ODLOT

Costumes for the Play, 2021

I designed the costumes for the world premiere of Zenon Fajfer’s play, directed by Anna Augustynowicz. The action takes place during a symbolic flight operated by the “Famous Airlines: Former Heroes.” The journey through the skies becomes a metaphor for Polish society, burdened by national myths, the Smolensk disaster, mutual animosity, and unresolved traumas.

The costumes evoke a sense of collective identity and uniformity among the passengers of contemporary Poland. Everyday and formal elements of the wardrobe were subjected to theatrical exaggeration, reflecting the gradual transformation of an ordinary flight into a national nightmare. The production was part of a minimalist, precisely constructed stage form based on words, movement, music, and recurring images of Polish culture.

“Odlot” won the Grand Prix at the 28th National Competition for the Staging of Polish Contemporary Drama, the Audience Award at the 28th International Festival of Pleasant and Unpleasant Arts, and the Amber Ring for best production of the 2021–2022 season. Anna Augustynowicz received the Konrad Swinarski Award for her direction of the production. The production was also presented during the 42nd Warsaw Theater Meetings and in the main competition of the Boska Komedia festival.

Costumes: Tomasz Armada
Text: Zenon Fajfer
Directed by: Anna Augustynowicz
Set Design: Marek Braun
Music: Jacek Wierzchowski
Video: Wojciech Kapela
Choreography: Zbigniew Szymczyk
Lighting Design: Krzysztof Sendke
Production: Teatr Współczesny in Szczecin
World Premiere: December 13, 2021, Main Stage of Teatr Współczesny in Szczecin.