The success of Krystian Lupa’s performances “Persona. Marylin” and “Wycinka” [Woodcutters] in mainland China: The analysis of the phenomenon based on the organizers’ reports

The research purpose was to examine the success of the Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances presented in mainland China. The content of the study was divided into two separate articles. In the first article “The success of Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances “Persona. Marylin” and “Wycinka” [Woodcutters] in mainland China – analysis of the phenomenon based on the organizers’ report”, the main source of research is the interview with Marcin Jacoby, who at that time was the manager of the Asia Project in the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which is a prime mover of Polish contemporary theatre display in China. Lupa’s performances in China were displayed in Hong Kong at first, but at that time did not achieve any success. While the Chinese people were used to theatre involved in social issues, sated with a constructive image of the world and the place of the individual within society, Polish theatre plays encountered all-encompassing misapprehension. As Polish organisers often mentioned in media, the base for the breakthrough was a collaboration with the director of the newly-created Tianjin Grand Theatre, who invited Kristian Lupa with his “Persona: Marilyn” to continental China for the first time, while at the same time taking care of very good promotion and media coverage. In the first article, all “back room” activities that could contribute to success of  Lupa’s performances in China were included. An unveiling of these arrangements can help the reader understand what constitutes a success of polish modern theatre in China.

The research purpose was to examine the success of the Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances presented in mainland China. The content of the study was divided into two separate articles. In the first article “The success of Polish stage director Krystian Lupa’s performances “Persona. Marylin” and “Wycinka” [Woodcutters] in mainland China – analysis of the phenomenon based on the organizers’ report”, the main source of research is the interview with Marcin Jacoby, who at that time was the manager of the Asia Project in the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, which is a prime mover of Polish contemporary theatre display in China. Lupa’s performances in China were displayed in Hong Kong at first, but at that time did not achieve any success. While the Chinese people were used to theatre involved in social issues, sated with a constructive image of the world and the place of the individual within society, Polish theatre plays encountered all-encompassing misapprehension. As Polish organisers often mentioned in media, the base for the breakthrough was a collaboration with the director of the newly-created Tianjin Grand Theatre, who invited Kristian Lupa with his “Persona: Marilyn” to continental China for the first time, while at the same time taking care of very good promotion and media coverage. In the first article, all “back room” activities that could contribute to success of  Lupa’s performances in China were included. An unveiling of these arrangements can help the reader understand what constitutes a success of polish modern theatre in China.