The solo show “Katie’s Tales,” written and performed by Agnieszka Kazimierska, opens a cycle of curated performances at the Hazeltine Theatre in March
By Breeanya Hinkel • Courtesy Photos
Prescott Woman magazine recently interviewed Polish performer, vocal practitioner, and theater researcher Agnieszka Kazimierska, about her solo show, “Katie’s Tales,” which she will perform at the Hazeltine Theatre in Prescott March 8.
Combining dialogue, poetry, and traditional Polish songs to depict a young woman’s experiences during tumultuous times as she awaits her lover in a garden, “Katie’s Tales” comes to the Hazeltine Theater stage in honor of International Women’s Day. Since its 2018 premiere, creator Agnieszka Kazimierska has performed the piece in nine countries.
Agnieszka, an independent Polish performer, vocal practitioner, and theater researcher who collaborates with various theater markers, created “Katie’s Tales” during her time at Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards’s Workcenter in Italy, where she worked from 2007 to 2021. Her academic background in psychology informs her work, which draws inspiration from magical realism and in-depth psychology.
PWM: What inspired you to write “Katie’s Tales”?
Agnieszka: The short answer would be a desire for union, a cherry tree, love, Polish traditional songs, reconciliation with the past, desire to know my ancestry, and poetic prayers to the Divine. But I want to say more.
Throughout different traditions, including the Polish one, there exists a tale about a woman and her beloved, as an archetypal representation of the human heart’s longing to meet and reunite with God.
This spark of love and desire for re-union invited me to look at my own cultural background: Polish lands, both as nature and as territory, culture, history, and the women in that history.
Questions about love inevitably became intertwined with what prevents love. Consequently, themes of separation, longing, memory, and violence emerged. All sprinkled with a potion of playfulness and imagination.
PWM: Why are you excited to showcase “Katie’s Tales” in Prescott?
Agnieszka: I am very glad that “Katie’s Tales” will open a cycle of curated performances at the Hazeltine Theatre. I feel honored to be part of what, I wish, will grow into an enriching wave of artistic contributions to the city’s culture.
The invitation (from Jay and the Hazeltine Theatre) to host “Katie’s Tales” in Arizona came from a desire to create a right context for the performance, which also means cultivating an audience that wants to experience this work. This gives me a sense that care is at the center of this envisioned encounter. And it is special.
Although International Women’s Day evokes mixed feelings in me, I am very happy to contribute with my performance to the celebration of all women on March 8.
I’m very curious to meet all those who will feel the call to witness Katie and her tales.
Learn more at https://www.the-hazeltine.com.