This year the 35th Drama Schools’ Festival has expanded to incorporate new participants. Apart from the four main Polish drama schools from Warsaw, Cracow, Wrocław and Lodz presenting their students’ diploma plays there will be 3 new participating schools: Cracow School’s Muppet Department from Wrocław, Cracow School’s Dance Theatre Department from Bytom, and Warsaw Academy’s Muppet Department from Białystok.

Between 8 and 14 May, the students from Polish drama schools will give 15 performances on the stage of Nowy Theatre and Studyjny Theatre. Traditionally, during the Festival a diploma film of Lodz Film School acting students entitled “SOYER” and directed by Łukasz Barczyk will be screened.

This year the Festival Jury will consist of: Anna Augustynowicz (theatre director, director of Teatr Współczesny in Szczecin), Kinga Preis (theatre and film actress), Monika Strzępka (theatre director), Adam Orzechowski (theatre director, director of Teatr Wybrzeże in Gdańsk) and Wioletta Laszczka (Ministry of Culture and National Heritage representative). The winner will receive the awards of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The audience will decide about their Prizes for the most thrilling actor and the most thrilling actress. There will also be special prizes: Jan Machulski Prize, OPUS FILM Prize, TOYA Prize and ZASP Prize.

The Drama Schools taking part in the Festival will present:

KRAKÓW THEATRE SCHOOL:
1. „Do dna” W. Szturc, E. Kaim; directed by E. Kaim
2. „Opowieści lasku wiedeńskiego” Ö. von Horvath; directed by M. Kotański
3. „Wspomnienia polskie” W. Gombrowicz; directed by M. Grabowski

Cracow School’s Dance Theatre Department from Bytom:
4. „Bezdech” directed by S. Hefczyńska–Lewandowska

LODZ FILM SCHOOL:
1. „Beczka prochu” D. Dukovski; directed by M. Bogajewska
2. „Diabeł, który…” , based on "Ten diabeł, co w nim siedzi" J. Osborne; directed by M. Grzegorzek
3. „Lovecraft” R. Bolesto; directed by Ł. Kos
4. Acting students’ diploma film: „SOYER” directed by Łukasz Barczyk.

WARSAW THEATRE ACADEMY:
1. „ICOIDI” M. Kleczewska, based on Lars von Trier’s films; directed by M. Kleczewska
2. „Pelikan/Zabawa z ogniem” A.Strindberg; directed by J. Englert
3. „Pibloktoq. Piosenki Marii Peszek” W. Kościelniak; directed by W. Kościelniak

Warsaw Academy’s Muppet Department from Białystok
4. „Amor Omnia Vincit”, based on „Z życia glist” P. O. Enquista; directed by J. Dojlidko

KRAKÓW THEATRE SCHOOL - WROCŁAW FILIA:
1. „Miłość” C. Iber; directed by C. Iber
2. „Poczekalnia sześć-dwa-zero”; directed by M. Fiedor
3. „Szantaż” M. Cecko; directed by E. Marciniak Cracow School’s Muppet Department from Wrocław Filia:
4. „Alicja w Krainie Czarów” L. Carroll; directed by J. Bielunas

The Festival is financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and Łódź City Council.
Festival coorganizers: Studyjny Theatre in Lodz and Nowy Theatre in Lodz.
Festival Program will be available soon at: www.festiwalszkolteatralnych.pl
Tickets will be available at Nowy Theatre from 20 April.

Graphic design: Julia Mirny
Animation: Kacper Zamarło