On Wednesday, 10 May, the school theatre group Na próbę staged the play “Foraging for Berries” at the Old Theatre in Bolesławiec, based on a text by Maria Konopnicka. The entire production was directed by, and the original text adapted to contemporary realities by, Aneta Ćwieluch – a renowned theatre director and instructor at Młodzieżowy Dom Kultury w Bolesławcu.
The premiere marked the culmination of nearly ten months of cooperation between A. Ćwieluch and the school in Ocice. It was already the second such spectacular result of this collaboration. Two years ago, audiences at the Old Theatre had the opportunity to applaud the play “There’s a Fire”, with which Aneta Ćwieluch began her theatrical work with students from the school in Ocice.
The premiere of “Foraging for Berries” brought both supporters of the young artists and admirers of the director’s work to the theatre. The humorous texts, dynamic transitions, imaginative set designs and energetic acting delighted the audience, who rewarded the performers with enthusiastic applause. Observing the mature and highly assured performances, it was difficult to escape the impression that experienced artists, rather than a group of teenagers only just beginning their theatre adventure, were bustling about the stage. They are just starting, and will certainly not finish soon, because, as Aneta Ćwieluch announced, the Na próbę theatre project is planned to continue in the next school year.
The performance at the Old Theatre was complemented by an appearance from the Hula Hop Dance group, choreographically supervised by Agnieszka Michalczuk, a teacher at Szkoła Podstawowa w Ocicach. A group of second-grade pupils performed two routines with great flair, proving that a high standard can also be achieved when one is just over 120 cm tall ;-)
“Every child has a natural need for creative activity. Theatre is an ideal way to satisfy it,” says Edyta Sienkiewicz, a Polish-language teacher at Zespole Szkolno-Przedszkolnym w Ocicach. “If we add the opportunity for joyful movement and for playing a specific role within a group, playing theatre turns out to be a very serious undertaking indeed. It is therefore all the more gratifying that our pupils are so eager to get involved in stage activities!”