Teatr Polski in Lodz was established in 1888 in the building of the former Victoria Theater on Piotrkowska St.; however, its permanent premises are located on Stefana Jaracza St. Its current name was adapted in 1949. During the time it was managed by Aleksander Zelwerowicz, the theater has grown to reach the position of one of the most important stages in the country. In the beginning, it was dominated by the classic national repertoire – “Dziady” in Wyspiański’s version, Słowacki’s and Krasicki’s texts – and later, contemporary (Szaniawski, Żeromski) and Shakespearean. Before the war, Juliusz Osterwa wrote here, whereas after the war, the historical staging of Leon Schiller’s “Krakowiacy i Górale” was held here. In the post-war period, the stage saw the performances of, among others, Janusz Gajos, Joanna Jędryka, or Emil Karewicz. The directors included Henryk Rzewuski and Jerzy Grzegorzewski, to name a few.
Nowadays Stefan Jaracz Theater presents original works and outstanding world plays, from Shakespeare and Chekhov, through Wyspiański and Gombrowicz, to contemporary authors, such as Arthur Miller, Nikołaj Kolada, Thomas Bernhard, or Marius von Mayenburg. In 2009 the Theater received the Gloria Artis Gold Medal for the Contributors to Culture.
