The award for the best acting debut in the last theatre season was presented on January 9 at the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute in Warsaw. Julia Szczepańska was awarded for the role of Barbara Niechcic in the play “Nights and Days, or Between Life and Death”, inspired by Maria Dąbrowska's novel, directed by Michał Siegoczyński and staged at the Wilam Horzyca Theatre in Toruń. The award has been granted by the Board of the Theatre Critics Section of the Association of Polish Stage Artists since 1999.

Congratulations not only on the award, but above all on the fantastic role and its great reception. Barbara Niechcic - a legend, an icon - what kind of material is this for an actress at the beginning of her theatrical career? How do you remember working on this show?

My adventure with "Nights and Days" began two years ago. It was then that I was offered to play the role of Barbara Niechcic for the first time. To be honest, at first, I was a little scared. How can such a huge, capacious saga be transformed into a relatively concise and interesting show "How to build a narrative about passing and love in an unpretentious way? How to defend a character that people call a "Hug"? I remember the words of a person close to me when I told her about this role: "God, what a terrible woman she was. When this Bogumił cheated on her, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. It serves her right" But I grew to like Barbara very much. It seems to me that I was able to forgive her for a lot and understand where her often dry and terrible reactions come from. I've always preferred to play the roles of dark characters, strong women, people who were disliked. I tried to find an explanation in them, goodness, some unhealed wound. The role of Barbara Niechcic in Toruń's "Nights and Days" is certainly a treat for every actress, especially right after school, counting on the opportunity to show herself from as many angles as possible. This is a chance to create a multidimensional character. It's also a bit like solving some thrilling puzzle. This role allows me to play with conventions, challenge myself to play in both comedy and drama. In addition, thanks to the constant presence of the camera in the show, I’ve had training in both theatre and film acting. I think I couldn’t have found a better acting training at the beginning of my career.

Also your film debut, the role of Ania in Piotr Złotorowicz's "Wiarołom", was noticed and awarded - at the Tofifest International Film Festival. What do you remember about working on the set?

I'm glad I could make my debut in this film. From the very beginning, I really liked the idea of telling a simple story in such a formally complex way. I really like the film language that Piotrek uses in it and the fact that this film is uncompromising. I think it is an interesting Polish cinema. When I saw "Wiarołom" for the first time at an internal screening organized by Piotrek for me and Mateusz Więcławek, I said to him: "It is possible that such cinema will not be liked, perhaps it will be boring for some, and only a handful will be delighted. But I really like this film". Moreover, the creative process itself was very interesting and I could learn a lot. When my colleagues and I compare our experiences of working on our debuts, I come to the conclusion that I was lucky to come across the "Wiarołom" crew.

It was a full-length feature debut for both you and the director - Piotr Złotorowicz, a graduate of the Directing Department. You are both graduates of the Lodz Film School. You just graduated, in 2021, and so much has already happened in your life. Did reality surprise you?

After leaving school, the reality looked a little different. At least I can honestly say that it did in my case. Harder. First of all the pandemic cut our diploma year, and there was a change in school authority and many other circumstances that made the school we knew cease to exist a bit. For me, the clash with reality after school was very difficult - there was a lot of uncertainty, sadness, regret, some tears and breakdowns that "I will never become an actress". Everyone around us kept saying that we found ourselves as young actors in a difficult situation at that time. It was true about me, too. At that time many things got verified. But somehow we managed to get out of it slowly. Am I at the point where I imagined I'd be after school? Not yet. But I'm getting there little by little.

In 2020, at the Theatre Schools Festival, you received the Opus Film Award - for your roles in the shows "Hamlet x 4" (dir. Waldemar Zawodziński) and "Don't eat it! It's for Christmas" (dir. Mariusz Grzegorzek) - for the actress who "we would like to watch on TV and cinema screen" – What is closer to you film or theatre? where is closer to you? For Film or Theatre?

I've always dreamt of combining these two worlds, but I guess it depends on what fate brings. At the moment, I'm developing more in the theatre, I just got this opportunity, but I miss the film and I dream a little that 2023 will be the year when there will be room for a film adventure. It's funny, but I see this Opus award as a kind of irony. Since I got „the award for the actress we would like to see on TV and cinema screens, none of them seem very eager to have me.

In your show reel, you mention your fluent command of English, and your ambition to play outside Poland, is it still a dream or maybe a plan?

Is it possible to have any plans in this profession? I still dream about it and will definitely go for it.

And what are your nearest plans and activities? Where can we look for you to see you?

I invite you to Toruń! I play there in the Wilam Horzyca Theatre in three shows: "Nights and Days, or Between Life and Death", "The Cherry Orchard" and "Eight Women". As for film adventures, I hope that this year the previously mentioned "Wiarołom" will be released to a wider audience and will be watched outside of the festival circuit. I hope that soon you will also be able to see graduation film of my year, as well as several short projects that I am extremely proud of, such as Dawid Bodzak's directing diploma film - "Crocodile", for which I keep my fingers crossed.

A now sentimental question – what and who do you miss at the School or our Studyjny Theatre?

What I miss most is people, a kind of community. I have many bittersweet memories from my school days. Some are very funny, some are difficult. I certainly miss the feeling of permanent development and being faced with new challenges. The fact that you constantly act at school, you discover new things about yourself and the profession. After leaving the Film School I miss such a constant momentum. I have very fond memories of cigarettes smoked on the patio of the Studyjny Theatre, conversations, people, those with whom I am close to this day and those whom I see or hear less often.

Julia, thank you for the interview and we wish you more theatre successes and, according to your dream, that 2023 will bring you beautiful film adventures.

Interviewer: Jolanta Karpińska
photos from the show „Nights and Days” - Wojtek Szabelski, Wilam Horzyca Theatre in Torun
Julia’s photos: Maciej Edelman, Jakub Solarz