Krzysztof Garbaczewski

Born 1983 in Białystok/Poland.

Krzysztof Garbaczewski is one of the most talented representative of the young generation of theater directors in Poland. His philosophical interests led Krzysztof Garbaczewski to the Institute of Philosophy at Jagiellonian University in Krakow (2002-2005). Furthermore he is a graduate of the Department of Theater Directing at Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts (2005-2009). He studied with director Krystian Lupa and assisted him with the development of »Factory 2«, a lauded production inspired by the life and work of Andy Warhol, performed in 2008 at Helena Modrzejewska Narodowy Stary Theater in Krakow/Poland.

Krzysztof Garbaczewski’s works were critically acclaimed and received a great feedback from the audience at the significant and experimenting theater centers in Poland. He received the award for the best director at the 3rd Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival in Krakow and the Paszport Polityki award.

His work includes The Sexual Life of Savages (2011), with the installation Czarna Wyspa made by the artist Aleksandra Wasilkowska and Iwona, księżniczka Burgunda (2012) performed at the Theater of Jan Kochanowski in Opole/Poland, which received another award at Divine Comedy International Theatre Festival and the Grand Prix at 38th Konfrontacje Theatralne. In Poznań’s Polski Theater he introduced a modern version with various media of Balladyna (2013) re-written by Cecko. His latest work is Cracow’s Portraits of the Polish Kings (at Helena Modrzejewska Narodowy Stary Theater) – a fantasy about the Nazi period in Poland, narrated through the disordered imagination of Hans Frank, who claimed to be »the last king of Poland«, residing in Wawel/Poland.

His adaptations include plays such as Tibetan Book of the Dead, utilized by Garbaczewski in a play entitled »Nirvana« and Homer’s »The Odyssey« based on Marcin Cecko’s script. In Szaniawski Theater in Wałbrzych he staged Death Star, inspired by George Lucas’ »Star Wars«, in which the popcultural myth of the Star Wars film series is deconstructed. At the legendary La MaMa Theater in New York Garbaczewski staged Erik Ehn’s »Every Man Jack of You« and »Forgiveness« (part of the Soulographie series in 2012).

Krzysztof Garbaczewski is a fellow in cooperation with Schauspiel Stuttgart (Staatstheater Stuttgart).