, some of them have not encountered such a text for a long time. It's a return to a certain construction, classical enough in the construction of roles and characters that it really needed to be built together.

This is your fourth year of study culminating in a graduation performance?

Yes, and it is 'Tom in the Countryside' that is my graduation play. I hope it will be passed (laughs).

And after school, what are your plans?

I have some proposals. Probably later this year I will return to Łódź to the New Theatre. Then probably back to Wałbrzych. I'm not talking about titles as it's all still decided in detail. Then to Monika Strzępka to the Dramatyczny Theatre. It's not quite all confirmed there either, but it's possible that it will be a play based on Édouard Louis' new book.

And what would you most like to direct? What do you dream about? 

Well. I don't think I have such dreams, and I mean that sincerely. I keep a close eye on what is happening and how the world is changing. What happened at TR Warszawa was a kind of dream come true. I think I would like to be open to different proposals, but I would also like to keep it personal, I would still like to work on my personal experience. Because then I feel that it is close to me. It is more sincere and honest.

Classical literature or more contemporary? 

I think more contemporary. But also antiquity. Shakespeare as well. Here I measured myself against a contemporary author. The text was written 10 years ago, the author is still alive and writing. It was also a new experience, because I hadn't dealt with it before, even during my studies. In fact, while I'm still young, I'd like to try out different options and possibilities, and by gathering more and more experience I'd like to work out for myself what will interest me most in theatre.

How would you sum up your educational path?

Before that I still studied film production at the Film School in Łódź, so this is my second art school. I'm a bit tired of art schools now, but I had the opportunity to meet really great people there, I worked with acting students as well as professional actors, for example from the Stary Theatre. Those were extraordinary experiences. I also had amazing professors who guided me and opened me up to different things. Those were very good experiences. There was a bit of frustration too, but I guess that's natural too. I'm glad it's already closer rather than further to the end, because it's the kind of moment when I'd like to stop being a student already. Thank you very much for the interview.

I wish you as many encounters as possible at media rehearsals before the next premieres.

Great, I'm counting on that too. Thank you very much.

TOM IN THE VILLAGE

Directing: Wojtek Rodak
Author: Michel Marc Bouchard
Dramaturgy Szymon Adamczak

CAST:
Jacek BELER
Izabella DUDZIAK
Mateusz GÓRSKI
Maria MAJ

 

AWARD DEBUT TR
Wojtek Rodak is the winner of the DEBIUT TR 2021 award granted by the TR Warsaw programme team in May 2021 as part of the TR Debut Award, established in November 2015 as part of the programme strand of the NEW TALENTS LINE. The award is presented annually at the Young Directors' Forum, organised by the Stanisław Wyspiański Academy of Theatre Arts in Kraków. The award supports the development of the most interesting theatre directors of the young generation. The male and female students of directing awarded by the TR Warszawa programme team receive an invitation to produce a play at TR Warszawa in the following theatre season. The award winners are: Jędrzej Piaskowski (TR Debut 2015), Klaudia Hartung-Wójciak (TR Debut 2016), Grzegorz Jaremko (TR Debut 2017), Katarzyna Minkowska (TR Debut 2018), Wiktor Baginski (TR Debut 2019), Wojtek Rodak (TR Debut 2021). In May 2021, at the 10th Young Directors' Forum, the TR Debut Award honours went to Olga Ciężkowska, Tomasz Fryzeł, Jan Jelinski and Karolina Szczypek. In November 2021, at the 11th Forum of Young Direction, the TR Debut Award went to the creative duo consisting of Wera Makowskx and Jakub Zalasa, while Błażej Biegasiewicz received an honourable mention.