Working hard from early childhood until death, forced into obedience, marriage and motherhood against their will, dreaming of school, their own bed and shoes. Determined to feed the whole family in extreme poverty. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers — undervalued, omitted by history, shaped by the daily struggle for dignity in a patriarchal society.
“Chłopki” is a theatrical adaptation of the bestselling, Nike Award–nominated book by Joanna Kuciel-Frydryszak. Director Sławomir Narloch draws on this multi-threaded and emotional material to create a theatrical mystery. The heroines of “Chłopki” come to tell what has so far been silenced, to remind us of themselves. Their stories are complemented by live performances of traditional folk songs — ambiguous and unexpected — far from an idyllic image of the Polish countryside.
“Chłopki” is not only a record of a difficult past. The play reminds us that experiences from a few generations ago still pulse — in our identity, in family memories, in the quiet heritage passed down from generation to generation.
The book "Chłopki. A Tale about Our Grandmothers", which the play adapts, was published by Wydawnictwo Marginesy.
The production uses recordings of memories by Helena Pluta — the director’s great-grandmother.
photo: Anna Orzyłowska
