Forefathers’ Eve is a four-part drama written in the first half of the 19th century. Mickiewicz dedicated his work to those fighting for Polish freedom during the anti-Tsarist November Uprising of 1830, particularly those exiled to Siberia after the insurrection’s failure. The Ukrainian production retains the drama’s original Polish title—Dziady—which refers to an ancient Slavic and Lithuanian feast commemorating the dead.
Premiered in Ivano-Frankivsk in May 2023, the production is directed by Poland’s Maja Kleczewska, who, as the company states in its program note, “looked at the most important Polish drama in the contemporary context of the war in Ukraine and the fight for freedom.”
Kleczewska’s interpretation of Forefathers’ Eve highlights its relevance today as an anti-imperialist work. The program note for the production states: “It is difficult to find any other work in all of Polish literature that describes the nation’s struggles against Russian enslavement with such clarity. The staging of Forefathers’ Eve in Ukraine, during the war with Russia, has a profound impact on both Ukrainian and Polish audiences.”
The note further adds: “Kleczewska’s production is not only a staging of a classical drama but also a political statement—a manifesto of resistance that underscores the shared experiences of Poles and Ukrainians in their confrontation with Russian imperialism.” It also quotes Kleczewska’s response to those who argue that the war in Ukraine does not concern the rest of Europe: “It is your war because Ukrainians are defending each of us.”
Kleczewska, 52, is one of Poland’s leading theatre directors. She was recently appointed artistic director of Warsaw’s Powszechny Theatre for a five-year term starting in September 2025.
Four performances of Forefathers’ Eve are scheduled at the city’s Dramatyczny Theatre between February 21 and 25. The production is in Ukrainian, with Polish surtitles.
Source: X/@MieroszewskiPL
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