The stage performance „Diva without Mirror”

Supraśl, Dom Ludowy, Scena Letnia

When women were allowed to perform on stage, contraltos and mezzo-sopranos replaced castrati, for whom composers like Georg Friedrich Händel and Claudio Monteverdi wrote. Outstanding female singers previously took on roles of knights, kings, sons, and lovers. This posed a significant challenge for any artist trying to achieve the level of Sarah Bernhardt or Helena Modrzejewska, who concluded their careers by playing Hamlet.

Today, the renowned opera soloist Małgorzata Walewska will meet with Michał Znaniecki and Adam Banaszak to explore new dimensions in arias whose texts were written by Metastasio. These arias gained popularity across Europe and solidified the dominance of Italian opera in royal, court, municipal, and national theaters. The performance will delve into the introspection of the artist-singer. How far can one lose themselves in a role? How much of their private “self” remains in each character portrayed? The audience will also discover the secrets of the makeup artist and actor’s craft. Behind-the-scenes revelations will unfold through a unique narrative: a diva’s dialogue with hairdressers, makeup artists, wardrobe attendants, and stage managers. Participants from special opera workshops conducted by the Jutropera Foundation will step into these roles as they prepare for the premiere. Will it be revealed on stage that everyone can become someone else despite fear, inhibitions, and, above all, the social context that segregates, stigmatizes, and often hinders the full development of talents and personalities? This project speaks to transcending personal boundaries symbolically, yet demanding both artistically and technically. The participation of individuals with disabilities and amateurs on the same stage as Małgorzata Walewska serves as a testament that anything is possible. The performance grants them access to high culture not only as passive spectators but also through genuine participation that teaches, reveals, and transforms lives.

Writer and director: Michał Znaniecki
Lineup: Małgorzata Walewska – mezzosopran
Adam Banaszak - conductor, artistic director
Arte dei Suonatori Orchestra
Costumes: Bartosz Jakub Kamiński-Lingo i Magdalena Kleinschmidt
Scenography: Luigi Scoglio