Chopin Without Piano at FringeArts
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Chopin Without Piano, produced by Centrala, Warsaw, conceived and written by Michał Zadara and Barbara Wysocka, directed by Michał Zadara. Chopin performed by Barbara Wysocka. Photo by Natalia Kabanow. Courtesy of Swarthmore College.
Swarthmore College presents Chopin Without Piano at FringeArts, featuring an interpretive theatrical and musical piece that will reveal new insights into Fryderyk Chopin as both a historical figure and a masterful composer.
Funded by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, the performances will reimagine the distinct character of Chopin's orchestral writing of two piano concerti using dramatic spoken text constructed from fragments of Chopin's letters and biographies, and Polish writers' commentaries on Chopin. Acclaimed Polish actress, Barbara Wysocka, who conceived the work with the Centrala theater company in Warsaw, Poland, will perform the monologues in Polish with English subtitles. The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia will perform the orchestral score, led by Polish conductor Bassem Akik. A concert grand piano will be physically present on stage but will never be played, representing Chopin's displacement from his homeland, while underscoring themes of absence and alienation that will unfold in the monologues.
Performances Wednesday through Friday (October 28–30) will begin at 8 p.m. Please note that the final performance on Saturday, October 31 will begin at 2 p.m.
$25 general admission/$15 for students and 25-and-under. For tickets, please visit FringeArts.com or call 215.413.1318.