Mumerus Theatre
Theatre Mumerus, founded in 1999 by Wieslaw Holdys, is an association where professional actors, directors, musicians and painters can get together. Mumerus is an NGO (non governmental organisation) and non-profit organization. The board works without payment and expenses for administration are limited to a bare minimum.
The most important thing for Mumerus is to look for really new inspiration and new forms in theatre. Theatre Mumerus has produced only new and original works inspired mostly by non-dramatic sources. Mumerus also looks for new spaces for theatre, such as old cellars, open areas, prisons, small and big theatres, or old factories.
Recent performances include:
Mumerus, a show inspired by Benedykt Chmielowski's New Athens.
The Cabaret of Cuttings Under Patronage of Uncle Albert - Inspiration for this surrealistic performance came from poems and ideas by Alfred Jarry, mainly Pathafisicus and Faustroll - these were 'cuttings' from reality and art. They used texts from newspapers and pieces from contemporary Polish writers (Lidia Amejko and Zbigniew Machej).
A trip to the Moon, a show inspired by Georges Melies' silent movie from 1902.
UBU - by Alfred Jarry.
Laputa & Lagado - the third voyage of Gulliver based on Jonathan Swift's classic tale.
Mumerus is a member of EUnetART. They are also members of STEN, The Association of Non-institutional Theatres in Cracow.
Since November 2001 Mumerus has been involved with the international theatre-education project 'Magic - Net' (supported by The European Commission program 'Culture 2000').
Mumerus has also made workshops based on the Polish romantic drama Forefathers Eve - Part II by Adam Mickiewicz, with youth from The Institute for The Blind and Partially Sighted in Cracow (theatre education).
'Cracow City Guide' writes about Mumerus:
"This is a cross between a theatre, a cabaret and a drama society. (...) It aims to appeal to an international audience. The plays staged touch upon symbolism and are historical in nature but contemporary in form. They could be described as 'serious entertainment'."