"Dear Wisełko, Dearest Zbyszku"

A performance based on the correspondence between Wisława Szymborska and Zbigniew Herbert, directed by Mikołaj Grabowski. Starring Katarzyna Krzanowska and Jacek Romanowski. December 29, 2026 at 7:00 PM at Nowa Scena Narodowego Starego Teatru im. H. Modrzejewskiej, ul. Jagiellońska 1. The correspondence reveals a peculiar relationship—more a literary-epistolary romance than anything else. Their contrasting personalities are striking: Szymborska, a Kraków native from a respectable family, preferred a settled, safe, predictable life. She rarely traveled, spoke only French, and lived modestly in a small downtown Kraków apartment among trusted friends, an introvert by nature. Herbert, by contrast, constantly traveled across Europe and America, held foreign scholarships, lectured internationally, and was fluent in multiple languages. A gregarious extrovert, he lived in hotels and residences worldwide. The performance explores this remarkable friendship between two fundamentally opposite souls through their letters. Cast: Katarzyna Krzanowska, Jacek Romanowski Director: Mikołaj Grabowski (also dramaturgy and musical arrangement)