MRS. DULSKA'S MORALITY

Costumes for the play, 2026

Costumes for Gabriela Zapolska’s play, directed by Anna Augustynowicz, staged at the National Theater in Warsaw. Małgorzata Kożuchowska played the lead role. The director chose not to recreate the period, instead presenting the Dulski family home as a timeless “anti-showroom” and a site of familial conflict. The play focuses on hypocrisy, an obsession with control, social oppression, and the desires hidden behind the facade of an orderly life.

I designed a gray-and-black wardrobe in which historical references are juxtaposed with contemporary styles. The costumes define the characters’ personalities and social status, subordinating them to the family’s shared, closed-off order. The black is broken up by individual details, textures, and contrasts between the characters.

The costume design received strong acclaim from critics. Marek Zajdler, writing on the “Nasz Teatr” website, praised the timeless nature of the designs and the way in which historical references intertwine with the present day. He also noted the precisely chosen cuts, which define the characters’ silhouettes and underscore their place in the family hierarchy. Tomasz Mlącki, writing in “Dziennik Teatralny,” highlighted the gray-and-black costumes as a striking element that bridges the realities of a drama set 120 years ago with its contemporary interpretation.

Written by: Gabriela Zapolska
Directed by: Anna Augustynowicz
Costumes: Tomasz Armada
Costume Designer’s Assistant: Filip Holak
Set Design: Marek Braun
Music: Jan Marek Kamiński
Lighting Design and Video Projections: Wojciech Kapela
Choreography: Bartosz Dopytalski
Premiere: June 20, 2026, Jerzy Grzegorzewski Stage on Wierzbowa Street, National Theater in Warsaw.