JAN KOCHANOWSKI THEATER IN OPOLE

The theater in Opole, located at Teatralny Square 12 and named after Jan Kochanowski, has been operating since January 23, 1975. Previously, after resuming operations in October 1945, following World War II, the theater was located at Traugutta Street 1 and was called the Juliusz Słowacki Municipal Theater. From the 1947/1948 season, it performed as the Opole Region Theater, and from January 1950 as the Opole Region State Theater.

There are four stages in the Opole theater. Every year, several premieres take place here and external plays are also staged. Since 1975, the Opole theater

has been organizing one of the largest festivals in Poland: the Opole Theater Confrontations “Polish Classics”. This is the most important review of stagings of classic Polish dramas, during which the best performances from across the country compete for the Grand Prix and a number of other awards on the stage of the Opole theater. Since 2015,

the Confrontations have been the finale of the year-long Competition for the Staging of Old Polish Literary Works, “Living Classics.”

The theater also keeps alive the memory of Jerzy Grotowski, a great reformer of this art form, who took over the management of the 13 Rows Theater (later renamed the 13 Rows Laboratory Theater) in Opole in the late 1950s.

The theater underwent renovation between 2019 and 2021. The main façade and the adjacent surroundings have undergone a spectacular transformation. The entrance for spectators has been rebuilt, a ramp for disabled people has been added, the moat has been removed and terraces have been built. Inside, there is a café which serves as a meeting place, with a summer garden in front of the theater. The front façade of the theater features a vertical garden. From the inside, one can appreciate how impressively the theater space transitions into the renovated John Paul II Square, which now includes a new space for cultural and recreational purposes, including the organization of cultural events.