Year 1918 on the theatrical province. Kielce

Abstract

The article describes cultural life in Kielce at the threshold of independence. The local theatre played a prominent role at that time, since it was the only professional scene on which the Regency Council’s manifest was read. After this event the institution had its name changed into the Polish Theatre. The directors in those days were struggling with financial and logistical problems, lack of permanent crew, and even the outbreak of typhus. The history of the theater is described in the context of provincial, poor and clerical town, in which the intelligentsia accounted for a small percentage of the population. The audience wanted some entertainment both from the theatre and the expanding world of the cinema. Therefore, the creators were trying to meet those expectations through productions based on comedy and operetta. The local amateur theatre was the only group involved in politics, staging several patriotic plays. The conclusions of the article are based on the materials published in ”Gazeta Kielecka”, a local newspaper of that time, and collections available in the branch of National Archive in Kielce (unfortunately, no documents have been preserved in Żeromski Theater), as well as the research done by regional historians. Year 1918 turned out to be just a glimpse in the long process of changing the mentality of local community. It was just the first step to rebuild its national identity.