Dariusz Kosiński

Dariusz Kosiński is Professor at the Performance Studies Department of the Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. He researched the theory and history of 19th century acting. He also interprets drama. Together with Ireneusz Guszpit, Kosiński has prepared collected editions of Juliusz Osterwa’s theatre writings, including Przez teatr – poza teatr (Through Theatre Beyond Theatre, w, 2004) and Antygona, Hamlet, Tobiasz... (Antigone, Hamlet, Tobias..., 2007).

His research is primarily focused on the distinctiveness of Polish theatre and performance tradition. Kosiński's main publications in the field include: Polski teatr przemiany (Polish Theatre of Transformation, 2007) and an alternative history of Polish theatre and performance called Teatra polskie. Historie (Polish Theatres: Histories, 2010; recognised with Reverend Professor Tischner’s Hestia Sign award in 2011 and the Giedroyc Academic Award in 2012; a German translation was published in 2012, a Chinese one in 2016, Russian and English translations are in progress). His latest publications include a book on contemporary social dramas and performances, including those unfolding after the crash of the Polish presidential plane in Smoleńsk – Teatra polskie. Rok katastrofy (Polish Theatres: The Year of the Disaster, 2013).

Equally importantly, he is interested in Jerzy Grotowski’s work and ideas. He published a general introduction to Grotowski’s work, entitled Grotowski. Przewodnik (Grotowski: A Guide, 2009), and a monograph on Grotowski’s three performances from the early 1960s, Grotowski. Profanacje (Grotowski: Profanations, 2015). From 2010 to 2013, he was Research Director of the Grotowski Institute, Wrocław. He was a member of the editorial team of Jerzy Grotowski’s collected texts, published in Polish in 2012.

At the Performance Studies Department of the Jagiellonian University, he investigates performance, whose fundamentals and purposes he introduced in the book Performatyka. W(y)prowadzenia (Performance Studies: Introductions/Outroductions, 2016).

He was appointed the deputy director of the Zbigniew Raszewski Theatre Institute in April 2014 and the chair of the Artistic Board of the Living Classics Competition for Productions of Polish Old Literature in 2015.