→ 1972
Teatr Klasyczny changes its name to Teatr Studio.
photo: Forman Harrison, The American Geographical Society Library, Uniwersity of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries
Józef Szajna — set designer, painter, and stage director — becomes the director of the theatre.
photo: Wojciech Plewiński
The premiere of Witkacy with script, set design and direction of Józef Szajna.
photo: Wojciech Plewiński
The Gallery within the Theatre is launched; the first handover of art works from the Ministry of Culture and Arts to the Teatr Studio collection.
photo: Studio Gallery archive
Szajna opens a set design school, aiming at the transformation of the theatre into a modern artistic and research institution. Courses at the school will be attended in the following years by numerous international students.
→ 1973
The premiere of Replica IV, an original play by Józef Szajna. Initially staged in the gallery space, the production begins to tour the world.
photo: Ryszard Dreger
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
→ 1974
The premiere of Dante, with script, direction and set design by Józef Szajna.
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
The Gallery expands its scope of activities to include musical, performative and film events.
→ 1975
9 March – 5 May – the grand tour of Replica IV across the USA and Mexico. The play is performed in theatres, old churches, in courtyards, sports halls, often with an audience of over 1,500.
23 August – 6 September – presentation of Stuart Brisley’s artistic action Moments of Decision / Indecision in the Gallery space.
photo: Leslie Haslam
→ 1976
Malarnia, a new small stage is created within the theatre, in the former painters’ workshop.
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
The premiere of Cervantes, another original production by Józef Szajna.
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
→ 1978
Zdzisław Sosnowski becomes the curator of Galeria Studio (Studio Gallery) which receives its current name. In the years 1978-1981, the Gallery offers exhibitions of international artists, including Mario Merz, Wolf Vostell and Sol LeWitt, as well as Polish avant-garde artists.
photo: Zdzisław Sosnowski
Józef Szajna premiers his subsequent productions – Majakowski and Death on a pear tree.
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
→ 1980
On Szajna’s initiative, Teatr Studio changes its name to Centrum Sztuki Studio – Teatr Galeria (Art Center Studio – Theatre Gallery). The co-author of the concept for the operations of the new institution is deputy director of the Culture Department of the Capital City of Warsaw, Waldemar Dąbrowski.
→ 1981
Soon after the Martial War is declared, Szajna decides on an early retirement. He recommends Jerzy Grzegorzewski, eminent director and set designer of the middle generation, as his successor.
photo: Adam Hawałej
→ 1982
Waldemar Dąbrowski becomes the Chief Director of Centrum Sztuki Studio (Studio Art Centre). He initiates artistic management activities. The position of artistic director starting from the 82/83 season is officially entrusted to Jerzy Grzegorzewski.
Polish premiere of Jean Genet’s The Screens, with direction and set design by Jerzy Grzegorzewski.
photo: Zygmunt Rytka
→ 1982-1997
Zbigniew Taranienko runs Studio Gallery, significantly expanding the art collection belonging to the Theatre.
photo: Studio Gallery archive
→ 1984
Centrum Sztuki Studio expands its activities – the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra under the management of Franciszek Wybrańczyk and Yehudi Menuhin becomes part of the Centre. Dąbrowski launches the Film Workshop.
photo: Lew Charewicz
Jerzy Grzegorzewski expands the Studio artistic team, employing numerous excellent actors.
The premiere of Tadeusz Różewicz’s The Trap, with direction and set design by Jerzy Grzegorzewski. In the following months, the production is performed in the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia and Germany.
photo: Wojciech Plewiński
photo: Zygmunt Rytka
→ 1985
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, multi-talented painter and playwright of the inter-war period, becomes the patron of Centrum Sztuki Studio. The ceremony is held on the artist’s hundredth birthday.
photo: Jadwiga Kępińska
The premiere of The Comedy and Krapp’s Last Tape begin the series of productions of Samuel Beckett’s plays (Beckett in Studio) directed by Antoni Libera.
photo: Zygmunt Rytka
→ 1986
The premiere of Bertold Brecht’s Threepenny Opera staged by Jerzy Grzegorzewski with a star-studded cast. The production is featured in the Bitef festival in Belgrade; in the following years it is shown and warmly received in Russia, Germany and France.
photo: Wojciech Plewiński
→ 1987
Polish premiere of Forefathers’ Eve – Improvisation after Adam Mickiewicz, with direction and set design by Jerzy Grzegorzewski.
photo: Wojciech Plewiński
The premiere of So-Called Humanity Gone Mad based on dramas by St. I. Witkiewicz, script and director Jerzy Grzegorzewski.
photo: Wojciech Plewiński
→ 1989
Studio Gallery opens the exhibition Studio American Collection. A gift of artwork by American and Polish artists -including Andy Warhol and Wojciech Fangor – was donated to the Theatre by collector Eva Pape.
photo: Studio Gallery archive
→ 1990
October – two tournées of L’Assombrissement lent des peintures, an original production by Jerzy Grzegorzewski after Malcolm Lowry in the Netherlands and France.
Dąbrowski leaves Studio to take the position of the undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Culture and Art. Grzegorzewski takes over the duties of the chief director.
→ 1991
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, adapted and directed by Jerzy Grzegorzewski.
photo: Zygmunt Rytka
June – performances of the German language version of Różewicz’s The Trap directed by Jerzy Grzegorzewski at Wiener Festwochen in Vienna.
→ 1992
The premiere of Dante ‘92 and Józef Szajna’s anniversary.
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
The premiere of Lautréamont: Dreams – the debut of Mariusz Treliński (currently renowned opera director).
On the invitation of Heiner Müller, Jerzy Grzegorzewski’s original play The City Counting Dog Noses goes to the Bonn festival.
→ 1993
Anthon Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, with direction and set design by Jerzy Grzegorzewski. The play performed 150 times remains in the theatre repertory for six years.
photo: Zygmunt Rytka
→ 1995
The premiere of La Bohème, a play based on texts by Stanisław Wyspiański, great painter and playwright of the turn of the 20th century; script and direction – Jerzy Grzegorzewski.
→ 1997
Grzegorzewski becomes the artistic director of the National Theatre in Warsaw. He hands over the running of Studio to Zbigniew Brzoza and Krzysztof Kosmala.
In the years 1997-2006, Studio Gallery is run by Grzegorz Pabel, painter and professor at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts.
→ 1998
Polish premiere of Bam after Daniel Charms directed by Oskaras Koršunovas opens Studio’s several-year-long cooperation with Lithuanian and Hungarian theatre creators.
The premiere of Bernard-Marie Koltès’ West Pier, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski.
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
→ 2000
The premiere of Peter Turrini’s Love in Madagascar, directed by Zbigniew Brzoza, and Turrini’s first visit in Poland.
photo: STUDIO archive
→ 2002
The premiere of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus directed by Zbigniew Brzoza.
photo: Łukasz Król
→ 2005
9 April – Jerzy Grzegorzewski dies.
→ 2006
Krzysztof Żwirblis becomes the manager of the Gallery. He will stay in charge until 2012, inviting to its programme artists of the young generation looking for new means of expression. In 2008, he organises an important exhibition: Gallery in the Theatre 1972-82. Remembering Józef Szajna, evoking the avant-garde and experimental period of the Gallery’s history.
→ 2008
24 June – Józef Szajna dies.
photo: Stefan Okołowicz
Bartosz Zaczykiewicz becomes the director of the theatre. Studio Art Centre is dissolved. Only the Gallery remains within Studio Theatre.
→ 2010-2011
The authorities of the Capital of Warsaw attempt to reactivate the arthouse, exploratory nature of Studio.
Artistic direction is assumed by Grzegorz Bral, creator of the alternative Song of the Goat Theatre in Wrocław.
Roman Osadnik becomes the chief director of Studio.
→ 2012
On the initiative of the new artistic director Agnieszka Glińska, the Big Stage is named after Józef Szajna, and the Gallery – Jerzy Grzegorzewski.
From 2012 to 2016, Agnieszka Zawadowska is the curator of Studio Gallery.
In the former scenography workshop, the new Modelatornia stage is created, as well as Studio Bar on the ground floor.
→ 2013
The premiere of A Couple of Poor, Polish-Speaking Romanians by Dorota Masłowska, directed by Agnieszka Glińska. The production will be presented in Romania and Latvia.
→ 2014
The first edition of the Parade Square festival, co-organised by Studio, named the event of the year in the Gazeta Wyborcza poll.
photo: Sisi Cecylia
→ 2016
Natalia Korczakowska becomes the new deputy artistic director.
Dorota Jarecka assumes the management of the Gallery.
Studio Theatre changes its name to STUDIO theatregallery.
photo: Błażej Pindor
→ 2017
The premiere of the adaptation of Alfred Döblin’s Berlin Alexanderplatz, adapted and directed by Natalia Korczakowska.
photo: Krzysztof Bieliński
→ 2018
The Studio Gallery collection features over a thousand works of contemporary art.
A double, Polish-American premiere of Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz’s Metaphysics of a Two-Headed Calf, adapted and directed by Natalia Korczakowska (2018 Redcat in Los Angeles, 2019 in Teatr Studio).
poster: KUKI Krzysztof Iwański
→ 2020-2021
The book 48: The Collection of the Studio Gallery in Warsaw prepared by the Studio Gallery team. In 2021, an exhibition opens featuring the selection of artwork from the collection, as well as the archival part devoted to the history of Gallery, including film and photographic documentation.
→ 2022
Studio 50th anniversary celebrations. The anniversary programme includes plays, exhibitions, concerts, performances, theatre and musical marathons, discussions, guided tours of the gallery and the theatre, actor’s benefit performances, etc.
