&FEST: The Birds

Anna Smolar (b. 1980) is a French-Polish theatre director, dramaturge and translator. Resident of the Nowy Teatr in Warsaw (2017–2019). Graduated in literary studies from the University of Paris-Sorbonne.

In 2001, she founded in Paris La compagnie Gochka with which she performed spectacles until 2004. In Poland, among others she directed Claudel's The exchange at the Silesian Theatre in Katowice, a para-documentary performance Lady of Burma about Aung San Suu Kyi at the Polonia Teatr in Warsaw, Jewish Actors at the Jewish Theatre, The Dibbouk at the Polish Theatre in Bydgoszcz, Cinderella, according to Joël Pommerat at the National Stary Teatr in Kraków. At Nowy Teatr since 2010 she has directed Enter, Pinocchio, Henrietta Lacks, Thriller, and Erazm/Erasmus in the framework of the Europe Ensemble’s project.

Her latest works include Cowboys at Teatr Osterwy in Lublin. Laureate of the Polityka Passport 2016 for "a chamber and empathetic theater, approaching apparently marginal topics with imagination and humor " and for "consistent expansion of the theatrical field as well as willingness and ability to dialogue with all kind of public”. She is also the author of the French translation of Grażyna Jagielska's book Love of stone.

Photo: Rafał Paradowski