Kurbas and Poland: Discovering / Returning

Abstract

This article reviews Polish edition of Les’ Kurbas theatrical texts (Łeś Kurbas, Pisma tetatralne, Warszawa 2021) focusing on the editor’s, Anna Korzeniewska-Bihun, thematic-cum-problematic principle of organizing Kurbas’s legacy, as well as the merits of her well-researched introduction to the volume. The editor’s approach highlighted the conceptually important principles of Kurbas’s theatrical theory and , allowed her to cover his practical achievements and key performances, showing his worldview and the philosophical, creative, aesthetic, pedagogical, and organizational features of his legacy. The reviewer underlines the editor’s precision and consistency in outlining the key problems faced by Ukrainian theater in the first third of the twentieth century and the place of Les Kurbas in their solution. The edition opens up new horizons for research and discussion not only on Kurbas as a creator of Ukrainian avant-garde theater, but also on Polish-Ukrainians cultural ties.

Keywords

• Les’ Kurbas
• Ukrainian avant-garde theater
• national theater
• Polish-Ukrainian theatrical relations