Romanticism. Ashes.

"Romanticism. Ashes" is a personal monodrama by actor Ksawery Szlenkier. The actor composed the script from poems by Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński - a Warsaw insurgent who died on August 4, 1944, during the fighting for Blanka Palace at Theatre Square.

The title can be read in at least two ways. The first suggests that romanticism has been reduced to ashes - that the brutality of war destroyed all noble impulses of the human heart. The second contrasts romanticism with ashes: in this interpretation, romanticism appears as a force capable of surviving the inferno of war and even serving as hope and a chance to preserve humanity.

During the performance, works by the author of "Elegy for a Polish Boy" are performed, including: "Ars Poetica", "Song of Happiness", "Erotic", "Generation", and "Longings". They are accompanied by live music - combining the classical sound of cello with electronics - as well as video projections and visualizations.

Ksawery Szlenkier's grandfather, Karol, was Baczyński's schoolmate at Stefan Batory High School - they were in the same class and both were Warsaw insurgents. Now his grandson, through Baczyński's words, tells the story of a generation that loved, yearned to live, and believed in humanity even in the hell of war.