History
Everything began in the season 1947/48, with the outset of a drama stage at the Puppet and Actor Theatre, created by Elżbieta and Zenon Kalinowicz. In 1948, the city authorities took the administration of this private undertaking, changing its name to the Young Spectator Theatre (it became a state theatre in 1950)
In 1953, an estimated actor Adolf Chronicki took the direction of the theatre for 13 years. Striving for a change of the theatre's name, he focused on the "adult" repertory of the drama stage and on the formation of its artistic profile. In 1958, Jerzy Jarocki prepared We come home late by Karpowicz, beginning with this performance a co-operation with the theatre which would last 30 years.
The years 1966-1973 are a time of an evident increase of the artistic level of the theatre, directed by Andrzej Witkowski. The choice of Edmund Wierciński as a patron of the theatre and renaming it to Teatr Współczesny (Contemporary Ttheatre) defined the direction of Witkowski's artistic explorations.
The co-operation of Helmut Kajzar and Tadeusz Różewicz with the theatre, a clear and strengthened artistic profile, and an excellently prepared troupe were Witkowski's heritage, transferred to Kazimierz Braun, director of Teatr Współczesny from 1975.
The first play directed by Braun - Mariage Blanc by Tadeusz Różewicz was already a great artistic success, very well attended (more than 600 performances). That performance was followed by Brecht's Mother Courage, Gombrowicz's Operetta, or Rozewicz's Trap. Braun knew how to use and develop Witkowski's artistic heritage, building one of the best theatres in Poland, also successful abroad.
The ban on the performance Insatiability, directed by Wiesław Saniewski was the beginning of the coflict between Kazimierz Braun and Communist authorities. After his dismissal, many actors also left Teatr Współczesny.
Those who remained, along with the director Jan Prochyra, tried to create a new face of the theatre. The two strong accents of this period were the unforgettable Singer's The Magician of Lublin directed by Jan Szurmiej and Erdman's The Suicider directed by Jerzy Jarocki.
The following years and directions - those of Krzysztof Rościszewski, Julia Wernio, Zbigniew Lesień - are the period of Sylwester Chęciński's theatrical debut (Komedia sytuacyjna), tbe great award-winning Historyja o chwalebnym zmartwychwstaniu Pańskim (The Story of Our Lord's Glorious Resurrection) by Mikołaja z Wilkowiecka, directed by Piotr Cieplak, Tchekhov's The Cherry Orchard produced by Andro Enukidze, Gogol's The Inspector staged by Sergiey Desnitsky.
Since 1995, the theatre is again a city theatre, under the name Wrocławski Teatr Współczesny im. Edmunda Wiercińskiego. Since 1999, its director is Krystyna Meissner. From the very beginning of her direction, not only has the theatre marked its strong position in the city's cultural life, but it has also gained a reputation of one of the best Polish stages. Teatr Współczesny is appreciated for its clearly composed repertory, seriuos thinking about the audience, choice of artists of different generations, and for its excellent troupe.
Wrocławski Teatr Współczesny is also the organiser of the