Antoniówka Integrative Theatre

It all started with Marshal Stanisław Małachowski High School's volunteers who, together with Mrs. Renata Kutyło - Utzig, went to the Social Assistance House in Brwilno (a small village near Płock) to bring some fruit and sweets at Christmas time. The reaction of the youth was very strong. For the first time the young and healthy, generally well-off people saw so much of human misfortune at just one moment: mental disability was clearly visible just like physical one.
The first reactions were marked first of all with fear and embarrassment. It was perceived by Madam Renata who felt intuitively that the education of young people lacks something a lot - the contact with human diversity, the sphere of misfortune and illness. Since that very moment, whenever she visited her disabled friends from Brwilno, she has been accompanied by people from the class she was the form master of. She initiated a series of meetings with a psychologist, doctor, therapist who presented their work in Brwilno.

The theatre is the fruit of friendship between Mrs. Kutyło - Utzig and Mrs. Jolanta Dąbrowska - the therapist from the Social Assistance House in Brwilno. Mrs. Dąbrowska had tried to create mini-drama with the inmates but they were always dealing only with their own circle. In June 2001, both ladies came to the idea to try and establish the artistic cooperation between the two already befriended groups. The rehearsals started first in Brwilno, then in "Małachowianka".

The theatre made its debut with "Cinderella" based on the fairy tale by Jan Brzechwa, a famous Polish poet. The work on this project brought both joy and hard work. It took the inmates weeks to memorize each line; sometimes they forgot it and had to start from the very beginning. Getting the healthy and gifted students accustomed with the very slow pace of work was also a very laborious task. The enterprise succeeded and at the first nigh performance one could notice tears in the audience's eyes, who understood the huge effort of the actors. There was a lot of laugh as well thanks to humorous dialogues. The theatre attracted sympathizers and co-workers. The manager of Płock theatre, Marek Mokrowiecki gave his professional help. The music was, and still is composed by another artist from Płock theatre - Krzysztof Wierzbicki. The teachers of "Małachowianka" design and make the decorations and costumes, friends and inmates sew them, guests come to the first night with cake and fruit. The inmates are so close with "Małachowianka" that when they arrive, they immediately go to say hallo to the teachers and ask for a cup of coffee which they lake a lot. They talk with no embarrassment and enjoy the friendliness of the cleaning ladies, just like children.

In the second year of the cooperation, the next performance - "Sleeping Beauty" was prepared. It gave the actors even more joy and satisfaction. The play was very well received wherever presented.
In 2003, the Integrative Theatre participated in School Theatres Festival in Warsaw. Only 45 out of 84 theatres from all over Poland were appointed to take part in the finals. Our Integrative Theatre was awarded the Main Prize (not having been given for 5 years), together with the prize for the most pro-European activities.

In 2004 the theatre presented "Pinocchio", this time as the performance of theatrical gesture to enable the inmates to express themselves. It was a great satisfaction to present its first night during the international conference entitled "Does the different have to lonely?", which took place in "Małachowianka". The youth and their teachers from ten European countries were deeply touched - the "Pinocchio" performance presented a detailed picture of the emotions of the human who is rejected by the society of the pleased with themselves.

In September, thanks to our sponsor - Orlen Petrochemical Plant, we went to Lithuania. We were invited by the Society of School Theatres Lovers in Vilnius. The students of "Małachowianka" travel abroad quite frequently so this trip was not such a difficult time for them, at least not so much as for the inmates-actors. The trip appeared to be the source of strong emotions and warm memories.

The theatre operates thanks to voluntary, community work. All co-workers and the technical staff work voluntarily. A few free performances were organized at Christmas. We managed to collected 10 000 zlotys for the needs of Brwilno and the occupational therapy. Moreover, we organized a few collections of books, clothes and chemicals. To Lithuania, we took first of all children classic literature, but also washing powder, sweets and clothes for our compatriots who were extremely grateful.