Memory is a key element of heritage. Besides the institutionalized memory in written history of theatre, individual memory has huge value, as personal details, events and emotions enrich the picture of the past. It is especially worthful in such ephemeral and human – centered art as theatre. Recording and presenting individual memories can be a worthful source of information from witnesses of history of Polish and European theatre.

            Two heroes of my story – Mrs. Zyta Trych and Mr Grzegorz Cuper – have been faithful to the theatre for decades. Zyta is 90, she has lived in theatre building as a child and remained faithful viewer for whole her life. Grzegorz is seeing theatre in Kielce and whole Poland for more than 60 years; he saw 6000 performances.

            A documentary, meeting with young audience and a literary contest for young theatre lover and meetings with actors and artists working in the Stefan Żeromski Theatre, moderated by Grzegorz Cuper would present fascinating world of these two extraordinary people.

Theatre changes lives of its audience at least for a night. For some of them it becomes a life-long passion. I would like to tell the story of two people from Kielce for whom watching theatre performance has been a life-long passion; they identify with Stefan Żeromski Theatre and theatre art in general. Memory is a key element of heritage. Besides the institutionalized memory in written history of theatre, individual memory has huge value, as personal details, events and emotions enrich the picture of the past. It is especially worthful in such ephemeral and human – centered art as theatre. Recording and presenting individual memories can be a worthful source of information from witnesses of history of Polish and European theatre.

            Two heroes of my story – Mrs. Zyta Trych and Mr Grzegorz Cuper – have been faithful to the theatre for decades. Zyta lived in the apartment in the theatre building and the close neighborhood defined her identity. She named the address of the Theatre “Address of the Heart” in her poems and anecdotes. Even during the WW2 Theatre building was a sort of asylum for her. Zita was a teacher for children with special needs. Theatre has taught her sensibility, finding space of more beautiful and richer life, full of aesthetical and ethical values. She will always remain “the one from the Theatre”, as her schoolmates used to call her. Zyta is 90 now. She writes poetry is one of the founders of Society of the Friends of Theatre. She is widely liked in Kielce and people call her “colorful bird”, as she always dresses colorfully, her look being inspired by colorful world of theatre and beautiful actresses remembered from her childhood. Zyta can be a role-model for a life led with deep and lifelong passion.

            Grzegorz Cuper is a pensioner who used to be a librarian. His love to the most alive and ephemeral art lasts for more than 60 years and has brought him to all important theatre houses in Poland. Grzegorz saw more than six thousands performances, 137 only in year 2021. He has been spending all his earning and savings to visit theatre. He happened to spend the night at railway station many times, when the train was not arriving after the show. He used to return home at night or early in the morning, go to work immediately, and again go to theatre after work. Grzegorz is very proud of his way of life; he does not treat it as a sacrifice, but as highest satisfaction. By the time he started participating in theatre life more professionally. He worked as theatre critic and prepared several bibliographies, the most important among them being the second volume of the catalogue “140 years of theatre in Kielce: 1945 – 2019).

            I would like to make a documentary about these two heroes. They would talk about their passion for theatre and recall the most important moments of the history of theatre in Kielce. I think it is very important to pass their stories to young generation and to present them value of their rich and fulfilled lives. Therefore I would like to organize meetings and discussions with students of local schools and universities. The third element of this story would be literary contest for young audience, where they would be awarded for the best descriptions of their own experiences and passions in theatre audience. Finally, I would like to organize meetings with actors and artists working in the Stefan Żeromski Theatre, where Grzegorz Cuper would be the host and moderator.

There are no so many activities in every day of people living in different countries, small and big towns during thousands of years that connect them with European tradition and culture as theatre does. Theatre was one of the first forms of European culture at all, when in Greek theatre whole society participated in annual performances of tragedies. The role of theatre in European society was never truly diminished, even contemporary it is some sort of place to solve important political, social and metaphysical issues.

            Each theatre lover has opportunity to learn about the most worthy pieces of European arts, as repertoires in all theatres present texts from all countries and historical periods. Theatre lover gets to know characters and plots very closely, to understand them in individual way; therefore he always has deep insight and achieves understanding of variety of European cultures.

            Theatre is based on the most important European values: humanity and compassion, solidarity, tolerance, understanding the differences etc. Heroes of our story, life-long theatre lovers Zyta i Grzegorz confirm those statements with whole their life experiences.