Tadeusz Kantor’s Theater of Death

This series presents screenings of filmed records of Tadeusz Kantor’s performances from his Theatre of Death phase. These are projected in the Annex theater at La MaMa – the same space where between 1979 and 1991 each of the works was first presented to an American audience by La MaMa founder and director Ellen Stewart. Kantor, as a rule, appeared in his performances, on stage along with the actors, and his work is almost inconceivable without his presence, which makes their revival unlikely. This series of screenings is thus a unique occasion to view original performances of Kantor’s work in an original space. It is likewise the Polish Cultural Institute homage to Stewart and her vision in bringing Kantor to America. All films will be shown in Polish with English subtitles and introduced by specialists on Kantor’s work. Documents related to Kantor from the La MaMa archives will also be on view.