Jerzy Grzegorzewski was a theatre director, scenographer, scene writer and a painter. During his 50-years-long career, he worked in most of the acknowledged Polish theatres. He held the office of a general director of the National Theatre (1997-2005) and the Studio Theatre (1982-1997) in Warsaw, directed plays in Stefan Jaracz Theatre in Łódź (1970-1976) and the Old Theatre in Cracow (1978-1982). Additionally, he was an artistic director of the Polish Theatre in Wrocław (1978-1981). He had his first play directed in 1961, while the last one directed in 2005. He played a decisive role in the creation of the artistic vision of the Studio Theater in Warsaw, which he managed from 1981 to 1997. After his death, the Studio Theater decided to establish a special unit – the Jerzy Grzegorzewski Archive, in order to document and preserve his legacy. Grzegorzewski is considered one of the most important creators of the contemporary Polish theatrical scene, as he managed to balance the avant-garde theatrical vision alongside the respect towards the tradition and literature. This was the reason why he was criticized by different groups of theater enthusiasts – for the avant-garde movement he was too conservative, while the traditionalists considered him too subversive. Paradoxically enough, this ambivalent position helped him to become the director of Studio Theatre in the 1980s. His works were considered too distinct and peculiar by the Communist Party’s authorities, and thus, he was not perceived as a threat to the dominant socialist narrative. During his career he received national and international awards, while his spectacles were shown abroad as an outstanding example of the Polish contemporary theatre. Notwithstanding, even if not openly political, the plays staged by Grzegorzewski have always opposed the dominant socialist paradigm of the individual and the collective.
Grzegorzewski, Jerzy, Ewa Bułhak, and Mateusz Żurawski. Powolne ciemnienie malowideł: 1985. Warszawa: Instytut Teatralny im. Zbigniewa Raszewskiego, 2012.
Grzegorzewski, Jerzy, Ewa Bułhak, and Mateusz Żurawski. Tak zwana ludzkość w obłędzie: 1987. Warszawa: Instytut Teatralny im. Zbigniewa Raszewskiego, 2012.
Grzegorzewski, Jerzy, Ewa Bułhak, and Mateusz Żurawski. Usta milczą, dusza śpiewa: 1988. Warszawa: Instytut Teatralny im. Zbigniewa Raszewskiego, 2012.
Grzegorzewski, Jerzy, and Antonina Grzegorzewska. Jerzy Grzegorzewski: że też musiała Pani zadać to pytanie!. 2015.
Mateusz, Żurawski , interview by Kruczkowska, Patrycja , May 26, 2017. COURAGE Registry Oral History Collection