Pamiętnik Śląski (A Silesian Memoir)
the third Estrada Publicystyczna (Journalistic Platform) performance, a ‘factomontage’ directed by Zygmunt Molik, based on the diaries of Arka Bożek, Silesian poetry and folk songs, and radio recordings made by Jerzy Falkowski. The premiere took place on 9 July 1961 in the village hall in Markowice near Racibórz, the birthplace of the hero of the piece Arka Bożek, a Silesian folk activist who fought for the lands’ Polishness. Ryszard Hajduk (consultation), Jerzy Gurawski (set design), Władysław Gawroński (cooperation with the radio) and Henryk Sznober (technician-electrician) worked on preparing the piece. Cast: Andrzej Bielski, Zbigniew Cynkutis (Arka Bożek), Antoni Jahołkowski, Ewa Lubowiecka and Rena Mirecka. The voices of Barbara Barska, Ewa Lubowiecka, Rena Mirecka, Tadeusz Bartoski and Adam Kurczyna were used on the tape recordings. Aesthetically similar to the other Estrada pieces, Pamiętnik Śląski made reference to local history and was deeply rooted in Silesian culture (with the location of the premiere performance playing an important part in this). The localness of the piece was used by the Theatre as a counterargument to the accusations it faced that it had isolated itself from society and lacked a connection to the Opole region in its activities.
Bogdan Bąk: Niezwykła premiera, „Odra” 1961 nr 7 (wrzesień), s. 87–89.
Jerzy Falkowski: Autorska skarga, „Trybuna Opolska” 1962 nr 77, z 31 marca – 1 kwietnia, s. 3, 6.
Jerzy Falkowski: Sens istnienia eksperymentu, „Kalendarz Opolski na rok 1962”, TRZZ Opole 1961, s. 265–268.
Bogdan Loebl: Kapłani czarnych mszy, „Odra” 1962 nr 1, s. 81–84.
Czesława Mykita-Glensk: Życie teatralne Opola. Od czasów najdawniejszych do współczesności, Opole 1976, s. 215, i 287.
Premiera – jakiej jeszcze nie było, „Gazeta Krakowska” 1961 nr 162, z 11 lipca, s. 6.
Pamiętnik Śląski, „Dziennik Polski” 1961 nr 179, z 1 sierpnia, s. 3 (Notatnik kulturalny).
Jerzy Sykun: Teatr zaangażowany, „Więź” 1961 nr 10, s. 147–150.